After everyone (especially Bob Hoskins) hated 1993’s Super Mario Bros, there wasn’t a live-action movie based on a Nintendo property until 2019’s Detective Pikachu. That one people actually liked, but the real test comes next with The Super Mario Bros. Movie. It didn’t get off to a good start, based on the negative reaction to Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario, but the much-anticipated trailer was released today, and it looks pretty dang fun.
You can watch it above.
The trailer begins with Bowser (voiced by Jack Black) facing off against some penguins and stealing their star. “I finally found it,” he says. “Now, who’s gonna stop me?” The action then cuts to the Mushroom Kingdom, where Mario — sounding exactly like Andy Dwyer and Star-Lord and what’s-his-face from Jurassic World and… — seems confused by what he’s seeing. He also seems surprised by Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), but Toad knows who he is. Maybe Mario isn’t from the Mushroom Kingdom in the movie, but rather, like, New Donk City and this is his first time there? That would explain a lot.
We’ll have to wait until the next trailer to find out. For now, at least we know Jack Black makes for a great Bowser — and Luigi (Charlie Day) is a coward, as he should be.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which also stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Charles Martinet (the GOAT Mario voice) in an undisclosed role, opens on April 7, 2023.