Super Mario movie starring Chris Pratt gets release date, while leaked image storms the web

Nintendo has confirmed that the first trailer for the Super Mario movie will debut later this week in its own Nintendo Direct presentation, however, an early leak seems to have given fans their first look at the plumber.

Nintendo kicked off the day by unveiling the first official poster for the upcoming Super Mario film from Illumination, best known as the studio behind the Despicable Me franchise. It was then revealed by Chris Pratt, who is voicing Mario, that the movie will debut in cinemas on April 7th, 2023. It was originally expected to debut in September 2022, before suffering a delay.

The poster details a colourful, expansive world that looks to emulate the Mushroom Kingdom on the big screen. It sees Mario, multiple toads (Captain Toad?) and Biddybuds all appearing in a small town. There's even a hidden Yoshi egg in the left-hand corner. Mario, having his back facing away, is looking up to Princess Peach's Castle on a hilltop surrounded by platforms and pipes. 

Those looking to watch the Nintendo Direct and check out the Mario movie trailer can do so by heading to Nintendo's YouTube or Twitch on October 6th at 13:05 PDT / 16:05 EDT / 21:05 BST.

Shortly afterwards, it appears that the first image of what Mario will look like in the animated flick began to spread online, courtesy of a McDonald's staff member. This was first shared by YouTuber ConnorEatsPants (via Twitter) who stated that the image of Mario was leaked in a Discord chat for the creator. 

This isn't the first time a video game adaption has been spoiled due to McDonald's. Earlier this year, the fast-food chain announced 10 new Happy Meal toys as part of a promotion for Sonic the Hedgehog 2 with Super Sonic among them, something that many fans considered a major spoiler to the film.

The currently untitled Mario movie stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, Fred Armisen, Kevin Michael Richardson, Sebastian Maniscalco and Jack Black. It will premiere in theatres in the US on April 7th, 2023. 

Several video game adaptions for either TV or cinema are now in the works, such as a God of War show on Amazon, a Twisted Metal project on Peacock, as well as a Horizon series for Netflix. It's certainly an exciting time for fans of the genre. Let's just hope the quality transfers over.