The Chris Pratt and Jack Black film hits theaters in April.
Image via Universal
2023 has been a stellar year to go to the movies thus far, but the first major animated film to release will be The Super Mario Bros. Movie from Universal and Illumination. The film based on the popular Nintendo video game franchise of the same name is set to jump back onto the big screen in early April. The nostalgic marketing campaign has been so incredible with colorful trailers, a ton of Easter eggs that would make any grown man cry, and an apparent love for the franchise that hasn’t been seen outside the game space in quite some time. Now, in the latest promo for Super Mario Bros., the famous Italian plumber is taking on a classic foe.
The small 12-second promo packs quite the punch as it sees Chris Pratt’s Mario jump out of a green warp pipe in his iconic pose with the equally iconic warp pipe sound effect in the background. However, this isn’t any old warp pipe as a pesky piranha plant quickly comes out of the pipe to fight Mario. Mario’s ready for a fight though, and starts riding the enemy like a bull. If this was the game, simply touching a piranha plant would make you take damage, but it appears Mario has leveled up for his cinematic comeback. Also even though this is such a short teaser, this promo is layered with references like the music which features the same stress raising jingle whenever a Mario level reaches 100 seconds to go till game over.
What’s The Super Mario Bros. Movie About?
The Super Mario Brothers Movie acts as a love letter to Mario’s rich almost 40-year history. It’s a story that sees Mario and Luigi (Charlie Day) thrown into the Mushroom Kingdom for the first time, but the two brothers get separated with Luigi being captured by the evil Bowser (Jack Black). To save his brother, Mario enlists the help of Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy) and the rest of the Mushroom Kingdom. This of course includes Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen) and Toad (Keegan-Michael Key). Like mentioned before, this will also be an adventure filled to the brim with Mario references. This includes Mario training on courses very similar to his 2D platformer origins and music ripped from the games, but the biggest thing featured in the marketing up to this point has been Mario Kart. The sub-franchise and Rainbow Road look to play a major part in this rescue mission.
When Does The Super Mario Bros. Movie Release?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie releases on April 5, 2023. From all accounts it looks like it’s going to blow the lid off the box office, but while gamers anxiously wait for the film’s debut, you can view the new Super Mario piranha plant promo down below.
