The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel’s release date for Japan has been announced. Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of Mario, announced ahead of the Nint?endo Direct that the movie will be released on April 26, 2026 in Japan.

The announcement came via a Twitter/X post where Miyamoto added, “We are working with the Illumination team to make it a fun movie, so please continue to look forward to it.�/p>

This confirms that the Mario sequel will actually be released in Japan after its release in the US and other regions. Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri revealed back in March that the sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be released on April 3, 2026, in the US and other select regions.

It may not come as a surprise, given that The Super Mario Bros. Movie was ??released first in the US on April 5, 2023, before releasing ?in Japan on April 28, 2024.

While plot details are still anyone’s guess, Miyamoto had said back in March that the team is “thinking about broadening Mario's world further, and it'll have a bright and fun story.�/p>

The Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel will be directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, and the script will be written by Matthew Fogel. The movie wi??ll be co-produced by Melendandri and Miyamoto. Universal Pictures will be distributing the movie globally.

Nintendo and Illumination’s Mario movie was a blockbuster hit as it grossed $1.36 billion at the global box office, ma??d?e a $559 million profit, and became the most successful video game movie adaptation of all time.

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Head exec says he doesn't know where the Zelda movie rumors came from.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie was a smash hit, leading it to become the second highest-grossing animated movie ever. After such success, making a The Legend of Zelda movie would seem like a logical next step.

A recent report claimed that Illumination, the studio behind the Mario movie, is already working with Nintendo to make an adaptation of the Zelda series. The rumor spread like Internet wildfire, but there's one problem with this story. TheWrap tal??ked wit?h Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri to ask about a Zelda movie, and it looks like Link's story? isn't on the table?? for the studio. Meledandri even adds that he has no idea where these rumors are coming from. Outside of blind guesses from fans, that is.

"I mean I can understand how people would surmise all sorts of things because obviously, we’ve had a great experience working together," said Meledandri. "My relationship with Nintendo now includes being on their board of directors, so I understand how people can surmise these things. But in terms of the specifics, that was just something that I’ve been hearing lots of reports. This is just about what’s next between Nintendo and Illumination.�/p>

Rumors every week

Benjamin Renner, a director at Illumination currently working on Migration, also chimed in about the issue. He says that he sees "one report every week" of what their team is working on next, and this one just so happened to be Zelda.

Illumination, the studio behind other hits such as Sing and Despicable Me, has already fast-tracked a Mario sequel. That could prove to be a reason why a Zelda movie might not see the light of day just yet.

Still, the success of The Super Mario Bros. Movie has earned Meledandri a seat on Nintendo's board of directors. We'll have to wait and see if Illumination will take on ot??her Nintendo properties in the future.

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As seen in theaters and on Twitter

Universal has announced that its billion-dollar blockbuster The Super Mario Bros. Movie will be officially available for purchase in the U.S. via the company's streaming service, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment, from tomorrow,?? May 16. It will retail for $29.99, or rentals are also available.

That's a lot of Golden Coins.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which premiered in theaters on April 5 of this year, has been a staggering success �already surpassing a $1 billion box office to become the most successful cinematic release of the year so far, beating out offerings from the Marvel and DC Cinematic Universes. The Super Mario Bros. Movie joins a? very smal??l circle of films to have broken the billion-dollar barrier since the COVID-19 pandemic, and is expected to be the highest-grossing film of 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=o-uw1ZmIi7o

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the Illumination-produced movie sees the iconic Nintendo mascot and his friends face off against the nefarious Bowser and his army of familiar ne'er-do-wells. While critics have been fairly divisive of the film, clearly audiences were ready to just return to theaters amidst a wave of color, noise, and silliness. The success of the film is expected to lead to further collaborations between Nintendo and Illumination in the future, with either studio tentatively suggesting that they have been both impressed and inspired by the film's incredible relea??se.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is still in theaters worldwide, and can be rented or purchased in the U.S. via the Univer?sal Pictures Home Entertainm?ent service tomorrow, May 16.

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Get set for 26 sequels

In a moment that seemed inevitable from the day one, Illumination's colorful flick The Super Mario Bros Movie has?? surpassed $1 billion USD in glob??al box office takings.

The Nintendo-infused adventure is officially the first film to do so this surpassing, surpassing the likes of Marvel's Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, Warner Bros.' John Wick: Chapter 4, and FOX' Avatar: The Way of Water. It also becomes one of only a handful of films to take 10 figures since the COVID-19 pandemic, joining pictures such as Top Gun: Maverick, Spider-Man: No Way Home, and Jurassic World Dominion.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNcTBXTk4I&ab_channel=Illuminati??on

Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the movie sees Mario (Chris Pratt) whisked away to the Mushroom Kingdom, where he joins newfound pals Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) on a quest to rescue his missing brother Luigi (Charlie Day) while also freeing the kingdo??m and its people from the tyranny of the evil Bowser (Jack Black).

While critics have been fairly negative toward the film's writing, breathless pacing, and use of licesend music, clearly this was a movie that was always set for success, and has brought families and Nintendo fans flocking to the theaters in droves. Given The Super Mario Bros Movie's success in comparison to the previously "Cannot Miss" superhero genre, we can likely expect a rush on video game projects from the Hollywood bigwigs. If Marvel's incoming Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 doesn't make similar bank, then it's almost guaran?teed? that the suits will hitch themselves to the new bandwagon.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing at theaters worldwide.

