In case you’ve been offline today, the big news for cinema – and video game – fans is the release of the very first trailer for the highly anticipated The Super Mario Bros. Movie. In 2023, Universal and Illumination adapt for the first time one of the most popular video games ever (we’re not counting that time, of course). The 3D animation mirrors the style of the most recent Super Mario games from Nintendo Switch.
Even though the trailer does a pretty good job of showcasing the upcoming movie’s look and tone, it isn’t very revealing when it comes to the story. So that means it’s time for speculating, and Jack Black is doing a great job of letting our imaginations run wild. Black lends his voice to fan-favorite supervillain Bowser in the movie, and during a press run at NYCC, the actor suggested that the spiky turtle might lead a musical number. Collider's own Maggie Lovitt was in attendance and Black said he’d tapped into his heavy metal roots and that he’d like to “take his show to Broadway.”
While we can’t be certain if Black was joking about it or not, there’s a chance this could be real: The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailer already proved that the adventure will not take itself too seriously, and Black has broken into song in several roles he played – not only in the hit musical School of Rock but also in non-musical movies such as Nacho Libre and Margot at the Wedding. Black also has a distinct sense of humor, so he could be just messing with us all as well.
Aside from Black, The Super Mario Bros. Movie also features the voices of Chris Pratt as the title character, Charlie Day as his brother Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, and Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is directed by 4-time Emmy nominee Aaron Horvath (Teen Titans Go! To The Movies) and Michael Jenelic, who makes his feature film writing debut. The story is written by Matthew Fogel, who’s had plenty of experience penning 3D-animated movies that lean on self-reference and tongue-in-cheek humor, such as The LEGO Movie 2: The Second Part and Minions 2: The Rise of Gru.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is scheduled to premiere in theaters on April 7, 2023.
You can watch the trailer below: