The new Super Mario Bros Movie may have only just hit cinema screens, but it seems Jack Black is already eyeing up a sequel – and he has someone in mind to play Wario.
Black features in the new flick alongside the likes of Chris Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Seth Rogen and Keegan-Michael Key, having lent his vocal talents to voice Bowser.
He’s become a bit of a surprise standout from the movie, thanks to an incredible performance of ‘Peaches’, an ode to Princess Peach (Taylor-Joy), that has now landed in the iTunes Top 100.
There’s been no word of a possible sequel just yet, given that it was only released last week, but after having the biggest opening weekend ever for an animated film, no doubt studio execs are seeing dollar signs in their eyes.
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Thankfully, a follow-up film is something Black would be down for, and he’s even come up with a strong casting choice, saying he’d love to see The Mandalorian and The Last of Us star Pedro Pascal join the crew as Wario, Mario’s arch-rival.
He told Game Spot: “It’s not a given that Bowser will return. You know, I did a few Kung Fu Panda movies, and it was a different villain every movie. They may do the same thing."
Black continued: “You know, what if there is a more powerful, more evil villain? Then I may need to be turned to help Mario and the rest to defend our universe against some other unseen force of evil. Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Wario. Pedro Pascal is Wario.”
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His co-star Seth Rogen, who voices Donkey Kong, has also spoken about hopes for another film.
Discussing what a movie focused on Donkey Kong might look like, he turned to a well-known action series for inspo.
He said the latter is all about ‘family’, something that he feels translates into the new film, too, not least because it features one other member of Donkey Kong’s clan with Fred Armisen’s Cranky Kong.
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Speaking to Collider, he said: "There’s a lot of opportunity there. I think the family unit of the Kongs seems to be — and if the Fast and Furious movies have taught us anything [it’s] that it’s all about family.”
And there is, of course, scope for the future, with plenty of other Kongs from the games that could become characters in any new movies.
Given Donkey Kong's previous racing experience in all the Mario Kart games, it could certainly work.
"Exactly!" Rogen said.
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"They’ve got those go-karts. There’s a lot of crossover!"
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is out now.
Topics: Film and TV, Jack Black, Pedro Pascal, Super Mario, Chris Pratt
Jess Hardiman