‘Super Mario Bros??. Movie�Officially Smashes $??1 Billion Globally [Variety]

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That's a lot more than Six Golden Coins

Universal's smash-hit flick The Super Mario Bros Movie is now officially the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time, having bagged an incredible $677 million USD at??? the global box office in just its first two weeks of release.

The Illumination-produced feature, which stars Chris Pratt as the iconic Nintendo mascot, had already surpassed a $500 million box office by the midway point of last week, but has since gone on to record another amazing weekend, pushing the numbers up by over $100 million, surpassing Marvel's latest endeavor, Ant-Man & The Wasp: Quantumania, to become the highest-grossing film of 2023 so ?far.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNcTBXTk4I&ab_channel=Illu??mination

Additionally, The Super Mario Bros Movie has also topped the box office for both Warner Bros.' 2019 release, Pokemon: Detective Pikachu, as well as Universal's own 2016 feature, Warcraft, to officially become the biggest video game movie ever. And given that we are a mere two weeks into Mario & Co.'s box office busting, the number-crunchers are eagerly anticipating the pos??sibility that the film may eventually hit the platinum prestige of a one billio??n dollar box office.

As I've noted before, the Hollywood bigwigs own the most easily turned of ??heads, and it would not be a surprise to see an absolute plethora of video game adaptations greenlit in the coming 10 years, to what, I'm sure, will be varyin?g reward.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing at European and U.S. theatres. It will open in Japan April 28. You can check out our own CJ Andriessen's thoughts on the film in our review.

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Biggest animated movie opening of all time

Illumination release The Super Mario Bros Movie has smashed box office records in its opening weekend, with a recorded $377 million global box office affording the Ninten?do adaptation the mantle of biggest-ever opening for an animated movie.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which opened in American theaters on Wednesday, April 5, has seen sensational early success, with opening numbers surpassing those of the previous record holder, Walt Disney's 2019 sequel Frozen 2. The film, which sees Chris Pratt take up the role of the iconic Nintendo mascot, is being touted by analysts to become the highest-grossing movie of 2023, a feat that?? the animated movie looks s?et to achieve with ease, despite receiving mediocre reviews from many outlets.

//w??ww.youtube.com/watch?v=??RjNcTBXTk4I&ab_channel=Illumination

While trailers have shown much promise in regards to the big-screen version of the Mushroom Kingdom and its denizens, some critics have lambasted the film for being all sizzle and no steak, complaining of wafer-thin storytelling, egregious use of cliched music, breathless pacing, and world-building that relies purely on reference recognition. Clearly, these comments have �and will �not divert the attention of the movie-going public, with the Mario Bros Movie set to dominate ?the spring box office and deliver further on the streaming and home release market for the remainder of the year.

Hope yo??u like vide??o game adaptations. We're about to get a decade of them. Shuffle over, Marvel.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is now showing in North America, Europe, and China. It will premi??ere in Japan on Ap??ril 27.

Super Mario Bros. Movie barrels to record $204 milli?on (US) debut [Variety]

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Strap your tool belt on, kid. We’re going in.

If there was ever a time for Nintendo to expand beyond games and enter the film industry??, it’s right now. Wi??th the smashing success of the Nintendo Switch and a continuous stream of titles that easily eclipse the ten million mark in sales, this is arguably the most popular the company has been in its 100+ year history.

And that popularity can only grow as the millennials who have been with the brand since the early days of little gray boxes are starti?ng to have families of their own, introducing their kids to the plumbers, the princesses, and the piranha plants that have defined their lives. This is a prime time for Nintendo to get out there with a product that’ll appeal to the original generation of Nintendo fans and those who will carry the torch in the future, and releasing a bright and beautiful animated film is a perfect way to do that.

I ju??st wish it would have picked a ??better company than Illumination to do it with.

[caption id="attachment_372968" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Illumination[/caption]

The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic
Written by Matthew Fogel
Produced by Universal Pictures, Illumination, Nintendo
Released: April 5, 2023

For all the bluster and brouhaha that we had to endure in the months following the revelation that Chris Pratt would voice Mario, that should have been what people focused on. Despite its astounding success at the box office, Illumination doesn’t really make good films. Its first picture, Despicable Me, is the only movie from the company with a Rotten Tomatoes score over 80% and a Metacritic score over 70. I know The Super Mario Bros. Movie has sparked yet another tired debate about whether or not reviewers matter anymore, but let’s not pretend this company isn’t out there just coasting on the popularity of its Minions. Illumination isn’t a studio that’s going to take chances or attempt to subvert expectations. It has a dog-eared playbook it sticks to with every one of its films, The Super Mario Bros. Movie included.

That doesn't mean there's no love for the property here. The animation team did an incredible job in bringing every inch of the Mushroom Kingdom and beyond to the big screen. The art direction may be overly clean and without a unique personality, but it looks good enough. And gre?at attention was paid to implementing many different elements from the games into the world, telling the audience the filmmakers have more than just cursory knowledge and appreciation of the series they're adapting.

