Super Mario Bros. Movie Director Defends Chris Pratt Casting

Chris Pratt as Mario? That casting left numerous Nintendo fans piping hot.

And while numerous criticized the actor for not using the character’s Italian-inspired accent in The Super Mario Bros. Movie (as heard in trailers), co-director Aaron Horvath understands they chose a winner.

“For us, it made total sense,” Horvath—likewise behind Teen Titans GO!—just recently informed Total Film. “He’s really good at playing a blue-collar hero with a ton of heart. For the way that Mario is characterized in our film, he’s perfect for it.”

The animated movie—likewise starring Charlie Day, Seth Rogen, Anya Taylor-Joy and Jack Black—will reveal a brand-new side of the precious character and his bro Luigi.

“It’s a bit of an origin tale,” Horvath discussed, noting it starts with the duo as blue-collar plumbings in Brooklyn. “It’s the story of Mario becoming Super Mario…When you play the game, if you don’t give up, Mario will succeed. So we transferred that player experience from the game to a characteristic that Mario would have.”