The pressure is real for Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as they try to fill in the shoes of one of the most iconic video game characters ever created. Universal Pictures’ The Super Mario Bros. Movie is the newest project adapted from a popular video game franchise.
Starring as the beloved Goomba-stomping pair, Mario and Luigi, The Super Mario Bros. Movie will give fans a brand-new look at its massive universe from Rainbow Road to Donkey Kong Country. It will also feature Jack Black, Keegan-Michael Key, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Super Mario Bros Stars Chris Pratt And Charlie Day Talk About Speaking In French Accent
In an interview with Collider, Chris Pratt and Charlie Day discussed the rigorous process they took to find the perfect voice for their characters. Day talked about his ideas while on set:
“I was like, ‘Illumination, you’re in France. Why don’t I do this all in French?’ And they said, ‘Do you speak French?’ I said, ‘Not really.’ And they said, ‘Yeah, that’s not gonna work for us.’”
Meanwhile, Pratt considered the idea and thought:
“But that’s not gonna stop me from doing a super stereotypical French accent.”
The Guardians of the Galaxy star explained that they tried everything and had them all recorded, playing it back over and over until they get the right one:
“They shot that right down. Gosh, I don’t know that I had big, wide choices that were all that different than what ended up. We tried a few different things and then, ultimately, it took probably three or four sessions before settling on what worked.”
Pratt also revealed they had polar opposite ideas which they experimented on with a lot of samples before they got what they were looking for:
“Once we had that figured out, they would play back the hit list of like the 15 or 20 phrases that they had that were like, ‘This is the voice, this is where we want it to be.’”
Indeed, speaking with an accent foreign to one requires effort and dedication. When asked who their biggest fan is, the way Luigi supports Mario, Pratt names his brother who always believed in him, while Day reveals it’s his wife who has been a good partner in life.
What Fans Thought Of The French Accent
Despite the actors’ efforts, fans are not entirely satisfied with how they managed to imitate the accent. Upon the release of the movie’s official trailer last year, the public went on to criticize Pratt’s voice, saying it was not different from his normal speaking voice. Many expressed they would rather watch the movie in French dub than hear the actor’s version.
Mario’s characterization in the movie is more likely built to accommodate Pratt’s voice, so fans could expect several changes in his personality as well as other elements in the film. Despite the Jurassic World star claiming his performance as “unlike anything you’ve heard in the Mario world before,” fans are resolute that French dub voice actor Pierre Tessier sounds much closer to the original material.
Initial reactions from fans to the trailer were clearly not stellar, although Chris Pratt only spoke a few lines in it and may actually sound better in the film.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie will roll out in theaters this April 5.
Source: Collider
