Box office prognostication aside, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” looks pretty great for a film that first garnered headlines for its potentially ill-suited casting choices. While “Guardians of the Galaxy” star Pratt didn’t seem like a natural fit to don the Italian plumber’s mustache and gloves (metaphorically, of course, unless he really got creative while voice recording), trailers for the movie so far make it look like a fun, bright, reference-packed adventure comedy for fans of the classic Nintendo games.
In addition to Pratt, the film stars Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and in perhaps its most inspired bit of casting, Jack Black as Bowser. The movie directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic follows Mario, Peach, and Toad as they attempt to traverse the Mushroom Kingdom on a mission to stop power-hungry Bowser, who appears to have captured Luigi based on first trailers.
The April release slate is currently pretty empty, with potential horror film sleeper hits like “Renfield,” “Evil Dead Rise,” and “Beau is Afraid” set to release in the weeks after “The Super Mario Bros. Movie.” In the end, though, Pratt’s stiffest competition may end up being himself: the next potential blockbuster on the schedule is May’s “Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 3.”
“The Super Mario Bros. Movie” hits theaters on Wednesday, April 5, 2023.