Hollywood has been awash with game-film adaptions recently. Every week we're hearing about new castings, new projects, new directors taking on the role to bring gaming stories to a new audience. Although much of the time we're looking forward to gritty reinterpretations like Netflix's The Witcher or the new Uncharted movie on the way, sometimes we're happy to just chill out and relax with the Sonic the Hedgehog movie or perhaps even Illumination's Mario film.
That's right, if you didn't already know, Illumination, the studio behind Despicable Me and Minions is also now working on a Mario film. And as fun and delightful as that sounds, there seems to be one key detail it's missing. Mario.
The voice of Mario we all know and love is from none other than Charles Martinet. He's the voice actor who has been playing Mario since 1992 and has been the voice of the beloved Italian in any Mario property you can name - as well as playing Luigi, Wario, and Waluigi. It's always been Martinet's voice you've heard with Mario's yipees and 'oh nos' but despite that long history, Martinet might not be the voice of Mario in the CGI movie.
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A recent interview with the voice actor spotted by Nintendo Life reveals that Nintendo and Illumination haven't approached Martinet for the role, yet, and he has no idea if he'll be the one to play Mario when it's time for lines to be recorded.
On the topic, Martinet just says, "Well it sounds like a marvellous thing, it sounds like great fun and if they invite me to play, I'll go in and play with great joy and happiness." Well, he's up for it, if Illumination will have him, at least.
In recent years, with all these Hollywood adaptations of games, it's often big Hollywood names taking on the video game character roles rather than original cast. Claptrap is now Jack Black rather than original voice David Eddings. Sonic was played by comedian Ben Schwartz rather than Roger Craig Smith, who retired from the video game role recently. And it looks like if Illumination wants a big Hollywood name to play Mario rather than Martinet, they might just go with someone more recognisable for publicity's sake.
Well, casting is no easy job. When the movie is released in 2022 we hope that the voice of Mario does a good job bringing the character to the big screen, no matter who it is.
Featured Image Credit: Charles Martinet (via Instagram) / Nintendo