A Brief Look at the Final Mario Movie Trailer
The final trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie was released on March 9 via Nintendo Direct. Before the trailer, we learned that post-production is complete, and nearly six hundred people from France, Japan, and the U.S. worked on this project over the last six years. Other than being told some information from the directors about how they created the Rainbow Road, one of the most unforgiving Mario Kart series tracks, there wasn’t much new information about the movie itself. Overall, the trailer was well-received, and it appears that many are starting to get more comfortable with Chris Pratt voicing Mario, as there wasn’t much backlash for his performance in the trailer. As a result, there are high expectations about this film, with many feeling that the film will do the justice that Mario and his friends deserve.
Here we go?
Now if we’re being honest, regardless of what people feel about the movie, we know it’s going to be a hit since the movie has everything in its favor to win: The Hollywood voice cast, the stunning visuals, the many callbacks of the games, and Shigeru Miyamoto, the creator of the Mario series on the production scene. So even with the issues about Pratt voicing Mario or other concerns about the movie, we know that, in the end, it will most likely be a critical and financial success.
For me and perhaps others, my biggest question is what happens after the release of the Mario movie. Will we be getting more sequels for the Mario movie? Will Luigi, Donkey Kong, and Peach get movies as well? Is everyone going to be getting a movie or TV show like Marvel has been doing, and it is now starting to backfire on them?
I wouldn’t be worried if this were a one-off movie. However, since Hollywood wants to profit off of everything, especially video games because that’s the hot new trend (ex., The Last of Us), it’s only inevitable. Also, it will happen since Nintendo and Universal Studios are expanding Super Nintendo World. It should also be noted that Nintendo is looking at Mario as Disney does with Mickey Mouse, which makes sense since they are looking to build an entertainment empire; depending on how you feel about Disney, this expansion either makes you excited or nervous. Mr. Miyamoto is working very closely with Universal and Illumination on these projects. Knowing the Mario series creator and one of the most influential people at Nintendo are calling the shots on these projects makes me less anxious. Still, knowing that a Hollywood studio is working with him and Nintendo, I can’t shake the feeling that something could go wrong, such as the Mario franchise being negatively affected, which is too familiar for Hollywood. However, Nintendo would also be responsible for this development if they become more interested in their entertainment ambitions.
Hopefully, this is just paranoia, and it will all work out in the end, but even so, I don’t think it hurts to keep this in the back of your mind. There is an expectation that consumers “cast their vote” on the content that they like and don’t like, whether it be by the box office, social media, and/or audience scores. If the studios pay attention, they will act accordingly. However, that is not always the case, such as Netflix canceling shows and Disney’s constant live-action movies. While I’m skeptical of that concept, hopefully, if Nintendo and Universal keep producing projects that audiences do not like, they will let them know and do something about it.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie hits theaters on April 5th. Please note that they moved the date from April 7th, so it now opens on a Wednesday instead of a Friday.