While there is a backlash against Chris Pratt, this is unlikely to hurt The Super Mario Bros Movie when it arrives in cinemas in 2023. Much like the popularity of one star can sometimes carry a movie to success, the backlash against an actor also can sink a movie’s chances of success. Chris Pratt is currently suffering a drop in popularity online thanks to a perceived change in his real-life persona, but this has not yet hurt the prospects of his screen offerings.
The online backlash against Chris Pratt didn’t hurt Jurassic World: Dominion’s box office, and now it seems like the phenomenon won’t trouble the financial performance of The Super Mario Bros Movie either. As The Super Mario Bros Movie is primarily a children’s movie and Pratt has a stellar track record with this genre, the odds are good that the movie’s prospects won’t be hurt by the backlash against Pratt’s offscreen persona. That said, video game movie adaptations have historically been a risky investment, and Pratt’s casting as Mario (and what has been seen of his performance) garnered criticism, so the project may not be safe yet.
The Chris Pratt Backlash Explained
The tide has turned on Chris Pratt online in the last few years. Before being cast as Mario in The Super Mario Bros Movie, Pratt’s status as a lovable everyman was being renegotiated in light of off-color jokes he made on the Parks and Recreation set and perceived insensitivity towards ex-wife Anna Faris in social media posts. More broadly, Pratt fell victim to overexposure like many stars before him, and his presence in numerous big-budget blockbuster franchises simultaneously made him unavoidable. As a result of these factors, there are now dozens of articles online about the backlash against Pratt.
Why This Won’t Hurt The Super Mario Bros Movie’s Box Office
However, this backlash has not translated to a meaningful impact on Pratt’s screen work. While the first full-length trailer for The Super Mario Bros Movie focused on Anya Taylor-Joy’s Princess Peach, Luigi, and Donkey Kong more than Pratt’s Mario, the promo did not attempt to downplay Pratt’s involvement. The financial success of Jurassic World: Dominion, alongside director James Gunn’s point-blank refusal to consider recasting Pratt in the role of Star Lord, is proof that the creators of The Super Mario Bros Movie have no cause for alarm. The Chris Pratt backlash didn’t hurt Jurassic World: Dominion for the same reason it is unlikely to affect The Super Mario Bros Movie.
These are big blockbuster movies, not personal projects that rely on Pratt’s appeal to sell them. Viewers who went to see Jurassic World: Dominion came to see dinosaurs and the cast of Jurassic Park reunited, much like viewers will attend The Super Mario Bros Movie for Bowser, Toad, and the rest of the game’s nostalgic lineup more than specific celebrities. Since Chris Pratt has avoided projects that play into his persona and continues to rely on big-budget blockbusters, The Super Mario Bros Movie star is unlikely to be affected by the online backlash against him.
