2023 might just be the year of the video game adaptation as The Last of Us is still the talk of the town, but that will soon change with the release of The Super Mario Bros. Movie. With the Universal and Illumination animated film based on the popular Nintendo franchise of the same name quickly approaching its April debut, the marketing campaign has grabbed an invincibility star and is speeding toward its finish. Now, with just two weeks to go, Universal has dropped a new Princess Peach-centric promo that will melt Nintendo fans’ hearts.
The short teaser sees Peach played by Anya Taylor-Joy (Last Night in Soho) touching the franchise’s iconic fire flower to gain its scorching abilities. Peach is ready for a fight and throws a fireball right at the camera. The transformation is stunning, to say the least as we see the character's iconic pink dress change into a white and pink-rimmed variant just like how it does in 2013’s Super Mario 3D World. This was far from the first game you could play as Peach, but it was the first time she was able to use the fire flower ability. She also had the ability to float using her dress in that game, but it remains to be seen if she will possess the same agility in the film.
Peach’s Cinematic Debut
While the Super Mario Bros. have been on the big screen before with the 1993 live-action movie, this will be the first time the famous princess will be in a feature film. Throughout most of her almost 40-year history, Peach was seen as the damsel in distress for Mario to save. The line “Our princess is in another castle” made that a household trope in the first game all the way back in 1985. However, recently Peach has been seen holding her own in games like the previously mentioned Super Mario 3D World, Mario Kart, and Super Smash Bros. The film is honoring that by having Mario (Chris Pratt) seek out Peach’s help to find his brother Luigi who was kidnaped by Bowser when they got sucked into the Mushroom Kingdom. Bowser’s usually after the princess, but this time Peach is bringing the fight to the dreaded King Koopa as she unites her kingdom to stop him. This includes Toad (Keegan-Michael Key) and Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen). Peach will also be utilizing the Mushroom Kingdom’s ingenuity by assembling karts straight out of Mario Kart.
When Does The Super Mario Bros. Movie Release?
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is releasing in theaters everywhere on April 5, 2023. While Nintendo fans wait for Taylor-Joy to make her fiery debut as Princess Peach, you can catch her and the rest of the cast in the final trailer down below.