Super Mario Bros. Movie Director stands behind his decision to cast Chris Pratt as Mario.
Although the casting of Chris Pratt for the role of an Italian plumber surprised the audience, it did not concern the film’s directors. Jelinek and Aaron Horvath said Tomorrow movie Magazine that casting Pratt makes sense given Mario is at the center of their story.
Pratt isn’t Italian, after all, and many fans were surprised when the first trailer for the film dropped last October and revealed Pratt’s Brooklyn-heavy Mario voice. That’s not a concern for the film’s directors, Michael Jelinek and Aaron Horvath. The filmmakers told Total Film magazine that casting Pratt made sense given Mario is at the center of their story.
“It’s a bit of an origin story. It’s the story of Mario becoming Super Mario,” Horvath said of the film, adding that finding the perfect Mario voice meant finding an actor Go, who can convincingly portray a Brooklyn plumber as “a blue-collar man from a family of Italian immigrants.”
“For us, it makes complete sense,” insists the director.
“He’s really good at playing a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart. The way Mario is characterized in our film, he’s perfect for it.
Pratt said Variety Last year the actor worked with the director to find the perfect voice for the role.
“I tried a few things and landed on something I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear,” added Pratt.
“It’s an animated voice-over narrative. It’s not a live-action movie. I’m not going to wear a plumber’s suit running around. I’m providing the voice for an animated character, and it’s been updated and Unlike what you’ve heard before in Mario World.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens in theaters on April 5, 2023.