Jack Black Says The Super Mario Bros. Movie Was An 'Instant Yes' For Him
Video game fans and animated movie fans both have a lot to look forward to right now with "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" — which is, of course, based on Nintendo's "Mario" franchise — nearing its release date of April 5, 2023. The film, which was directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, certainly has a star-studded voice cast. Alongside Chris Pratt starring as Mario, the rest of the cast includes Anya Taylor-Joy, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, and Charlie Day. Then, there's the ultra-vital role of Bowser, the king of the Koopas who rules the Dark Lands — who will be voiced by none other than Jack Black. Black's casting sure satisfied potential moviegoers — as soon as the first trailer came out, fans were instantly cheering for his take on Bowser.
But was it difficult to get Black to sign on for the film? According to Black, no — as in, for him, it was an easy decision to say yes to playing Bowser. While promoting the film, the actor told Newshub, "It was an instant yes, it's very rare that I'm an instant yes."
And that decision paid off — Black had a blast lending his voice to Bowser for "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."
Black knew that the evil yet comedic character would be perfect for him to portray
While speaking to Newshub, Jack Black explained his reasoning for constantly wanting to take on the part, stating, "It was a perfect fit. There was something that rang my bells as soon as I got the offer." As it turns out, it's his exact favorite type of character to play. The actor continued, "I like playing with that kind of evil and humor in combination."
For Black, he was especially drawn to the evil nature of the character since it is so different from how he is in real life. In movies, Black thinks that viewers often find the evil characters to be the most intriguing — and used a very famous psychological horror film as an example. Black explained, "The evil, it's not something that I would do in real life so it's a fun thing to explore. When you watch 'Silence of the Lambs' everyone's favorite character is Hannibal Lecter. It's fascinating!"
If you want to check out Black's portrayal of Bowser, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" will be released in theaters on April 5, 2023.