A brand-new teaser poster for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has been unveiled, revealing Mario's 3D animated design for the first time. The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is currently the working title and has not been announced to be the official title, is one of the latest upcoming films from Illumination Entertainment. The company has made a name for themselves off the back of the Despicable Me franchise and especially its Minions spinoff films and merchandise, though they have also been responsible for animated features including The Secret Life of Pets, the Dr. Seuss adaptation The Lorax, Sing, and Benedict Cumberbatch's The Grinch.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which is due in U.S. theaters on April 7, 2023, was directed by Teen Titans Go! duo Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. The film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong. At this time, plot details for the film are entirely under wraps, though presumably the story will hue closer to that of the original games than the previous attempt at a Mario film adaptation, the live-action 1993 flop Super Mario Bros. starring John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins.
Today, Nintendo of America shared an official teaser poster for the film when announcing a Nintendo Direct presentation about it on October 6. Although the poster only shows Mario from the back, looking up at a hill with Princess Peach’s castle perched atop it, it reveals the closest glimpse yet of what his 3D animated design will look like, as well as that of Toad, who is facing forward and approaching Mario.
Illumination's 3D Nintendo World Revealed In Super Mario Bros. Poster
In addition to showing off the design of Mario, Toad, and various members of the Mushroom Kingdom, this poster reveals what fans can expect the world of the film to look like. It seems to be combining design elements from many Mario games, including more recent entries like Super Mario Galaxy and classic ones like Super Mario 64, though some parts of the world - including the mushrooms on the hill in front of Mario, look to be pure Illumination. One of the most intriguing elements of the design is the series of floating areas in the air around Princess Peach’s castle.
Presumably, these areas (which include a mountainous-looking zone with a waterfall falling into the open air) are based on different playable levels from the Mario games. The way he accesses these levels will probably be a direct reference to some fans’ favorite classic games, though the exact nature of how much the film meshes with the universe of the video game is as-yet unknown. The rest of the Super Mario Bros. Movie poster is jam-packed with detail as well, so fans will likely be kept busy hunting for more Easter eggs and details until the trailer drops on Thursday.
Source: Nintendo of America