The star of the legendary Super Mario Bros movie, John Leguizamo, is not a fan of the new cast.
During an interview with IndieWire, the Luigi actor complained about the lack of diversity of the upcoming film compared to the one in 1993.
“Directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton fought hard for me to be the lead because I was a Latino man, and [el estudio] I didn’t want him to be the lead,” he said. “They struggled a lot, and it was a breakthrough. Going back and not hiring someone else is bullshit.”
The cast of the Super Mario Bros. movie was revealed in September of last year, with Chris Pratt in the iconic role of Mario.
He is joined by Charlie Day as Luigi, as well as Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. In addition, Kevin Michael Richardson will voice Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong and Sebastian Maniscalco as Foreman Spike.
leguizamo has since criticized the cast being “all white”.
“So glad #SuperMarioBros is getting a reboot!” he said (via Daily Mail). “Obviously, it’s iconic enough. But too bad they were all white! There are no Latinos in the lead roles. The cast of the original is innovative. Plus, I’m the only one who knows how to make this movie work as soon as to the script!”
Whether you agree with Leguizamo or not, the new Mario movie released its first official trailer recently, and some fans were disappointed by Chris Pratt’s dubbing.
Despite this, the trailer was generally well received, with much interest in Mario’s latest adventure on the big screen.
In 1993, Leguizamo starred opposite Bob Hoskins in the live-action Super Mario Bros. and now claims that fans of the popular video game franchise do not agree with the new movie.
“A lot of people love the original,” he said. “I was at Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone was like, ‘No, no, we love the old, the original.’ They don’t like the new. I’m not bitter. It’s unfortunate.”
We’re not sure that’s entirely accurate… but there’s no denying that the original Super Mario Bros. movie is… memorable, to say the least.
Want to read more about the Super Mario Bros. movie? Check out Jack Black’s voice of Bowser and our first look at Princess Peach from the movie.
