Forgot password
Enter the email address you used when you joined and we'll send you instructions to reset your password.
If you used Apple or Google to create your account, this process will create a password for your existing account.
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Reset password instructions sent. If you have an account with us, you will receive an email within a few minutes.
Something went wrong. Try again or contact support if the problem persists.
Mario The Super Mario Bros. Movie
Image via Universal

‘The Super Mario Bros Movie’ directors leap to the defense of Chris Pratt

It boils down to the film being Mario's origin story.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie is undeniably gorgeous and a lovingly-realized adaptation of Nintendo’s intellectual property from what we’ve seen of it so far. However, there’s been one consistent point of contention ahead of its release: Chris Pratt voicing the mustachioed protagonist.

Recommended Videos

The upcoming film’s directors, Michael Jelenic and Aaron Horvath, brought some context to Pratt’s bizarre take on the iconic plumber in a recent interview with Total Film (via GamesRadar) –  whether it’s for better or worse, that’s up to you. 

The pair see The Super Mario Bros. Movie as something of an origin story for Mario and Luigi, before they became ‘Super’. In the beginning, the brothers are your regular run-of-the-mill working class plumber born to immigrant parents living in Brooklyn, New York – who get whisked away to the magical world of the mushroom kingdom. In this context, Horvath was adamant that Pratt was the man for the job: 

“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 characterized in our film, he’s perfect for it.”

Of course, there’s an argument to be made that Chris Martinent’s original take on the character could have just as easily fit the bill of ‘blue collar immigrant’, but we suppose that if Mario and Luigi are second generation immigrants and grew up in the United States, then their accents would reflect that.

We’ll definitively find out if Pratt’s take on the character worked out or not when The Super Mario Bros. Movie hops its way into theaters on April 5, 2023, two days earlier than originally expected.


We Got This Covered is supported by our audience. When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn a small affiliate commission. Learn more about our Affiliate Policy
Author
Image of Peter Kohnke
Peter Kohnke
Peter is an Associate Editor at We Got This Covered, based in Australia. He loves sinking his time into grindy MMO's like Destiny 2, Final Fantasy XIV, and Old School RuneScape. Peter holds a Masters Degree in Media from Macquarie University in Sydney, AU, and dabbled with televised business/finance journalism in a past life.