Super Mario Bros Movie directors say Chris Pratt's casting made 'total sense'

The Super Mario Bros Movie directors Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic have opened up about the controversy surrounding Chris Pratt's casting in the titular character. The movie is based on the classic video game franchise Mario. Mario is canonically an Italian plumber and many fans of the franchise were surprised by an American actor voicing the role. While speaking to Total Film, Horvath said it made "total sense" to cast Pratt. "For us, it made total sense. He's really good at playing a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart. For the way that Mario is characterised in our film, he’s perfect for it," he said.

Mario is the primary protagonist of the Mario stories who goes on various adventures to save Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy in the film) from the clutches of evil Bowser (Jack Black).

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Last year, Pratt had promised that his Mario voice is “unlike anything you’ve heard.” While speaking to Variety, he said, “I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear. It’s an animated voiceover narrative. It’s not a live-action movie. I’m not gonna be wearing a plumber suit running all over. I’m providing a voice for an animated character, and it is updated and unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before.”

The film also features the voices of Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Charles Martinet, and Kevin Michael Richardson.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie releases in the United States on April 7, 2023, and in Japan on April 28.

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