On April 7, 2023, “Super Mario Bros.: The Movie” will hit theaters worldwide, the new animated film from Illumination based on the historic Nintendo video game saga. However, a first adaptation took place in 1993 with ‘Super Mario Bros.’, the only film to date that brought the adventures of the iconic plumber in live action form. In it, John Leguizamo played Luigi, while Bob Hoskins did the same with Mario. Now the first harshly accused the cast (voices) of the new film led by Chris Pratt.
According to Variety, the Colombian actor He criticized the fact that neither Pratt, who will be voicing Mario, nor Charlie Day, who will be voicing Luigi, have any sort of Italian ancestry, which typifies famous Nintendo characters. However, it should be noted that his filming partner in the 1993 title, Hoskins, is British. “I’m old school. A lot of people love the original version. I went to Comic-Con in New York and Baltimore and everyone was like, ‘No, we love the old, the original.’ They don’t feel new. I’m not bitter, it’s a pity”says Leguizamo.
Also, he goes on to state that the cast has been cast “upside down”. “Directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton fought hard to let me direct because I was a Latino and the studio didn’t want me to direct. They fought hard and it was a breakthrough. To go back and not hire someone like that is bullshit”says Leguizamo.
On the other hand, a few weeks ago we echoed the first reactions of fans to Pratt’s voice like Mario, who weren’t entirely positive. The ‘Guardians of the Galaxy’ star said so. “his voice would be unlike anything we’d heard before in Mario’s world” and that “He worked closely with the directors to create the perfect voice and is proud of the result”.
It’s not the first time
In October, Leguizamo spoke for the first time about this new adaptation directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. At the time, the actor wasn’t shy when he critiqued the film: “Too bad they put all the white actors among the protagonists, without the Latinos. It is an innovative casting for colorblind people. I’m the only one who knows how to make this film work according to the script.”.
Joining Pratt and Day are Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong and Sebastian Blacksmith as Spike.
Source: E Cartelera
Bernice Bonaparte is an author and entertainment journalist who writes for The Fashion Vibes. With a passion for pop culture and a talent for staying up-to-date on the latest entertainment news, Bernice has become a trusted source for information on the entertainment industry.
