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Mumbai, April 26 (IANS): The upcoming adaptation of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros video game series, which was originally set to release on December 21, targeting a theatrical run through the holiday season, has been postponed to 2023, reports 'Variety'.
As per 'Variety', Universal and Illumination Entertainment's film will now arrive in theatres on April 7, 2023 in North America followed by a Japanese theatrical release on April 28. Super Mario Bros. series creator and Nintendo leader Shigeru Miyamoto announced the change in release date through Nintendo's social media on Monday evening.
As quoted by 'Variety', Miyamoto wrote, "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."
After years of gestation, plans for a Super Mario Bros. animated movie began to materialise in 2018, with Nintendo and Universal announcing a partnership on the project. Illumination Entertainment, the animation studio behind 'Minions', 'Despicable Me' and 'Sing' was also on board.
Nintendo revealed in September last year the voice cast for the 'Super Mario Bros' film, tapping Chris Pratt to voice the Italian plumbing protagonist wherein producer Meledandri revealed that Pratt would not voice Mario with a thick Italian accent.
The voice ensemble also includes 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.
The film is helmed by the directing pair of Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, the two have previously collaborated on the animated series 'Teen Titans Go!' and the spin-off film 'Teen Titans Go! To the Movies'. The script is from Matthew Fogel, whose credits include 'The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part' and the upcoming Illumination title 'Minions: The Rise of Gru'.