The same can be said of the film's music. Composer Brian Tyler did a fantastic job seamlessly incorporating so many Koji Kondo works into his original score. It’s arguably the best part of the film, which is why it’s so disappointing several sequences were injected with predictable pop songs rather than letting Tyler work his magic. And when I say predictable pop songs, I mean predictable. Nobody should be using “Holding Out for a Hero�after Jennifer Saunders's mic drop in Shrek 2, “Battle Without Honor or Humanity�has been done to death, and going with a-ha's “Take On Me�for a brief karting sequence was enough to pull me right out of the film. Surprisingly, it was ??the voice acting that was able to pull me back in.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNcTBXTk4I

It's clear Jack Black is reveli?ng in his role as Bowser, but he's not the only one going all out with his performance. Keegan-Michael Key, who plays the central Toad of the film, is outstanding, as are Kevin Michael Richardson (Kamek) and Fred Armisen (Cranky Kong), who seems to be channeling about six of his different SNL characters for the role. Despite the endless arguments and social media posts, Chris Pratt (Mario) is okay w?ith a Brooklyn-adjacent accent layered on top of his regular voice. Charlie Day (Luigi) takes the same approach, and the two do come off sounding like brothers. At the opposite end of the spectrum, Anna-Taylor Joy (Princess Peach) sounds like Anna-Taylor Joy, while Seth Rogen (Donkey Kong) decided to attempt a cocky teenage version of himself, complete with "the Seth Rogen laugh."

The voice acting gets the job done, even if the story they're telling doesn't. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is hurriedly paced following its o?pening sequence in Brooklyn, allowing no time for original ideas or character development. Mario comes into this movie fully formed, already a tenacious go-ge?tter who can handle himself well on a platform stage. Princess Peach also doesn't stray far from when we first meet her. If I were being generous with the term, I'd argue the only character here that does exhibit some growth is Luigi. But because he's sidelined for most of the film, his big moment doesn't have the impact it should.

It's surprising how many moments of this movie did not land with the audience at my screening. While a few points elicited laughter from the entire crowd, this reviewer included, many of its more obvious jokes failed to generate any reaction at all. Nearly all of its action sequences fell similarly flat. The only thing in this film that received any type of sustained response was the Mario Kart sequence. Once the first kart popped up on the screen, every kid around me started chirping �em>Mario Kart 8�like they were the seagulls from Finding Nemo.

[caption id="attachment_372970" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Illumination[/caption]

Beyond that scene, I didn’t really get the sense any of the kids in the theater were engaging with the film. It could be that I couldn’t hear them over the child next to me who would NOT SHUT UP, or it could ?be they just weren’t connecting with a movie that seems to be trying to speedrun itself.

At just 92 minutes, The Super Mario Bros. Movie doesn’t have a lot of time to work with. And the filmmakers did themselves no favors by trying to pack in as much as they could into such a brief runtime. From Mario Kart to Smash Bros. to a Bowser ballad the filmmakers probably should have just let Jack Black write himself, there isn’t one moment of respite throughout this film. Even when characters find themselves in peril, it’s resolved so quickly I wonder why that? sequence was included at all, outside of using it as an opportunity to pop in a few more references from the gam??es.

To be clear, I'm not anti-reference. I don’t necessarily have an issue with the filmmakers including details that connect this movie to the games. In fact, I enjoyed quite a few of them, particularly how they weren’t afraid of using elements from the more recent titles in the series (Cat Suit, Ice Flower) rather than just sticking to the classics. However, many of the references here are so inconsequential that they were clearly included, Chekov’s gun be damned, with the expectation they'll find their way into 50 different YouTube videos about “Things You Missed in The Super Mario Bros. Movie.�The backgrounds of the early scenes in Brooklyn are littered with early? Nintendo references, the type designed to turn the adults in the audience into the Pointing Rick Dalton meme.

[caption id="attachment_372971" align="alignnone" width="640"] Screenshot via Illumination[/caption]

Again, the references here would be fine if they were in a movie attempting to tell an interesting story. But Illumination films don't tell interesting stories. Maybe they will in the future with Mike White (School of Rock, The White Lotus) on tap to pen the next two films from the studio. For now, they're settling with?? an experience designed to shuffle audiences from set piece to set piece as quickly as possible, never once asking you to think about what it is you're seeing on the screen?.

The end result is The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a rather torpid piece of entertainment. I’ve seen many people online trying to deflect criticism of this film by stating it’s a kid’s movie, but that’s a rather lousy line of defense. Just because something is made for kids doesn’t mean it has to be superficial. Children are far more capable and cognizant than adults are willing to give them credit for,? and we should be offering them more than literal eye candy, something beautiful to look at that provides zero sustenance.

Or, just make a Mario Kart movie because that seemed to be the only thing the kids at my screening actually cared abo???ut.

The post Review: The Super Mario Bros. Movie appeared first on Destructoid.

Banned from the NBA

Red Wing Shoes have shown off their pair of replica kicks made in celebration of the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie. Unfortunately, they’re not selling them.

The company shows the creation process in a video that would be effective ASMR if they didn’t underline it with dramatic music. With painstaking stitching, a bit of hammering, and some good old-fashioned glue, they put a bunch of dead cows together to create the sort of shoes that kids get made fun of for wearing at school. The shoes appear to be officially sanctioned by Nintendo, but if not, this company is very excited about the Super Mario Bros. Movie.

//youtu.be/YAm8GK47cDw

Once again, the caveat here is that you cannot buy these shoes, not in the usual shoe sense where they were all bought up by scalpers and are being resold for a few jillion dollars, but in the literal sense where they’re simply not up for sale. This is possibly because the Mario games have shown that they are deadly weap??ons capable of crushing anything without a hard shell.

