Chris Pratt on controversy over role as Mario in Super Mario Bros. film as he’s not Italian

Chris Pratt opened up on the discussion of his landing the role of Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. film, as he’s not of Italian heritage.

The Minnesota native, 43, spoke with Variety Wednesday about the notion some people could be put off by the accent he uses to play the famed video game plumber, as a number of people took to social media last fall skeptical of the casting decision.

‘I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of,’ Pratt said, ‘and can’t wait for people to see and hear.’

The latest: Chris Pratt, 43, opened up on the discussion of his landing the role of Mario in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. film, as he’s not Italian. He was snapped Wednesday in LA 

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The Guardians Of The Galaxy leading man clarified that the film is ‘not a live-action movie’ but ‘an animated voiceover narrative,’ adding, ‘I’m not gonna be wearing a plumber suit running all over. ‘

The Jurassic World Dominion actor said he’s ‘providing a voice for an animated character, and it is updated and unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before.’

One of the film’s producers, Chris Meledandri, told TooFab last November, said of Pratt’s performance: ‘All I can tell you is the voice that he’s doing for us, and Mario, is phenomenal. Yeah I can’t wait for people to hear it.’

Meledandri said that ‘as an Italian-American,’ he understood ‘the comments,’ adding that ‘Charlie Day, who’s playing Luigi, actually comes from Italian heritage. Yeah so that’s our nod.’

Pratt is slated to voice the role of Mario in the upcoming animated film 

Pratt said of his work in the film, ‘I worked really closely with the directors and trying out a few things and landed on something that I’m really proud of and can’t wait for people to see and hear’

Meledandri told the outlet that the accent issue would be covered ‘in the movie,’ adding, ‘So you’ll see we definitely nod to that.’

He said that Pratt would not be saying phrases such as ‘It’s a-me, Mario,’ noting, ‘That’s not the tenor of the performance throughout the film.’

In addition to Pratt and Day, the film’s cast will include Jack Black as Bowser, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, and Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, among others. 

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Nintendo last fall released a promo for the upcoming motion picture 

A number of Twitter users were skeptical of the casting decision when it was announced last year