The Super Mario Bros. Movie star Anya Taylor-Joy has shared that the upcoming film adaptation of the popular Nintendo video games turned her into a gamer.
In a profile for Modern Luxury San Diego, Taylor-Joy revealed that she wasn't a gamer before being cast in The Super Mario Bros. Movie but after doing research for the film she now considers herself one. "So now I am a gamer, and it’s really fun," she said. "Ideally, I like playing at arcades, because, again, it’s like cinema; I love the ceremony. I’ll go with a whole bunch of friends. And we’ll just spend hours at the arcade."
Peach Is No Longer the Damsel in Distress
Created by Shigeru Miyamoto, Princess Peach was first introduced in 1985's Super Mario Bros. as the regnant and ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Although Peach is the lead female character in the Mario series, she is often depicted as the damsel in distress who needs to be rescued from Bowser's clutches by Mario and Luigi. However, the second trailer for the Super Mario Bros. Movie has revealed that Peach will take a more active role in the upcoming film, assisting Mario and Toad in stopping Bowser from ruling the world. Fans have been raving about the decision to transform Peach into a total badass for the film, with many also celebrating her Mario Kart-inspired combat outfit.
Taylor-Joy was announced as part of the film's voice cast in September 2021 along with Chris Pratt and Jack Black as Mario and Bowser, respectively. While fans have reacted positively to Black's Bowser voice, they have not been as kind to Pratt's Mario voice, heavily criticizing his attempt at a Brooklyn accent. Attempts to have Nintendo and Illumination replace Pratt with Charles Martinet, the voice actor of Mario in the video games have also failed, with the companies standing behind their choice to cast the Guardians of the Galaxy actor as the iconic video game plumber.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie marks the third time the Mario video game franchise has been adapted to film after Super Mario Bros.: The Great Mission to Rescue Princess Peach! (1986) and Super Mario Bros. (1993). In addition to Taylor-Joy, Pratt and Black, the upcoming animated film will feature the voices of Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, Kevin Michael Richardson, Khary Payton and Eric Bauza, with Martinet confirmed to make "surprise cameos" in the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens in theaters on April 7, 2023.
Source: Modern Luxury San Diego