Overview
You've played Nintendo's Mario games, including on Google Maps and mobile phones. You've tried your hand at Mario Kart in reality. You've made plans to hit up the Super Nintendo theme park in Japan, or perhaps the upcoming second site in Hollywood. And you've watched 1993's live-action Super Mario Bros, which starred Bob Hoskins as the titular, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper as King Koopa.
If all of the above fit — or even just some of it, because everyone has pressed start on at least one Mario game — then you're primed for the character's next leap to the big screen. This time, it's happening in animation, and Nintendo has just dropped a colourful sneak peek during its Nintendo Direct stream.
The film: The Super Mario Bros Movie, which has enlisted Chris Pratt (The Terminal List) to voice the Italian plumber, because the former Parks and Recreation star doesn't have enough big franchises (see: Guardians of the Galaxy, Jurassic World and The Lego Movie) on his resume. (So far, there's only one new Super Mario Bros, but predicting there'll be more if it does well at the box office is as easy as collecting mushrooms in the games.)
As initial teaser trailers tend to do, there's little in terms of story in this first glimpse at the movie — but Mario does frolic his way to the Mushroom Kingdom. Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day, It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia) gets a-running in spooky surroundings (here's hoping that games' haunted house soundtrack makes the jump to cinemas, too) and Bowser (Jack Black, Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood) gets fiery as well.
Also among The Super Mario Bros Movie's voice cast: Anya Taylor-Joy (Amsterdam) as Princess Peach, Keegan- Michael Key (Reboot) as Toad, Seth Rogen (Pam & Tommy) as Donkey Kong and Fred Armisen (Los Espookys) as Cranky Kong.
Hailing from directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (Teen Titans Go!, Teen Titans Go! To the Movies), penned by Matthew Fogel (Minions: The Rise of Gru) and produced by Illumination Entertainment (aka the studio behind the Despicable Me and Minions flicks, and the Sing films), the movie reaches cinemas Down Under at the end of March 2023.
That gives you plenty of time to mash buttons in the interim — just try watching this first sneak peek and not busting out your old Mario games.
Check out the trailer below:
The Super Mario Bros Movie releases in cinemas Down Under on March 30, 2023.