Mario Movie, With Chris Pratt, Delayed Over Three Months

The Mario movie has been delayed to 2023, which means fans of the Nintendo character will have to wait a little longer.

Illumination Entertainment's adaptation of Nintendo's Super Mario Bros. video game series, which was scheduled to release on December 21, will now hit theatres on April 7, 2023. A Japanese release will follow on April 28, 2023.

Super Mario Bros. series creator and Nintendo leader Shigeru Miyamoto took to Twitter and wrote: "After consulting with [Illumination producer] Chris-san [Meledandri], my partner at Illumination on the Super Mario Bros. film, we decided to move the global release to Spring 2023. My deepest apologies, but I promise it will be well worth the wait."

Chris Pratt is on board to voice the Italian plumbing protagonist. The voice ensemble also includes Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.

Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic are set as directors on the Mario movie. Jelenic and Horvath wrote Teen Titans Go! To the Movies, on which Horvath was also co-director. Illumination — owned by Universal Pictures — is best known for Despicable Me, Sing, and The Secret Life of Pets film series.

The untitled animated Mario movie will now release April 7, 2023 in cinemas worldwide.