Not that I would personally want to. They have laces. No one has time for laces. Do kids even know how to tie laces anymore? Kids these days�/p>

On the other hand, this is great advertising for Red Wing Shoes.  I had never heard of them, but there are some nice boots here! This may surprise you, but video game people like myself don't have much need for a practical pa??ir of work boots. I do stub my toe sometimes, but not enough that I need some safety-toed boots to wear at my desk.

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Everyone say "Thank you, Chris Pratt"

Super Mario Run, Nintendo's middlingly successful attempt to bring a full Mario experience to mobile de?vices, has always followed a freemium model. As of a recent update, the app appears to be leaning a little closer to the "free" side of that portmanteau than before.

The 3.0.27 update, released as part of an advertising push for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, allows players to play one stage every day for free. You can play that one stage as many times as you'd like during that one-day window, but once that window is over, the stag??e will be locked again.

[embed]//www.youtu??be.com/watch?v=8BPTrwu8pn4??[/embed]

Still not fully free

You still can't play all of Super Mario Run unless you fork over a few dollars. Only one level will be available per day, and not every level will become available during the event. The event also only runs until May 31, so this isn't a permanent change to the Super Mario Run model. Still, it's the biggest chunk of content that's ever been available for non-?paying players.

Normally, only the first world, the Toad Rally mode, and the Remix 10 mode are available for free in Super Mario Run. All of those offerings are, of course, still available for free in addition to the daily free stages. For the duration of the event, you'll also be able to unlock the rest?? of the worlds without time-gated restrictions at a discounted rate. While the full game normally costs $9.99, during the event you can snag it for $4.99.

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Happy MAR10 Day!

Good morning, folks, and happy MAR10 Day! And in order to get your celebration for the beloved plumber and his amazing adventures off to a grand start, Illumination has received the "final" trailer for its upcoming release The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which launches in a little under a mont?h f?rom now.

The trailer, (which honestly perhaps shows a little too much for my liking), sees Mario's brother Luigi imprisoned within Bowser's Castle (complete with a great remix of the area's classic theme). Mario teams up with notable heroes such as Princess Peach and Toad in order to rescue Luigi, defeat the m??ighty monarch's army, and restore peace to the ??Mushroom Kingdom. The trailer ends with a battle sequence on the Rainbow Road, with Mario bustin' out his finest karting abilities.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v?=DdD9geN6erk&ab_channel=UniversalPicturesUK

Look, I get it. Illumination only has one form of comedy �the collar-tugging, record-scratching, "oh no he did'n" deal. Yeah, it's trite, overdone, and cynical. But, despite all that, I can't help but think that this film looks pretty marvelous. From a visual perspective, it's a delight, with aut??hentic sounds and music. I also think some of the jokes over the past few trailers have been pretty funny, and some of the casting, (like Jack Black's Bowser), is paying off. Of cours??e, whether this fun and energy can be maintained over 92 minutes remains to be seen, but from what we've seen so far, I'm feeling very positive.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie launches in North American and European theaters on April 5. Don't forget to check out this ace line of posters rele?ased to promote the movie. Oh, and Happy MAR1O Day!

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Let's-a-go slightly earlier than expected

Universal and Illumination are moving up the premiere date of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The ani?mated film is now hitting theaters on Apr??il 5 in several markets including the U.S., up from April 7.

While it hits two day earlier in the U.S., other regions will still have to wait a bit longer into April and May; Japan, specifically, will see The Super Mario Bros. Movie debut on April 28.

//twitter.com??/supermariomovie/status/1630599058564976641

Nothing's been indicated as to w??hy the date shifted. But hey, that??'s a little bit of Mario slightly earlier than expected.

Warp pipe to the future

Before April arrives, we're due for at least one more blast of information about the upcoming film. Nintendo has confirmed that the final trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie will air on March 9 in a special movie-focused Direct. The ??company also says no game information will be included in this Direct, so bad news for anyone hoping for a Mario game to pop up out of the warp pipe.

And honestly, I'm not sure how much more I need to see about the film before I walk into a theater. While I'm still a little iffy on some aspects, I was already in for a viewing when I heard Jack Black's Bowser for the first time. Anything ?else, all the fun jokes and references, that's just bonus.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters in the U.S. on April 5, 2023.

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Just shy of Mar. 10

Nintendo has announced a new Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct, which ?will host the final trailer for the animate??d film. This Direct will air on March 9 at 5 p.m. ET / 2 p.m. PT.

The stream is being hosted on Nintendo's channels, and will specifically focus on the final trailer. Nint?endo notes in the description:

"Join us at 2:00 p.m. PT on 3/9 for the world premiere of The Super Mario Bros. Movie's f?inal trailer! No game information will be included in this #NintendoDirect."

Bad news for any Mario game hopefuls out there, I suppose. But hey, it looks like we'll get a good glimpse of what's in store for this animated Mario adaptation.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=66j31wFLB_s

The trailer image does tease many of the central characters, including Mario, Peach, Toad, and D??onkey Kong, racing along the Rainbow Road. And I'd pump the brakes if I were Mario, because that Blue Shell is coming in hot.

Drifting along the rainbow highway

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is pretty well lined-up for its April premiere, which isn't all that far off. This animated version of the Mushroom Kingdom looks to put its own spin on the story, with Mario as an isekai'd plumber transported into the wild, wild world of the Mario games.

