Credit: Universal Studios / Nintendo / IlluminationThe Super Mario Bros Movie is off and running, or should we say, off and platforming? Anyway, Illumination Studios has released its take on arguably one of the biggest video games the world has ever known. However, a star from the original 1990s movie refuses to watch it and calls the film “dis-inclusion.”
The new movie’s cast is diverse: Chris Pratt is Mario, Charlie Day is Luigi, Anya-Taylor Joy is Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key is Toad, Fred Armisen is Cranky Kong, Seth Rogen is Donkey Kong, and Jack Black is Bowser. However, that does not seem to fit the needs of former Super Mario Movie star John Leguizamo.
Leguizamo starred alongside Bob Hoskins as Luigi and Mario respectively, in the 1993 Super Mario Bros movie. The movie is arguably one of the most bizarre takes on a video game adaptation.
Leguizamo has been critical of the movie since last year, saying that the studios messed up the casting of the animated feature as it does not include any actors from the Latin community. Leguizamo called his casting “groundbreaking,” and the new cast of the animated feature seems to have gone backward on that groundbreaking inclusion.
Leguizamo said, “No, I will not [be watching]. They could’ve included a Latin character. Like I was groundbreaking and then they stopped the groundbreaking. They messed up the inclusion. They dis-included. Just cast some Latin folk! We’re 20% of the population. The largest people of color group and we are underrepresented.”
The actor believes that the new Super Mario Movie is not inclusive enough, despite having a person from the Latin community as one of the lead characters. Sure, he is likely talking about someone Latin portraying Mario and or Luigi, but he forgets that Princess Peach comes from the community.
Anya Taylor-Joy is of Argentinian descent and even lived there for many years as a child. However, that seems to not count in Leguizamo’s eyes, as he thinks that not casting a Latin person in the role of Mario and Luigi is absurd. We would argue that he is wrong about that, as Princess Peach is arguably the most prominent protagonist besides Mario. She might be the bigger protagonist next to Mario.
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Still, Leguizamo is deadset on never seeing the Super Mario Bros movie in theaters. Though his casting was 30 years ago, he said a resounding “Hell no” when asked if he could find it in his heart to see the movie.
Despite John Leguizamo standing firm on his belief that Mario and Luigi should have included someone from the Latin community, the new animated feature will undoubtedly do well enough without his patronage. Early reports indicate the Super Mario Bros five-day earnings will be around $141 million. This is the second-best for Illumination, which saw $143 million in its first five days of Despicable Me 2.
Do you agree the Super Mario Bros. movie is not inclusive enough? Let Inside the Magic know in the comments!