Summary
- Jack Black desires to reprise his role as Bowser in a potential Super Mario Bros. Movie sequel and suggests it should be a full musical.
- Black co-wrote the piano ballad “Peaches” for the film and expresses surprise and appreciation that it was included.
- Black has upcoming projects including Kung Fu Panda 4 and the Borderlands film, both scheduled for release in 2024.
If a sequel to The Super Mario Bros. Movie ever gets a green light, Jack Black has quite the pitch ready: a musical centered on Bowser. In the 2023 animated film, Black voices Bowser, the villainous King of the Koopas, who rules the Dark Lands and concocts to take over the Mushroom Kingdom by marrying its ruler, Princess Peach. In a recent episode of Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast, Black opened up about his desire to reprise the role of Bowser. According to him, a sequel should take cues from an upcoming movie musical centered on a villain: Joker: Folie à Deux. Deciding on possible titles, Black said:
Bowser’s Revenge. I think it should be a full musical, like what Todd Phillips is supposedly doing with Joker 2.
Whether a sequel will ever come to fruition remains unknown to Black, who says he has not heard from Universal Pictures or Illumination on the topic:
“It has been radio silence. The only chatter has been coming from me, and I don’t even know if I’m allowed to chatter. I’ve been chomping at the bit to get back to business.”
During his conversation with Variety, Black also spoke about his musical contribution to the film. Black, who formed the comedy rock duo Tenacious D in 1994 with Kyle Gass, co-wrote The Super Mario Bros. Movie piano ballad “Peaches” with Aaron Horvath, Michael Jelenic, Eric Osmond, and John Spiker.
“I don’t like to mix my music and movies, unless they told me at the beginning. I’m real protective of the Tenacious D side of my career. They sent me a 30-second nugget of an idea, and it was hilarious. So I fleshed it out, added some lyrics and melody, and they loved it. And by God, they put it in the film. I couldn’t believe they did.”
The song, where Bowser expresses his love for Princess Peach, has earned Golden Globes and Critics Choice Awards Best Song nominations; it is also expected to earn an Oscar nod (those nominations will be announced on January 23, 2024).
Related: What We Want to See In a Donkey Kong Movie
Jack Black’s Next Projects
Paramount Pictures
Black’s upcoming projects will take him from anthropomorphic turtle to animated giant panda to robot. He will next appear in King Fu Panda 4, which is scheduled for a theatrical release on March 8, 2024. Black is back as Po for the fourth installment of the popular film franchise, with an ensemble cast that includes Dustin Hoffman, James Hong, Bryan Cranston, Ian McShane, Awkwafina, Viola Davis, and Ke Huy Quan.
Later next year, Black will appear in Eli Roth’s Borderlands, opposite Cate Blanchett, as a robot named Claptrap. The sci-fi action film, based on the video game series of the same name, hits theaters next summer.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which follows Mario and Luigi as they try to save Peach, grossed over $1 billion worldwide, becoming the biggest worldwide opening weekend for an animated film and the highest-grossing film based on a video game. Alongside Black, it stars Chris Pratt, Anya Taylor-Joy, Charlie Day, Keegan-Michael Key, Seth Rogen, and Fred Armisen. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is currently available to stream on Netflix.
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