Mario is coming back to the silver screen, and we got another look at the upcoming animated movie during a surprise Nintendo Direct on November 29 featuring Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto, castmembers Seth Rogen and Anya Taylor Joy, and a glimpse of the Mushroom Kingdom’s finest blazing down a rainbow road in familiar looking karts. Here’s everything we know so far about The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
When is The Super Mario Bros. Movie release date?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will launch on April 5 in North America and April 27 in Japan.
It was originally scheduled to hit theaters on December 21, 2022. However, in April 2022, Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, posted an update on Nintendo’s Twitter account saying the film had been delayed until Spring 2023: April 7 in North America and April 28 in Japan. The release date later changed to two days earlier in North America and one day earlier in Japan.
Miyamoto added the message, “My deepest apologies but I promise it will be well worth the wait.”
He didn’t explain the reason for the delay, but it could be due to a variety of factors. The Super Mario Bros. Movie was first announced in 2018, meaning it was in production during the Covid-19 pandemic. At the same time, Super Nintendo World is set to open at Universal Studios Hollywood in 2023, so the film could have been delayed to coincide with the opening of the theme park.
Is there a trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Illumination and Universal Pictures dropped the final trailer for the Mario movie on March 9. This one builds on the backstory in the past trailers with more previews at how Mario game mechanics and easter eggs have been incorporated into the movie. It’s lots of platforming, fireballs, and jokes sprinkled between gaming references.
The trailer before that was released on November 29, which features viewers’ first looks at Princess Peach, Donkey Kong, and a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it shot of a jungle full of Yoshi. (Yoshis? Yoshies?)
Another trailer features Mario challenging Donkey Kong in a vast combat arena — and it doesn’t go well. From there, we’re introduced to Princess Peach and her gaggles of adoring (and adorable) Toads. From Tanooki Suits to Fire Flowers, there’s Easter eggs everywhere you look.
Nintendo dropped the first teaser trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie October 6, 2022. Enjoy Jack Black’s rendition of Bowser, a curbstomp battle between the Koopas and a poor penguin kingdom, and a comedic exchange between Toad and Mario in the two-minute trailer. Predictably, the internet dunked on Chris Pratt’s Mario voice in the days following the reveal.
Who is in The Super Mario Bros. Movie cast?
The currently announced cast consists of the following actors:
- Chris Pratt as Mario
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach
- Charlie Day as Luigi
- Jack Black as Bowser
- Keegan-Michael Key as Toad
- Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong
- Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong
- Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek
- Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike
Mario’s current voice actor, Charles Martinet will also be involved in “various cameos.” His exact role is unknown.
While the casting might be a little surprising, what’s more, surprising is how the cast suggests how the Mario movie could delve into the series’ lore. For example, Spike is considered to be Mario’s boss in the Wrecking Crew series. Most of the folks watching the Nintendo Direct reveal probably had no idea that Mario wasn’t his own boss.
Or the film could finally confirm that Cranky Kong was the foe Mario first met in the original Donkey Kong, back when Mario was just called Jumpman.
Mario lore is endlessly confusing.
Will The Super Mario Bros. Movie be on streaming services?
Yes! If you don’t want to go to a movie theater to see the Mario film, you’ll be able to watch it on the NBC streaming platform, Peacock, a few months after the official release.
In July 2021, Peacock and Universal forged a deal that grants the streaming platform exclusive rights to all movies from Universal, DreamWorks, Illumination, and Focus Features, starting in January 2022. The deal requires films to appear on Peacock within four months from the theatrical debut.
Using math, you’ll be able to stream The Super Mario Bros. Movie on Peacock by August 7, 2023. It could crop up on the platform sooner.
Additionally, Universal has a deal allowing films to jump to premium video-on-demand platforms after 31 days in theaters. You’ll likely be able to rent The Super Mario Bros. Movie for $19.99 beginning on May 7, 2023.
Who’s making The Super Mario Bros. Movie?
Illumination Pictures is behind The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The studio is best known for creating the Despicable Me franchise and helming the recent Dr. Seuss animated films like The Lorax and The Grinch.
The Mario movie will be co-directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. The pair previously co-developed the TV show, Teen Titans Go! for Cartoon Network. Horvath also directed the film Teen Titans Go! To the Movies. Jelenic has previously written for TV shows like Jackie Chan Adventures, Batman: The Brave and the Bold, and Legion of Super Heroes.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is written by Matthew Fogel, the mind behind the 2011 Martin Lawrence film, Big Mommas: Like Father, Like Son. Fogel also wrote the Lego Movie 2: The Second Part.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes to theaters on April 5, 2023.
Just Lunning contributed to previous versions of this article.
