Early studies that The Super Mario Bros. Movie would be a musical seem more true by the day. After Giant Bomb’s Jeff Grubb reported a rumor that the movie would have a number of musical numbers again in April, and Jack Black confirmed earlier this month that he would be rocking out as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key has revealed that Toad will sing, too.
When the comic and actor was requested by Variety if Toad will sing within the film, Key confirmed it. “I got to improvise a song in Super Mario Bros., which was an absolute blast. That was just a stick of fun, that whole thing,” he mentioned.
Key additionally spoke a little about how he’d discovered the voice of the little mushroom-headed man. “I was working on the voice with my partner and trying to find the voice through the internal journey of the character. And then with the directors, we sprinkled some things in, we moved it around.”
Where they moved it was into a greater register, largely. “There was something about the timbre. I wanted it higher and higher and higher. And that’s where we ended up, and I’m really happy with where we ended up,” Key mentioned.
Nintendo and its animation studio accomplice Illumination (Minions) are nonetheless being comparatively secretive about The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The first trailer solely featured footage from three scenes — the third, that includes Luigi, very fleetingly — and leaves the look and sound of many characters a thriller. Mario and the Mushroom Kingdom have so not often been portrayed on movie and tv within the final 30 years that there was intense curiosity in — and never a little controversy about — the vocal performances, particularly Chris Pratt’s as Mario. (Pratt has but to make any remark about singing.) Key’s Toad has already obtained the seal of approval from most followers, nevertheless.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens in theaters on April 7, 2023.
