Anya Taylor-Joy Says Her Role in Super Mario Bros. Made Her a Gamer

Anya Taylor-Joy says her new role voicing Princess Peach Toadstool in the upcoming Super Mario Bros. Movie adaptation made her into a gamer.

Actor Anya Taylor-Joy says that her role voicing Princess Peach Toadstool in The Super Mario Bros. Movie made her into a gamer. The new video game adaptation sees Chris Pratt take on the role of the titular plumber with Charlie Day as his brother Luigi, Jack Black stars as the villainous Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key portrays Toad, and Seth Rogen voices Donkey Kong. Taylor-Joy stars as Peach, the noble ruler of the Mushroom Kingdom. Instead of Peach being a damsel-in-distress, as is typical in the video game series, Taylor-Joy’s version in the new film portrays the princess as an active hero.

In an interview with Modern Luxury San Diego, Taylor-Joy revealed that she considers herself a gamer following her role as Princess Peach in The Super Mario Bros. Movie. The actor admitted that she now loves going to arcades primarily and likens it to the movie-going experience. Read what Taylor-Joy said about her new hobby below:

“So now I am a gamer, and it’s really fun. Ideally, I like playing at arcades, because, again, it’s like cinema; I love the ceremony. I’ll go with a whole bunch of friends. And we’ll just spend hours at the arcade.”

Related: The Super Mario Bros. Movie Fixes 1 Of The Franchise’s Biggest Problems

How Princess Peach Differs from the Games?

Peach first appeared in the original 1985 Super Mario Bros. video game released for the Famicom/Nintendo Entertainment System (NES). In much of the game franchise, Peach is frequently featured as a non-player character (NPC) as a damsel-in-distress, needing to be saved from Bowser by Mario. Although certain games allowed players to play as the character, especially in Super Princess Peach, where she had to save Mario, such options were relatively limited in the video game series.

The Super Mario Bros. Movie looks to change Peach’s typical role, with her taking charge as the protector of the Mushroom Kingdom. The latest trailer shows the princess donning combat gear and wielding a halberd as she faces Bowser’s forces head-on with Toad by her side. As the new movie appears to be Mario’s first foray into the fantastical realm, Peach acts as a guide and mentor for the hero as he navigates the new land on his journey to save the universe.

Will Super Mario Bros. Follow Sonic’s Success?

The Super Mario Bros. Movie comes on the heels of the overwhelming success of Sonic the Hedgehog films. Although the Jeff Fowler-directed animated adaptation almost died before it was released due to fan backlash to Sonic’s physical appearance, it was released to box office success before the pandemic hit the theater industry. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 included more characters from the popular game franchise and surpassed the predecessor’s box office totals. Sonic the Hedgehog proved that there is an audience for video game adaptations. With The Super Mario Bros. Movie already carrying a substantial fanbase cultivated by the multi-decade franchise, the upcoming animated adaptation will surely succeed.

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Source: Modern Luxury San Diego