Next month, the biggest movie of the year will finally be available on a major streaming service. The Super Mario Bros. movie has officially secured a premiere date on Peacock. The animated hit from Universal Pictures and Illumination is set to arrive on the streaming service on August 3. Mark your calendars and plan accordingly.
1 more month until the bros power-up! #SuperMarioMovie Streaming Aug 3, only on Peacock. pic.twitter.com/r9PLHO7ox1
— Peacock (@peacock) July 6, 2023
Mario has been one of the most successful video game franchises for more than four decades now. But Nintendo has never been able to translate that success to the big screen, until now anyway. The original live-action Super Mario Bros. was a disaster upon release in 1993. Animation, on the other hand, proved to be the key to getting it right. As of this writing, the film has earned $1.34 billion at the global box office. That makes it the 17th highest-grossing movie of all time. The only animated movie to make more was Frozen II ($1.45 billion).
Universal and Nintendo have yet to officially announce a sequel. However, given the film’s massive financial success, one imagines that’s going to happen sooner rather then later. The big question is whether or not the partnership will extend beyond Mario. Nintendo has a lot of franchises that would work well in animation. Donkey Kong already appeared in this movie, and that would make for a logical spin-off. There is certainly room to grow. It’s just a matter of how far the powers that be want to take it.
Here is the synopsis for The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
“While working underground to fix a water main, Brooklyn plumbers Mario (Chris Pratt; Jurassic World and The LEGO Movie franchises) and brother Luigi (Charlie Day; It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia) are transported down a mysterious pipe and wander into a magical new world. But when the brothers are separated, Mario embarks on an epic quest to find Luigi. With the assistance of a Mushroom Kingdom resident Toad (Keegan-Michael Key; The Lion King) and some training from the strong-willed ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom, Princess Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy; The Queen’s Gambit), Mario taps into his own power.”
Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic directed the movie, working from a script by Matthew Fogel. The full cast includes Chris Pratt (Guardians of the Galaxy), Anya Taylor-Joy (New Mutants), Charlie Day (Pacific Rim), Jack Black (Kung Fu Panda), Keegan-Michael Key (Toy Story 4), Seth Rogen (Invincible), Fred Armisen (Saturday Night Live), Kevin Michael Richardson (Batman and Harley Quinn) and Sebastian Maniscalco (Tag). Chris Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto produced the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is in theaters and on Digital now.
What do you think? Have you seen the movie? Or are you waiting until it hits Peacock? Join in on the conversation over on Facebook or Twitter!
