Super Mario fans should be afraid as Chris Pratt warns viewers that his “Mario voice” for the upcoming film adaptation of Super Mario Bros will be “unlike anything you’ve heard”. Holy goomba, should we be worried?
In an interview with Variety, Pratt said that he worked with filmmakers to make his performance “phenomenal” and that Mario’s voice has been “updated”.
Pratt has also claimed that he’s proud of the work he’s done and he hopes to blow people away with his performance as the iconic red Italian plumber.
“I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear. It’s an animated voiceover narrative. It’s not a live-action movie. I’m not gonna be wearing a plumber suit running all over. I’m providing a voice for an animated character, and it is updated and unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before.”
Pratt’s casting as the iconic Nintendo character has met backlash from fans as they criticized him for not being Italian. Illumination Studios defended its casting choices for the film, acknowledging the backlash but staying adamant with the decision. It was also confirmed last year that Pratt will not say the iconic “it’s-a me, Mario” line in the film adaptation, as he continued to give vague hints on what his Mario performance will be like.
Nintendo announced The Super Mario Bros film back in Sep. 2021 during its Nintendo Direct presentation. The film will be produced by Illumination Studios, the same animation company behind Despicable Me and Minions. The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Jack Black as the King Koopa, Bowser.
The Super Mario Bros is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 21, 2022