“Super Mario Bros.” is arguably the biggest video game IP of all time. However, there’s never been a great movie adaptation, 1993’s “Super Mario Bros.” still kind of lives in infamy. However, Illumination and Nintendo joined forces a few years back to create “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” a new, big-screen adventure starring pop culture’s most prominent plumbers of the past four decades.
Based on the world of Nintendo’s Mario video games, the film looks pretty damn entertaining and fun and even borrows elements of the popular Mario Kart game for this new animated feature. The voice cast includes Chris Pratt (Mario), Charlie Day (Luigi), Anya Taylor-Joy (Princess Peach), Keegan-Michael Key (Toad), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong), Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek) and Sebastian Maniscalco (Spike), plus a special voice appearance by Charles Martinet, who has voiced the characters of Mario and Luigi in the Super Mario games for more than 30 years.
Here’s the official synopsis:
While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt; Jurassic World and The LEGO Movie franchises) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi.
With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key; The Lion King), and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy; The Queen’s Gambit), Mario taps into his own power.
The film is directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic (collaborators on “Teen Titans Go!,” “Teen Titans Go! To the Movies”) from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel (“Minions: The Rise of Gru,” “The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part”).
The film is co-financed by Universal Pictures and Nintendo and will be released worldwide by Universal Pictures. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” opens on April 5, 2023, in theaters. Watch the final trailer below.