Toad Apparently Bursts Into Song In The Super Mario Bros. Movie
"The Super Mario Bros. Movie" has been in the works longer than most fans realize. In progress since 2015, seven years of hard work have gone into the highly anticipated film. Though most were unaware of the film until it was officially announced in 2018, there's still been years of patience required since then. As if Mario fans weren't eager enough already, the film's delay to April 7, 2023 has created even more suspense.
After all this time, "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" finally put out its first official trailer on October 6, 2022, offering a two-and-a-half minute look at what's to come as well as plenty of hints and Easter eggs for fans to unpack. Those passionate about "Mario" also had a heyday when the movie's poster came out — also with its fair share of references and easter eggs.
As much familiar content as there will be in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie," including all the classic characters from the franchise, there are going to be plenty of twists to what folks may be expecting. For starters, the casting of Chris Pratt as Mario has already caused quite a bit of conversation. Jack Black as Bowser, however, has been embraced. As if those casting choices aren't quirky enough, this news about Toad's musical abilities in the film takes the cake.
Keegan-Michael Key explains Toad's vocal journey
Joining the star-studded cast of "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" is Keegan-Michael Key as Toad. In an interview with Variety, Key spilled the details about Toad's song that'll be featured in the film – one he made up on-the-spot from scratch. In his words, "I got to improvise a song in 'Super Mario Bros.,' which was an absolute blast. That was just a stick of fun, that whole thing."
Key gave a lot of thought to the voice of Toad, experimenting with different sonic interpretations for the little guy's musical moment. Here's a bit about what Key had to say about the process: "I was working on the voice with my partner and trying to find the voice through the internal journey of the character. And then with the directors we sprinkled some things in, we moved it around."
The ultimate secret to Toad's vocal success, according to Key, was taking things up an octave, early and often. As Key explained, "There was something about the timbre. I wanted it higher and higher and higher. And that's where we ended up, and I'm really happy with where we ended up." Fans will have to wait to hear Key's musical adaptation of Toad until "The Super Mario Bros. Movie" drops April 7, 2023.