And honestly, it's looked pretty alright through most of the trailers. Chris Pratt's Mario voice is one thing, but I'd spend the movie theater ticket price just to see more of Jack Black's Bowser. It really does seem like produciton studio Illumination is having fun digging back through the years of the Mario franchise, too.

At the very least, I'm hopeful for an entertaining romp that's light-hearted, got some good gags, and isn't over three hours long. Seriously, that's become my least-favorite trend in blockbuster movies lately. The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres on April 7.

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Sure beats a bunch of photoshopped heads

As Illumination continues to ramp up the marketing campaign for its upcoming release The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the studio has released a series of character posters spotlighting the Mushroom Kingdom and the h?eroes and villains that reside within.

Th?e posters are strikingly attractive, packed out with color and dynamism, and see protagonists such as Mario, Luigi, Toad, and Princess Peach headed out to battle with the likes of Donkey Kong, Shy Guy, Magikoopa, and, of course, Big Bad Bowser himself. Each poster spotlights a particular character and world �from Rainbow Road, to Donkey Kong Island, to Bowser's Castle �with each image hopi?ng to get fans' hype engines suitably in gear for the movie's spring release.

//twitter.com/super?mariomovie/status/1624136305297981440?s=20&t=U6IBLXcUhvcEqQ_ibx5mlw

I think my favorite is Peach ridin' the Rainbow Road, I love the bright colours and the wild perspective. The drama of the Bowser's Army image is also top-tier. The poster which sees Peach, Toad, and Mario all sat admiring the Mushroom Kingdom is quite lovely. A text-free version of that would look ??great on the wall of any video game fan.

Take a look at the posters in the tweets below and ??see which is your pick of the bunch.

• Mario
• Luigi
• Peach
• Toad
• Bowser
• Donkey Kong
• Group Shot
• Mushroom Kingdom
• Bowser's Army

The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), and ??Charlie Day (Luigi). It is scheduled to launch in theaters in the UK and Europe in late-March. It will premiere in Nor??th America on April 7.

Oh, and be sure to check out the easter-egg-filled Super Bowl ad.

The post The new Super Mario Bros. Movie po??sters are a del??ight appeared first on Destructoid.

Make Captain Lou Albano proud

During the weekend's Super Bowl LVII festivities, production studio Illumination rolled out the big bucks to present fans with a brand new trailer for its upcoming release The Super Mario Bros. Movie �And this latest preview was a real treat for old-school Nintendo fans, as it featured the return of the "S??uper Mario Bros. Rap".

For folks younger than my aging self, the Super Mario Bros. Rap featured as the title music to the choppy (it was) animated series Super Mario. Bros Super Show, which originally aired way back in 1989. The show was famed for producing short, rubbish adventures, which were sandwiched between some wild, live-action bumper segments. These moments famously featured WWE star Captain Lou Albano as Mario and Canadian actor Danny Wells as Luigi.?? Once, Elvira showed up, though the Mistress of the Dark is yet to make her official M??ario game debut. Sadness.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v?=pu57M7cjSD4&ab_channel=Illumination

The new Super Bowl ad features the rap as a backing track to a "Real World" advertisement for the Mario Bros. plumbing services, promoting their fast, speedy, and low-cost pipe repair. This then gives way to a new montage of clips from the upcoming movie, with a look at some fun and familiar platforming sections, a Smash Bros.-style showdown, and, of course, a ride down the Rainbow Road. The Super Mario Bros. Movie stars Chris Pratt as Mario, and will also feature luminaries such as Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad), Jack Black (Bowser), Seth Rogan (Donkey Kong), and Charlie Day (Luigi).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to launch in theaters in the UK and?? Europe in late-March. It will premiere in North America on April 7. So far, it's ??looking to be a perfectly fun piece of entertainment.

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No sign of the DK Rap, unfortunately

This weekend saw the production company Illumination release a short teaser for its fun-looking Super Mario Bros. Movie, an adaptation of one of gaming's ?most beloved and successful franchises of all time �Notably, the clip features up our first opportunity to hear Seth Rogan's performance of the mighty Donkey Kong, one of many familiar faces that will be showing up in the colorf?ul adventure.

The clip rolls out with footage we've seen before, as our boy Mario finds himself on the receiving end of a beatdown from the banana-lovin' ape. Looking to the skies to save him, Mario hits a Question Block and bags himself a Cat Suit, as featured in Wii U release Super Mario 3D World. Unfortunately, Mario's solemn "Meow" fails to impress Kong, who promptly mocks him before continuing ??the?? ass-kicking.

//twitter.com/supermariomovie/status/16197??95800686739456?s=20&t=fwHS1JERA9tBi1kQ8j3riw

I'd love to think that the "Meow" line is a sly dig at the notorious first trailer for Sonic the Hedgehog, but it's probably just a coincidence. Anyway, you can check out Seth Rogan's snippet of dialogue in the tweet embedded above, and you can watch the original trailer in our previous report. Seth Rogan will be joined by and ensemble cast that includes Chris Pratt (Mario), Anya Taylor-Joy (Peach), Keegan Michael-Key (Toad??), Jack Black (Bowser), and Charlie Day (Lui??gi)

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is schedul??ed to launch in theaters in the UK and Europe in late-March. It will premiere in North America on A??pril 7. And, you know what? it's really not looking too bad.

The post New Super Mario Bros. Movie clip debuts Seth Rogan’s Donkey Kong appeared first on Destructoid.

