The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Everything You Need to Know

(Updated 03/10/2023)

After nearly 30 years, every gamer's favorite family of Italian plumbers will finally hit the big screen once again.

Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio behind family-friendly favorites such as the DESPICABLE ME and MINIONS franchises and THE SECRET LIFE OF PETS, is bringing the beloved video game characters to new life. And, thankfully, they’ll be keeping the iconic red and green overalls-clad brothers in animated form, too.

The first full trailer has been released, so we can see and hear the new movie version of Mario — and get a sense of just how true to the games this new movie might be. Ready to watch Mario thump Bowser and dash through pipes in search of Princess Peach? Here’s everything we know so far about THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE.

The Super Mario Brothers Movie Release Date

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE will open in US theatres on April 5.

Watch The New Super Mario Bros. Movie Trailer

While the first teaser trailer for THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE featured a brief introduction to the movie's Mario and a big attack by Bowser, the new trailer is focused much more on a broad span of action in the Mushroom Kingdom. There's no question that Illumination and Nintendo have worked together closely in order to capture the look and feel of the games.

We get to see and hear Princess Peach, and there are quite a few indicators of how much of the Mario game landscape will be featured in the movie. (In short: A lot!)

Mario Kart Is In The Super Mario Bros. Movie!

That's it, that's the deal. The new trailer shows Mario and crew speeding along in a wide variety of vehicles drawn directly from the "Mario Kart" games.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Actually Incorporates Many Game Elements

The new trailer shows Mario engaged in some classic 2D platforming, which is a surprise. Mario gets to fly in the raccoon-like Tanooki suit, and there are more than a few additional nods to the many Mario games. We expect to see a lot more in the final movie.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie Cast

Hollywood’s favorite guy Chris Pratt (JURASSIC WORLD, GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY) voices Mario.

"It’s Always Sunny" star Charlie Day fills the role of Mario's brother Luigi. Anya Taylor-Joy, who has become an art-house scream queen through roles in movies like THE WITCH, SPLIT, and LAST NIGHT IN SOHO, will voice the apple of Mario’s eye, Princess Peach. The distinctive actress has flexed her acting muscles with roles in films like EMMA. and THOROUGHBREDS, but it will be interesting to see how Taylor-Joy will approach an animated family film.

The rest of the cast is filled out by a veritable who’s-who of comedy icons. Jack Black will be the antagonistic Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key is Toad, writer/actor/director Seth Rogen will be Donkey Kong, and Fred Armisen will be Cranky Kong. Additionally, Kevin Michael Richardson will be Kamek the Magikoopa and Sebastian Maniscalco voices Foreman Spike.

Movie Mario Sounds More Like Video Game Mario Than Expected

While the first teaser trailer made it seem like Chris Pratt avoided using any sort of accent for the character, the new trailer lets a couple of notes slip through. So while Pratt doesn't have a cartoonish pseudo-Italian accent, we do hear "let's-a go" in the trailer. (And a classic "wahoo!" is in there, too.)

So while Pratt's voice mostly sounds like his performance in THE LEGO MOVIE, the "it's-a me!" sound of Mario's now-familiar voice in the games isn't entirely absent.

What Is the Super Mario Bros. Movie About?

There is no official plot synopsis as of yet, though it’s safe to assume that the film will follow at least marginally close to the standard trajectory of the original story. An early plot summary was simply "A plumber named Mario travels through an underground labyrinth with his brother, Luigi, trying to save a captured princess."

Indeed, that is a reasonable if brief summary of the "Super Mario Bros." story, though this summary has been neither confirmed nor denied by the filmmakers or anyone else involved in the project. But the inclusion of the Kong brothers indicates that the film will add some extra flavor to the story outside of just the Peach-Mario Brothers-Bowser triptych that we know so well.

The Creative Team Behind The Super Mario Brothers Movie

This new movie is written by Matthew Fogel, who had a story credit on THE LEGO MOVIE 2: THE SECOND PART and co-wrote MINIONS: THE RISE OF GRU. The directors are Aaron Horvarth and Michael Jelenic, who did the surprisingly underrated TEEN TITANS GO! TO THE MOVIES.

Mario’s creator Shigeru Miyamoto has also been intimately involved with this new project. He and Nintendo have been in talks with Illumination founder Chris Meledandri to develop a new Mario movie since 2016. It truly seems like the new Mario movie could not be in better hands.

THE SUPER MARIO BROS. MOVIE opens on April 5.

 

All images courtesy of Nintendo, Illumination Entertainment, and Universal Pictures.