The movie The Super Mario Bros., just a few days after its release, is posting very good box office numbers despite the fact that most critics do not give it a go-ahead.
However, one of those who joins in not giving it a go-ahead is John Leguizamo who starred as Luigi in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie. The actor told TMZ the day “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” was released. released in theaters that you will not see it due to casting.
“No, no (I’ll be watching). They could have included a Latino character,” Leguizamo said. “Like I was innovative and then they stopped the innovation. They messed up the inclusion. They dis-included. Just throw in some Latin folk! We are 20% of the population. The largest group of people of color and we are underrepresented.”
Asked again by TMZ if he would be watching the movie, Leguizamo replied: “Of course not!” Leguizamo first spoke out against the new animated movie on Twitter last October, writing that a reboot of the Mario movie was a good idea but “too bad they all went white! No Latinx in the leads! Innovative casting for colorblind people in original! Besides, I’m the only one who knows how to make this movie work script-wise!” Speaking to IndieWire in November, Leguizamo said that “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is “backwards” for having two white actors voicing Mario and Luigi.
“I’m OG. A lot of people love the original,” Leguizamo said when asked what he thought of the new Mario movie starring Chris Pratt. “I did Comic-Con in New York and in Baltimore, and everyone was like, ‘No, no, we love the old, the original.’ They do not feel the new. I’m not bitter. It is unfortunate.“
“Directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton fought hard for me to be the lead because I was Latino and they (the studio) didn’t want me to be the lead,” added the actor. “They fought very hard, and it was a breakthrough. For them to go back and not cast another (actor of color) sucks.” via Unilad.
However, Anya Taylor-Joy Taylor-Joy, the voice actress of Princess Peach is of Argentine descent and lived in Argentina for several years as a child, Leguizamo seems to be focusing on her hatred of the film for not being part of the cast. Leave us your comment.
