Main Cast and Character Assignments
The live-action Mario movie features Chris Pratt as the voice of Mario, the iconic Nintendo plumber. Pratt, known for his roles in Guardians of the Galaxy and Jurassic World, was officially confirmed by Nintendo and Illumination as the lead voice actor for the franchise character. The casting decision was announced in a joint press release by Nintendo and Universal Pictures, which detailed the main voice cast for the film here.
Anya Taylor-Joy voices Princess Peach, while Charlie Day voices Luigi, the brother of Mario. The cast also includes Jack Black as the voice of Bowser, the primary antagonist in the Mario series. These assignments were confirmed by Illumination and Nintendo in the official casting announcement, which outlined the principal voice actors for the film here.
Production Companies and Release Timeline
Illumination, the animation studio behind the Despicable Me franchise, is producing the live-action Mario movie in partnership with Nintendo. Universal Pictures is distributing the film globally, and the project is based on the long-running Super Mario Bros. video game franchise, which is owned by Nintendo. The collaboration between Nintendo and Illumination was first publicly detailed in a joint announcement by the companies here.
The film completed principal photography and entered post-production under the direction of Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic. The production timeline and release strategy were coordinated by Universal Pictures and Nintendo, with the movie marketed as a major crossover between gaming and film. The release date was finalized after a period of development that involved script revisions and voice recording sessions here.
Supporting Voice Actors and Franchise Context
Keegan-Michael Key voices Toad, and Seth Rogen voices Donkey Kong in the film. The supporting cast also includes Fred Armisen, Sebastian Maniscalco, and other actors in key roles across the Mushroom Kingdom. These casting choices were confirmed by Illumination and align with the visual and tonal direction set by the directors and Nintendo here.
Franchise and Box Office Context
The Super Mario Bros. franchise is one of the highest-grossing entertainment properties in the world, with cumulative game sales exceeding hundreds of millions of units. The live-action movie adaptation is part of a broader trend of major gaming franchises moving to film, with other examples including the Sonic the Hedgehog series and the upcoming Super Mario Bros. sequel. The first film in the series was tracked by industry analysts as a high-profile test of Nintendo's IP in the global box office market here.