Chris Pratt has a confession to make about one of gaming’s most recognizable catchphrases, and it comes just days before “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” hits theaters on April 1.
In a new interview with Screen Rant’s Ash Crossan, Pratt admitted that delivering Mario’s signature “Mamma Mia” never felt entirely natural throughout production, and suggested the filmmakers may have adjusted the line in post to compensate. He was so conscious of the challenge that he even declined to demonstrate the line during the interview itself, citing the fact that he hadn’t done his vocal warmups yet.
The issue, as Pratt explained it, comes down to a fundamental tension baked into this version of the character. In the original video games, Mario delivers “Mamma Mia” with a pronounced Italian lilt that feels native to the character. But the films establish Mario as a Brooklyn plumber with an American accent, and Pratt found himself genuinely wrestling with why a guy from Brooklyn with no Italian affectation would reach for that phrase so naturally. He described it as a line that only really works when delivered with the Italian accent, and without it, the expression loses its footing. He tried approaching it as a moment of genuine awe or reverence, something closer to an understated “oh wow,” but even that never quite clicked.
Safdie, sitting alongside Pratt during the interview, picked up on the fact that Pratt had been varying his delivery of the line from take to take, which Pratt confirmed. He suggested that the decision to draw the phrase out and slow it down in the final film may have been the production’s way of smoothing over the seams, a creative workaround for a problem that never had a clean solution.
“I’m not sure I ever fully got it right,” Pratt said.
It is a candid admission that sheds new light on one of the more divisive creative decisions surrounding the franchise’s leap to animation. “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” grossed over $1.36 billion worldwide in 2023 despite fan pushback over Pratt’s casting, and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” is expected to build on that commercial momentum when it opens this week.
The timing of the interview is notable. Much of the cast gathered just yesterday for the film’s world premiere at the historic Minami-za theater in Kyoto, Japan, where Pratt, Charlie Day, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, Benny Safdie, Brie Larson, and Donald Glover were all in attendance alongside producers Chris Meledandri and Shigeru Miyamoto. The theater was reportedly transformed for the occasion, complete with character artwork, a giant Luma balloon, and a blue “Galaxy Carpet” in place of the traditional red.
The sequel brings back Jack Black as Bowser, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, and Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. New additions to the cast include Brie Larson as Rosalina, Donald Glover as Yoshi, Issa Rae as Honey Queen, Luis Guzman as Wart, and Safdie as Bowser Jr. One of the most talked-about casting surprises this week has been Glenn Powell as Fox McCloud, the “Star Fox” protagonist who is also a staple of the “Super Smash Bros.” franchise. The reveal, which came via an official poster on the film’s social media channels just days before opening, has fueled significant fan speculation about how many other Nintendo universe characters might be making appearances, with eagle-eyed viewers already spotting what appears to be a Pikmin from the “Pikmin” series in earlier trailers.
The filmmakers have confirmed that additional surprise appearances from fan-favorite characters are built into the film, which runs one hour and 38 minutes and will be available in both RealD 3D and IMAX formats.
“The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” opens in theaters April 1.