No literally, it was made in Unreal

Chris Pratt's casting of the voice of Mario in Illumination's upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie has been one of the most talked about events of the year in the gaming sphere. Most fans (like me) have been pretty skeptical that he'll be able to pull off a fittin??g tribute to our favorite plumber, and every time a new trailer drops, we scrutinize and discuss, scrutinize and discuss. While I'm still excited for the movie as a whole, I'll admit that seeing an amazing fan project has reignited my enthusiasm a bit. Enter a meticulously made realistic version of Super Mario Bros. with a realistic art style, featuring a lifelike character model of the one and only Chris Pratt.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=aNTCsFewP2I

The creator, known as Re-Imagined Games on YouTube, released a trailer for the project a few months ago, but it's been gaining more traction online recently. It ??looks like a fully-playable, hyper-realistic version of some of the most iconic Mario levels �my personal favorite feature is the fully controllable camera to give players a new perspective on the side-scroller. I'm also really impressed at how good the model of Pratt looks, because trying to recreate famous faces 1:1 in games is usually a one-way ticket to Jankville, USA. The fact that a fan did this all on their own without the help of a huge team or budget makes it an even greater feat in my eyes. It's amazing how far someone will take something simply because they love a game or franchise.

The fan behind this project isn't stopping there, either �other videos show off Jack Black as Bowser and Charlie Day as Luigi, and there are also plans to include Anya Taylor Joy as Princess Peach and Keenan Michael-Key as Toad. In the description of the trailer, the creator also says that they had no prior experience with game development or Unreal, having learned it all along the way "in an effort to make this a legitimately great action game." Hats off to yo?u, Re-Imagined Games.

The post This fan remake of Super Mario ??Bros. featuring Chris Pratt is unr??eal appeared first on Destructoid.

Chris Pratt is fine, just... maybe not as Mario

When the news dropped that Chris Pratt was gonna voice Mario in the upcoming animation The Super Mario Bros. Movie, the reaction was mixed at best. The wave of skepticism only grew with the new trailer and pla??yers heard more of Pratt's work as everyone's favorite plumber.

Now many fans are pondering who else could have taken on the role of Mario, and I've taken it upon my??self to put together a shortlist of actors who would likely have done a better job in terms of capturing the character's essence. I know that sounds kinda snobbish, especially for a character in a children's movie, but I've never let my own pretention stop me in the past.

5. John C. Reilly

John C. Reilly is known for movies like Step Brothers and Talladega Nights, but gamers probably know and love him best for his voice work as the titular Ralph in Disney's Wreck it Ralph. Maybe this one is just latching on because of that movie's video game theme, but I feel like his voice has a friendliness that would lend well to the character. I also like the idea of Mario having a deeper, raspier voice �I feel like that fits better with his whole thing as a ??plumber, you know?

4. Tom Hanks

Okay, this one is a bit of a wild card, but hear me out. We all know that Hanks plays Woody in the Toy Story series, but it's easy to forget just how good he is in t??hose movies. He's one of those mainstream actors who really seems to understand the nuance of voice-acting roles, and I personally think he'd knock a role as Mario out of the park. There's the chance his voice is too familiar to the point that it would be distracting, but I think I'd still be on board nevertheless.

3. John DiMaggio

John DiMaggio is another modern voice-acting legend, best known for his roles as Bender in Futurama and Jake from Adventure Time. I'm sticking to my take that if this new movie is going for a Mario-as-an-everyman kind of thing, something with a little more "gruff" might help sell the whole thing a bit more. DiMaggio also has immaculate comedic timing, so I think he'd be able to p?ull off the quippy tone they're going for better than pretty much anybody on this list.

Related | The reason why Chris Pratt's Mario doesn'?t have an Italian accent on The Mary Sue 

2. Billy West

You have absolutely heard Billy West in your lifetime, even if you don't know his name. He's voiced Bugs Bunny, Popeye, Philip K. Fry from Futurama, (as well as the Red M&M) from the commercials, just to name a few. West has some of the most incredible range of any voice actors working today, and I for one think he could bring a really fresh, interesting take to Mario as a ??character. No one quite understands how to make a voice performance pop like the actors who specialize in this field, and Billy West is one of the actors working today who understands voice acting better than anyone.

1. Charles Martinet

This one was just a given. Martinet is known as the English voice for Mario, playing the character since the series started back in 1992, as well as others in the Mario universe like Luigi, Wario, Waluigi, Baby Mario, and Baby Waluigi. He's ??nothing short of a legend �beloved by Mario fans around the world.

When the announcement of Pratt's casting dropped, Martinet was the first person everyone thought of. It was a shock to fans of the series that such a prolific person in Super Mario legacy was left behind in lieu of a stunt cast, but that's Hollywood for you, I guess. He was incredibly graceful about the whole thing, as one would expect from him, and fellow voice actors like Tara Strong even spoke out in support of Martinet. It's such a disappointment he was overlooked f??or the role, but if nothing else, the backlash has drawn much more attention to his amazing talents and body of work. There's a silver lining to everything, I guess.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres in U.S. theaters April 7, 2023.

The post 5 actors who c??ould have voiced Mario over Chris Pratt appeared first on Destructoid.

Pipe Dreams

There's been much chatter on the information superhighway since the premiere of the second trailer for Illumination's upcoming film The Super Mario Bros. Movie �While the preview offered up lots of fun & recognizab??le action from the Mushroom Kingdom, an alternate teaser reveals just that little bit more.

