Everything We Need to See in the New Super Mario Bros Movie
A new Super Mario movie is very likely on the horizon, and, of course, we have a few ideas about how it should go.
Unlike the really weird live-action Mario movie from 1993, this one is planned to be an animated film. According to a Wall Street Journal report, it's likely to be made by Illumination Entertainment, who also made the Despicable Me and Minions movies, and is set to release ahead of the 2020 summer Olympics in Japan.
No word yet on the plot of the movie or what the animation style will be, but WE have a few ideas. Take note, Nintendo.
1. The movie really needs to take place in the Mushroom Kingdom. The location has been explored in dozens of games, but we've never really gotten a chance to see what everyday life is like for its residents. It should build a world and help us truly understand Mario's heroism and why he does what he does, in the way that Wreck-It Ralph helped us love and appreciate its title character.
2. Princess Peach should take a break from being the damsel in distress. She's been a playable character in lots of Mario titles and she's proven that she can hold her own, but when Mario's the star of the show, she somehow always gets kidnapped. It's time for the conflict to be more complex and for Peach to be part of the solution.
3. The principles of Mario games should apply within the movie. Super Mushrooms should make him grow in size, Fire Flowers should give him the ability to toss flaming fireballs and Super Mushrooms should make him temporarily invulnerable. Jumping should be a big part of Mario's adventuring toolkit—and we really want to see a scene where Mario dies, only to come right back because he managed to collect 100 coins.
4. The soundtrack should be orchestral and epic, but it should also incorporate classic musical cues from the games across the decades. The music goes way back, and even unfamiliar songs can be really inspiring and beautiful.
5. Waluigi should play a central role. Even though the character has been around for 18 years, he's never gotten any kind of character development beyond being Wario's sidekick (and tennis partner). It's about time we finally discovered Waluigi's origins and what he's all about. He—and his legions of meme-making fans—deserve it.
Happy new year. I declare 2018 to be the year of Waluigi.
Thank you. pic.twitter.com/kVDZ8xdtQA
— No Shigeru Miyamoto???? (@ShigeruMlyamoto) December 31, 2017
6. If the movie is made by Illumination Entertainment, it should have its own hyper-marketable character, like Minions. Toads may be the obvious choice, but we think it's time that Goombas got their due. We'd love to see these stumpy, mushroom-like creatures on catchphrase T-shirts and weird bumper stickers everywhere.
7. Bowser can be the villain, but as we've stated before, this story shouldn't be about kidnapping the princess. We hope they can develop Bowser into a baddie that's at the same time menacing and sympathetic. What's Bowser's beef with Mario, anyway? We think it'd be really interesting to explore the origins of their rivalry.
8. Charles Martinet should be the voice of Mario. As fun as it'd be to have Harry Styles or KJ Apa as Mario, it just wouldn't be right. Charles, who's been the voice of Mario since 1990, also voices Luigi, Wario and Waluigi, so we think his schedule is about to get pretty busy.
If you're a lifelong Mario fan, click HERE for the definitive ranking of every Super Mario Odyssey costume.