The Super Mario Bros. Movie is officially out on DVD and Blu-ray. To promote it, Universal Pictures has released some new behind-the-scenes videos about the blockbuster animated adaptation of Nintendo’s beloved series. The videos provide some interesting insight into how the film was created, but more importantly, Donkey Kong voice performer Seth Rogen has a suggestion for future DK appearances: Give the ape some pants.
Released in theaters in April, the Super Mario Bros. movie has been a mega-hit, earning over $1.3 billion at the box office, setting a few records in the process. And while the film wasn’t a hit with critics (including our own Carolyn Petit) the film did provide us with the Jack Black Jam “Peaches.”. And really, that means it was all worth it in the end. After crushing it in theaters earlier this year and then making the leap to digital and streaming in May, the Illumination-produced animated flick is now finally available to buy physically on Blu-ray and DVD. These new releases come with some extra features, including videos featuring the cast and crew talking about how they made The Super Mario Bros. Movie.
In one of the many new behind-the-scenes videos and features uploaded by Universal, specifically one dedicated to Donkey Kong and his actor Rogen, we get a bit of insight into how the comedian brought the ape to life. Apparently, the filmmakers thought he was “born” to play the famous Nintendo character, and Rogen also added a lot of improvised lines.
Seth Rogen’s experience playing Donkey Kong
“I was given a lot of freedom to make the character my own,” explained Rogen. “They generally told me that Donkey Kong was ‘angry’ and ‘yelling a lot’ and so…most of the direction they gave me was to be ‘angrier’ and ‘to yell more.’
Rogen then said that the character was “fun” and that he would be “thrilled” to return as Donkey Kong in more films and adventures. But, he did add one note: “Maybe give him some pants this time?”
It is odd that Donkey Kong wears a tie, but not pants. Am I thinking about this too much? Probably. But while I’m here thinking about Mario characters and their junk, we might want to give Jack Black’s Bowser some pants, too. Or at least, don’t let Black wear a skin-tight Bowser outfit the next time he shows up on a morning talk show. (Also don’t look at Donkey Kong’s feet…trust me.)
Anyway, here are some more of the behind-the-scenes Super Mario Bros. The Movie videos Universal has posted now that the film is out on DVD and Blu-ray.
