MOVIE NEWS – The Latin actor won’t watch the new animated film featuring Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as the voices of the video game heroes.

John Leguizamo didn’t mince words when asked if he’s going to watch the Super Mario Bros. movie, which hits theaters on Friday. The Latin actor, who played Luigi in a 1993 live-action adaptation of the game, said “hell no” to the new film featuring Chris Pratt and Charlie Day as the voices of Mario and Luigi.

Leguizamo said that the film’s producers “went backwards” by not choosing diverse actors for the lead roles. “I will not [watch it],” he told TMZ, adding: “They could’ve included a Latin character.” “They stopped the ground-breaking. They messed up the inclusion; they dis-included. Just cast some Latin folk. We’re 20 percent of the population. The largest people of color group and we are underrepresented.” Leguizamo previously praised the 1993 film’s directors, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, for fighting hard for him to be the lead because he was a Latin man, and the studio didn’t want him to be the lead. “They fought really hard, and it was such a breakthrough. For them to go backwards and not cast another [Latin actor] kind of sucks.”

The Super Mario Bros. movie has received poor reviews, including from The Independent’s Clarisse Loughrey. However, those who have watched the film are also advising prospective viewers to stay until the end credits to avoid a funny Mario surprise.

Leguizamo can currently be seen in Amazon’s series The Power.

Source: The Independent