Super Mario Movie Producer Promises Chris Pratt Gives 'Strong' Performance
As the world of gaming looks forward to the Super Mario animated film debut, the team working on Nintendo's first real foray into cinema is reassuring fans that things are coming along nicely. That’s the case for Illumination CEO and Super Mario producer Chris Meledandri, who once again jumped to defend Chris Pratt’s casting.
Initially expected to be a 2022 holiday release, the Super Mario movie (no official title) was officially delayed a couple of months ago by none other than Shigeru Miyamoto himself in a somewhat cryptic tweet. Under the promise that the end result would be “well worth the wait,” Miyamoto's role as a producer seemed to echo Nintendo's philosophy when approaching games, and now his producing partner has backed that statement with a fresh update on the world’s most famous plumber’s new adventure.
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During Barcelona CineEurope, Meledandri made rounds to promote his studio’s Minions: The Rise of Gru, releasing next week. Naturally, he also answered some Mario questions, thus again stating his belief in Pratt's suitability for the role, saying the actor has “given such a strong performance.” The CEO confirmed Pratt was cast because the studio believed he could be a great Mario and that “we’ve done about 15 recording sessions” that have turned out quite well, especially considering the film is “three-quarters done.”
Addressing the controversy of Pratt playing a fictional stereotypically Italian character, Meledandri clarified that as an Italian American himself, he felt confident about casting Pratt. “I feel I can make that decision without worrying about offending Italians or Italian Americans […] I think we’re gonna be just fine,” Meledandri said. Pratt's casting
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