Featured Image Credit: Nintendo/Illumination
Topics: Film and TV, Super Mario, Chris Pratt
Stewart Perrie
Topics: Film and TV, Super Mario, Chris Pratt
A new trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has dropped and we finally get to hear more of Chris Pratt's accent.
The first teaser introduced us to the stunning visuals that can be expected from the upcoming film.
However, we barely got to hear much of the actor's take on the iconic character.
Most people will know Mario is an Italian plumber and has had an accent for most of his time.
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When Pratt was hired to portray the legendary character, people weren't convinced he was going to continue Mario's legacy and origin.
Hoping to put people's minds at ease, producer Chris Meledandri assured fans: "When people hear Chris Pratt’s performance, the criticism will evaporate. Maybe not entirely – people love to voice opinions, as they should."
He added: "I’m not sure this is the smartest defence, but as a person who has Italian-American heritage, I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian-Americans…I think we’re going to be just fine.'
Finally, we get to see the results of Pratt's hard work at crafting an accent for Mario.
One person on Twitter said: "Loved everything but Pratt’s wa-hoo… like cmon dude!!! You’re literally given the opportunity to voice MARIO!!! You better not mess this up."
Another added: "Loving everything about this movie! And Mario's lil' 'Wahoo' on the Rainbow Road, absolutely adorable!"
This sentiment was shared by OG Luigi actor, John Leguizamo, who isn't impressed by having Pratt as the lead.
He told Variety: “I’m O.G. A lot of people love the original. I did Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone’s like, ‘No, no, we love the old one, the original.’
"They’re not feeling the new one'. I’m not bitter. It’s unfortunate.”
Leguizamo distinctly remembered how directors for his Mario film faced pushback from the studio for casting a Latino actor.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie has an all-star cast.
In addition to Pratt, the film will also star Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, the damsel in distress who Mario typically spends most of his time trying to rescue from the terrifying Bowser, who will be played by the legendary Jack Black.
Seth Rogen is signed on to play Donkey Kong, while Key and Peele's Keegan-Michael Key will voice Toad. There's still no sign of Yoshi just yet but we're holding out hope.
Also joining the cast are Fred Armisen (Portlandia), Kevin Michael Richardson (The Simpsons), comedian Sebastien Maniscalco, and Charles Martinet, who has voiced both Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario video game series since 1992.
The movie is set for release in the UK on 31 March, 2023 and 7 April, 2023 in the US.