The second 30-second trailer sees our mustachioed hero as he is shown around the colorful world by fan-favorite fungi, Toad. In the brief clip, we get to see the kingdom's denizens going about their daily routine, gathering coins from Question Blocks, (which I guess is sort of an ATM in the kingdom), and traveling in style, via the Mario Bros. universe's famous network of warp pipes.

//twitter.com/SomeKirbyFan/status/1597982078809026?560?s=20&t=s6-ZVqNs4I4Wra2KtbgBJg

The original clips are being swallowed up by the mighty suits of NBC Universal, but you can check out the alternate preview in the above tweet, courtesy of Twittererer @somekirbyfan. ?Of course, trailers leave absolutely zero to the imagination these days, so maybe you have already had your fill of previews and wish to simply wait for the film's premiere. Good on you. Whilst I'm really not a fan of Illumination's cookie-cutter, rubber-faced shenanigans, I must admit that the world and characters look absolutely delightful in the trailers so far, and I'm definitely lo??oking forward to seeing all of these wonderful characters brought to life. We just need to see Wendy O. and Chain Chomp and I'm good.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie i??s scheduled to launch in Europe on March ??30, North America on April 7, and Japan on April 28, 2023.

The post Alte??rnate Super Mario Bros. Movie trai??ler shows a little more Mushroom Kingdom appeared first on Destructoid.

He isn't so bad

Welcome back! It’s another Tuesday, which means tonight there will be a new episode of the Spot Dodge Podcast exclusively on Destructoid. Topics: The crew reacts to the new Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer. Aside from that, the team discusses recent releases like Pokemon Scarlet and Violet, God of War Ragnarok, Somerville, and more!

//www.youtu??????????????????????????be.com/watch?v=X3ck0Nuh_3A&??amp;ab_channel=SpotDodge

Today we finally got a longer look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie and it did not disappoint. The CG looks breathtaking, the writing seems charming and witty, and it looks to be a celebration of the Super Mario franchise as a whole.

One thing many people were upset with from the first teaser trailer was the brief snippet we heard of Chris Pratt’s Mario voice. It just didn’t have the same personality and familiarity as Charles Martinet, so it was hard to accept. That said, I tried not to judge it too harshly, as it was extremely brief. Turns out, Chris Pratt’s Mario voice isn’t so bad? after all. Now that we have all the context of what’s going on with Mario in this film, Chris Pratt’s Mario seems like a totally competent iteration of everyone’s favorite plumber.

He’s no Charles Martinet, but Nintendo is obviously aiming for star powe??r with this movie, and with such a star-studded cast, it’s hard to imagine the film doing anything less than great at the box office. One thing is for sure, Jack Black as Bowser was the best choice they could’ve made for a Mario movie. Pure perfection!

Our lovely cast from around the web: Brett Medlock (me) and Mary Stowe from Destructoid, John Friscia from The Escapist, Greg Bargas from PC Invasion, and Brett Larsen, our extra special guest. Behind the scenes, Gamurs�Eric Weichhart is live-editing this week’s show. Do you dig the Chris Pratt Mario voice? Let ??us know in the comments!

Spot Dodge is a weekly Nintendo-focused Podcast here at? Destructoid where we dedicate an hour or two to go over the latest Nintendo news and discuss the games we’re playing. If you’re a fan of Nintendo Switch, RPGs, or having a g??ood time, Spot Dodge will be a great addition to your podcast rotation. So be sure to subscribe!

Spot Dodge is streaming live every Tuesday at 4:00 p.m. PT / 7:00 p.m. ET on Twitch channel. ICYMI: We now have a dedicated Spot Dodge YouTube channel! All future episodes wi?ll be?? live-streamed and uploaded there.

Afterward, the show will be available on-demand for audio listeners via Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and more. The live video version will remain on both YouTube and Twitch (don’t forget to f?oll??ow and subscribe). So many options!

The post We were wrong about Chris Pratt as Mario appeared first on Destructoid.

Even the Rainbow Road made it into this movie

A new look at the Mario movie is here, and it's got a lot in it. Today's trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie shows off more of the cast, plot, and?? hazards waiting? for the crew this April.

The second trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie aired during today's Direct, specifically spotlighting the movie. Sorry, no Mario game news to share.

What we did get to see was much more of the cast, including Luigi, Princess Peach, and Donkey Kong. There are gladiatorial games, platforming, a Bowser torture scene, and even some Mario Kart happening on the Rainbow Road.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=TnGl01FkMMo

From a training segment involving some floating platforms and hazards to DK slapping the dickens out of Mario, this definitely has a bit more of a Mushroom Kingdom vibe. Plus, we've heard a good c??hunk of the movie's cast now giving their takes on these classic Nintendo character?s.

Off to the Mushroom Kingdom

We got our first official trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie not too long ago. That Direct featured both Chris Pratt (playing Mario) and Jack Black (Bowser) discussing their work on the film, then seguein??g into ??the full trailer. This time around, we got an intro from Anya Taylor-Joy, who plays Princess Peach, and Seth Rogen, who plays Donkey Kong.

While the first trailer set the stage, this second one feels like it gives a pretty good idea of what the upcoming Nintendo and Illumination film will be like. An everyman-versus-Bowser isekai is certainly a way to take the Mario story, but I'm not entirely against it. We'll see how it comes together when The Super Mario Bros. Movie premieres on April 7, 2023.

