The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023)
- The incredible score for The Super Mario Bros. Movie was composed in just a few weeks after the original composer dropped out.
- Michael Jelenic, Aaron Horvath originally wanted a completely different ending for the film, but test audiences preferred the one we see today.
- During the filming of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Chris Pratt improvised one of the most famous lines in the movie.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is a 2023 American animated adventure comedy produced by Illumination Entertainment and Nintendo, directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. Chris Pratt voices Mario, a Brooklyn plumber who is transported to a magical realm where he must team up with Princess Peach, voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy, and the inhabitants of the Mushroom Kingdom to stop the tyrannical Bowser, voiced by Jack Black, from conquering the world using a powerful Super Star.
The film faithfully translated the beloved Nintendo video game franchise into animation, packing virtually every frame with references to four decades of Mario games — power-ups, enemies, sound effects, and iconic environments were recreated with loving detail that rewarded longtime fans while remaining accessible to newcomers. Jack Black's performance as Bowser was the film's breakout element, particularly his original power ballad "Peaches," performed with genuine rock-star passion, which went viral and earned an Academy Award nomination for Best Original Song. The animation quality, while not reaching Pixar's emotional depth, was vibrant, kinetic, and perfectly suited to the source material's cartoon aesthetic.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie earned $1.36 billion worldwide, becoming the highest-grossing video game adaptation of all time and the second highest-grossing animated film ever at the time of its release. The film's success validated Nintendo's cautious approach to film licensing following the disastrous 1993 live-action adaptation.
