It’s official—Chris Pratt will be voicing Mario in Nintendo’s upcoming Super Mario Bros. animated feature Mario. The announcement was made during yesterday’s Nintendo Direct, with Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto giving an update on the long-gestating film. Mario will be created by animation studio Illumination, the same folks who brought you Despicable Me, The Secret Life of Pets, and Sing.

There’s a whole slew of talented performers joining Pratt in the voice cast—Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. Also, the man who voiced Mario in the video game, Charles Martinet, will appear throughout the film.

The film was first announced back in 2018. This is not the first time Nintendo’s most iconic character and his pals have been adapted for the big screen—way back in 1993, directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton delivered a live-action version starring Bob Hoskins as Mario and John Leguizamo as Luigi. It did not win over audiences or critics. There’s a lot more hope for an animated version, which clearly is a better fit for the source material, and the gangbusters cast certainly helps.

Mario will leap into theaters on December 21, 2022. Here’s the official tweet from Nintendo:

The Super Mario Bros. Animated Film movie is heading to theaters in North America on 12/21/22!

Check out the voice cast for the upcoming movie below 👇 pic.twitter.com/Xj31P6hk6y

— Nintendo of America (@NintendoAmerica) September 23, 2021