Princess Peach won't be appearing as the stereotypical 'damsel in distress' in the upcoming The Super Mario Bros. Movie according to director Aaron Horvath.
In an interview with Total Film, Horvath discussed the roles of the iconic video game characters in the animated film and explained why it's Luigi, not Peach, who needs saving from Bowser.
"[Luigi] takes the Princess Peach role in our story," he said. "It’s Mario’s goal to save his brother from Bowser’s clutches.
"He has to go on this epic adventure to do that."
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Horvath added that having Mario rescue Peach in the film would be too straightforward as the story has been told repeatedly throughout the games, with the director instead being inspired by Super Mario 3D World.
"Luigi, who’s a famously nervous, anxious character, finds himself in the worst possible predicament: having to survive interrogations with Bowser, and make it through that gauntlet," he explained.
Regarding Peach's role in the upcoming film, the director revealed that we will see the princess as the "strong" leader of the kingdom of toads. "She’s the monarch who leads this kingdom of hapless, adorable Toads," Horvath said.
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"We were thinking how strong that person would need to be to protect those people. All that informed the idea for Peach’s character in our movie."
Set to premiere later this month, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will see Guardians of the Galaxy star Chris Pratt voice the famous Italian plumber with Charlie Day playing his brother Luigi and Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach.
Since his casting, Pratt has come under scrutiny over his ability to recreate the character's voice, with many fans airing their criticisms online.
Horvath and fellow director Michael Jelenic have since come to the actor's defence, saying he's perfect for the role.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will open in cinemas on March 31 in the UK and April 7, 2023 in the US.
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Brenna Cooper is a freelance journalist, who currently specialises in entertainment reporting. She joined Digital Spy in 2022, writing TV and movies stories for the site. After graduating with an NCTJ accredited Journalism Masters from the University of Sheffield in 2020 she has since embarked on a freelance career.
Brenna previously produced lifestyle content for Checklists.co.uk and has a specific interest in music, reviewing live acts and interviewing bands such as Confidence Man and Amyl and the Sniffers.
