Hollywood is at a standstill with the ongoing Writers Guild of America strike. Even the future of one of the most successful animated films is on pause as the WGA negotiates a new deal with the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers.
Chris Pratt, the voice of Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie, recently spoke about the WGA strike and how it’s affecting discussions of a sequel. Pratt has expressed support for the strike and said that talks of a sequel are on hold until the matter reaches a conclusion.
In an interview with Entertainment Tonight, the actor also talked about the massive success of the animated film. The Super Mario Bros Movie was a massive hit and has become the second highest-grossing animated movie in history.
“We’re in the midst of this writers’ strike, and so everything has been paused and [put] on hold for the right reasons,” Pratt said of the sequel. “I really do support the WGA and our writers. When the negotiations have been completed, and the writers feel comfortable moving forward, then it’ll be time to start talking about what’s next for that.”
The cast of Super Mario Bros is optimistic that sequels and spinoffs are coming. And with the success of the movie, it is just natural for Illumination and Nintendo to want more films. There is even talk of a cinematic universe based on Super Mario and other related Nintendo characters.
However, it does look like it will be a while before fans see a sequel being greenlit. The strike has gone on for a month now and looks to drag on a little longer. Members of the Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists also recently voted to strike if negotiation fails. This further compounds the woes in Hollywood with some of the biggest titles being delayed by the work stoppage.
While talks of a sequel are on hold, Pratt is still enjoying the unexpected success of The Super Mario Bros Movie. The actor still can’t believe that he was part of the film.
“[It’s] really shocking to me how successful that movie’s been,” Pratt shared. “I mean, I expected that people would love it the way I was excited about it, but it’s truly multigenerational around the world. People love it. They love Mario… It’s a really fun, funny, cute, heartwarming movie and, God, I can’t believe I’m part of it.”
Pratt is no stranger to billion-dollar movies having starred in a couple like the Guardians of the Galaxy, and Avengers, as well as the Jurassic World series. The movies that Pratt has appeared in have a combined box office total of over $15.5 billion.
Chris Pratt is set to appear next as the voice of Garfield in an upcoming animated film based on the popular comic book character, which premieres on May 24, 2024.
