Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment’s upcoming animated film adaptation of Nintendo’s “Super Mario Bros.” video game series has been delayed from December 21st this year to next Easter.
The film will now open in U.S. cinemas on Good Friday next year – April 7th 2023. A Japanese release will follow on April 28th. The game’s creator and Nintendo leader Shigeru Miyamoto announced the change on social media this evening, saying in a statement:
“After consulting with Chris-san, [producer Chris 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.”
Universal and Nintendo are co-financing the film which hails from the developers of the “Despicable Me” and “Sing” franchises. Chris Pratt leads the cast as the famed Italian plumber alongside 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.
Original Mario voice actor Charles Martinet will have a cameo role in the film, while Pratt isn’t expected to use a thick Italian accent in the movie as is used in the games.
“Teen Titans Go! To the Movies” helmers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are directing while Matthew Fogel (“Minions: The Rise of Gru”) penned the script.
In the wake of that delay, Universal is also pushing back Dreamworks Animations’ sequel “Puss in Booths: The Last Wish” from September 23rd to the now vacated December 21st slot.
Source: Variety
