Nintendo recently surprised game buffs with an announcement that the popular video game characters Mario, Luigi, and the rest of the gang will play in theaters in December next year. The animated film will be co-produced by Illumination, an American animation production company. Universal Pictures has also chipped in the film for its worldwide distribution.

In this anticipated film, an A-list cast will bring voice to the characters, including “Guardians of the Galaxy’s” Chris Pratt as Mario, comedian Charlie Day as Luigi, “Queen’s Gambit’s” Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, “Mad TV’s” Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, and Jack Black as Bowser, a villainous turtle. Seth Rogen is also set to voice Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike. Chris Pratt expressed his excitement on Instagram (@prattprattpratt) by posting a video with a caption: “It’s-a meeeee!!!!!” Pratt described this project as “dreams come true”, reminiscing his childhood times when playing the game.

Meanwhile, this won’t be the first Super Mario feature show. A live-action film based on the gaming series was also released in 1993 but didn’t receive much praise from critics. Nintendo’s Shigeru Miyamoto is expecting that this would be “a new piece of entertainment which brings Super Mario Bros to life on the screen and allows everyone to enjoy whether or not they know about the game.” Producer Chris Meledandri also pointed out that “Mario and Luigi are two of the most beloved heroes in all of pop culture.” Melendandri added that they wanted to bring these characters to life, distinct from any film they have made before.