The post The Super Mario Bros. Movie ??second trailer spotlights Peach, DK, and so??me karts appeared first on Destructoid.

Another look at the new Mario movie

We're getting another look at The Super Mario Bros. Movie, and soon. Nintendo is hosting a world premiere for The Super Mario Bros. Movie second trailer tomorrow, November 29.

T??he Direct, as Nintendo is dubbing it, will air live at 2 p.m. PT / 5 p.m. ET. There's no estimation on how long this one will be, though given its prior Direct, this movie teaser will likely be on the shorter side.

//twitter.com/NintendoAm?erica/status/1597350002028064768?/

As Nintendo states in its tweet, no game information will be included in this Nintendo Direct. Much like the first Super Mario Bros. Movie Direct, this one will seemingly focus on just the film. And also, hopefully, more selfie cam talking heads with the ca?st.

Mario goes to the movies

In our first trailer for the new Mario movie in September, we? got a pretty good look and feel for w?hat's in store. It seems like a Mario isekai, with the plumber waking up in the Mushroom Kingdom and setting off for adventure.

Meanwhile, Jack Black's Bowser absolutely stole the show. Both his pre-trailer guest spot and his in-trailer performance as the King of the Koopas was? exce??llent.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpazvJrHm0

There are still some principal performances we're waiting on, though. No sign?? ?of Peach or Donkey Kong yet, and we got maybe a smidgeon of Charlie Day's Luigi at the end there.

Considering the teaser image for the new Direct feat?ures the stained-glass art of Peach's castle, we'll hopefully get more of the cast this time?? around.

The stream goes live at 2 p.m. PT over here on Nintendo's YouTube. Nintendo ?and Illumination's film is set to debut on April 7, 2023.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohJrpHUoZ10

The post The Super Mar?io Bros. Movie gets second trailer in a Direct tomorrow appeared first on Destructoid.

Bring back chunky Mario

I think it's pretty safe to say that Mario is one of the most instantly recognizable and beloved video game characters in history, and I think we chose well to have him represent the medium we hold so dear. There are many facts to what makes Mario so universally adored (which is in no small part thanks to the decades-spanning voice performance of Charles Martinet), but one of them is his chunky little character design, which doesn't loo?k as prominent in his upcoming movie.

Even compared to other human characters on the roster like Princess Peach, Mario's proportions are much more distinct. He's short, he's round, and his little circular torso acts as the point from which the rest of his limbs emanate. It's an iconic look??, and considering we've seen it so many times over the years, it's easy to sense that something feels off, even if we can't pinpoint exactly what it is.

//www.reddit.com/r/gaming/comments/y1587k/mario_from_the_mario_??movie_if_he_looked_more_like/

Thanks to some fans on the internet, now we have a side-by-side comparing the classic Mario look to the new design for the movie. The changes are subtle, but they're definitely there. It may not be as jarring as when Ugly Sonic made his debut, but something about Mario doesn't feel quite right to me. Of course that's in ??part because Ch??ris Pratt's voice is coming out of him.

Something I noticed about the fan redesign is its focus on shapes -- a classic principle of character design. While movie Mario has more realistic proportions by animated character standards (which has actually drawn a lot of comparisons to Wreck-It Ralph's Fix-It ??Felix), the fan interpretation brings a lot of the roundness back into Mario's?? design, especially when it comes to his eyes, hands, feet, and torso.

I wouldn't mind the visual ??changes as much if Mario's new voice was truer to the character, but the combination of the new body and voice are a bit too uncanny for my? taste.

The post This Mar??io Movie fan edit is a nod to ??the original character design appeared first on Destructoid.

The Mario movie leaps into action on April 7

Well, it's finally here. Today, we got the world premiere trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie, from Nintendo and Illumination.

Shown off during a special Nintendo Direct today, we got a little bit of info from Shigeru Miya??moto and Illumination's Chris Meledandri on the putting-together of this collaboration.

Then, we got to see the trailer. We see an intro scene of Bowser and Kamek arriving to ??overthrow a penguin kingdom, eventually grabbing a star in the process. Then, we pan over to see Chris Pratt's Mario, hearing his take on the iconic plumber for the first time alongside a big look at the Mushroom Kingdom.

//www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPpazvJrHm0

Mario goes to the movies

Reports of Nintendo and Illumination's team-up first started in 2017. In the time since, we've had a few crumbs here and there, including a full voice cast reveal last year. Alongside Pratt's role as Mario, several celebrities are set to lend their talents, ranging from Charlie Day as Luigi to Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. Both of those got a littl??e spotlight in today's trailer too, though the main show was Mario and Bowser.

The video game-movie adaptation pipeline has certainly grown over the last few years. Sonic the Hedgehog has had two major motion pictures and more is on the way, leading the way for many more. PlayStation has been kicking up its own productions, with an Uncharted movie already out and The Last of Us headed to HBO.

This obv?iously isn't Mario's first silver screen appearance, but it's a pretty big one. I will say, Jack Black's Bowser works pretty well for me. As for some of the others, I'm going to need to hear more (I was a little bummed we didn't hear more of Day as Luigi, or see Princess Peach at all).

The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters on April 7, 2023.

The post Here’s the first trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie appeared first on Destructoid.