The runtime for The Super Mario Bros. Movie has reportedly been revealed. The highly anticipated film, based on the beloved video game duo, boasts an all-star cast, with Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach. Trailers for the movie revealed many iconic sights from the dozens of games in the Super Mario Bros. franchise, from the cat costume found in Super Mario 3D World to Rainbow Road in many Mario Kart entries. With a cast also rounded out by Jack Black, Keegan Michael-Key, and Seth Rogan, the movie is shaping up to be packed with celebrity voices and game references alike.
According to Irish Film Classification Online, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will only have a runtime of 92 minutes. This makes the Mario movie slightly shorter than the critically and commercially successful Sonic the Hedgehog film adaptation, which had a 99-minute runtime. It appears that, when accounting for credits, Mario's upcoming film will see the many game references from the trailers play out in under 90 minutes.
Why The Mario Movie's 90-Minute Runtime Is Perfect
While The Super Mario Bros. Movie may end up being a short experience, the trailers for the film indicate the movie will be making the most out of every minute it has. Due to the number of references to many Super Mario games, including spin-offs like Luigi's Mansion, the movie will have to make the references have some level of importance to the plot. This would make the film feel more in line with Mario's games while also making every reference an important part of the film's overall story.
The runtime also means that, despite the large, star-studded cast, the film will likely focus on Mario and Peach's journey to save Luigi more than any other aspect of the movie's world. Doing so will ensure that the film doesn't feel too overstuffed, balancing the many references to classic Super Mario Bros. games with a storyline that remains engaging. The Super Mario Bros. Movie's cast may be large, but it appears the film won't give everyone the spotlight to ensure a more streamlined story.
While this may be good news for The Super Mario Bros. Movie's ability to craft a full story in around 90 minutes, the aspects in the trailers could also signal their importance over the film's storyline. It's likely the movie will have an engaging and fun plot, but the game influences crammed into a 90-minute runtime could also deter the film's quality if done for no reason other than to have gimmicks to the game existing. So long as The Super Mario Bros. Movie can properly weave game hallmarks together with Mario and Peach's journey to save Luigi, the film will be on track to becoming another well-received video game adaptation.
Source: IFCO
