When Illumination's Super Mario movie hits theaters next year, it will have been 30 years since Nintendo tried to bring everyone's favorite Italian plumber to the big screen. And while some may argue that the Bob Hoskins-led Super Mario Bros. movie is a misunderstood gem, its legacy as an epic film flop is indisputable. The movie bombed so historically that it ended up giving Nintendo a bad case of jitters around offering their characters up for future cinematic adaptations. Seriously, if you really think about it, the fact that there hasn't been at least one Legend of Zelda film, animated or otherwise, is kind of crazy.
To say that Nintendo fans craving other big screen adaptations have a lot riding on the success of the new Super Mario movie would be an understatement. There are some positive aspects working in the film's favor, such as the brilliant studio behind the Despicable Me franchise at the helm. However, the movie also has Chris Pratt usurping the role of Mario from the beloved Charles Martinet, who has served as Mario's voice for, well, ever. Consequently, estimations of the film's quality are up in the air. I guess we'll just have to wait until next month when the trailer drops a New York Comic-Con to gauge what we're working with here.
