Illumination Entertainment's adaptation of Nintendo's Super
Mario Bros. video game series, which was scheduled to release on December 21,
will now hit theatres on April 7, 2023. A Japanese release will follow on April
28, 2023.
Super Mario Bros. series creator and Nintendo leader Shigeru
Miyamoto took to Twitter and wrote: "After consulting with [Illumination
producer] Chris-san [Meledandri], my partner at Illumination on the Super Mario
Bros. film, we decided to move the global release to Spring 2023. My deepest
apologies, but I promise it will be well worth the wait."
Chris Pratt is on board to voice the Italian plumbing
protagonist. The voice ensemble also includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess
Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad,
Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as
Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are set as directors on
the Mario movie. Jelenic and Horvath wrote Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, on
which Horvath was also co-director. Illumination — owned by Universal Pictures
— is best known for Despicable Me, Sing, and The Secret Life of Pets film
series.
The untitled animated Mario movie will now release April 7,
2023 in cinemas worldwide.
The Super Mario Bros. movie has been in the works since 2017
and has been in "priority development" at Illumination over the past
few years. It will feature the voices of Chris Pratt at Mario, Charlie Day as
Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Jack Black will voice the
legendary bad guy Bowser, while Seth Rogen will voice Donkey Kong. Charles
Martinet, the actor who portrayed Mario in various games across the franchise,
will also voice various cameos throughout the film.