How Filmmakers Gave ‘Super Mario Bros.,’ ‘Turtles’ and ‘Trolls’ a Successful Refresh
variety.comKaren Idelson Audiences form tight relationships with the characters and stories they love, so when several of the year’s biggest animated films dared to revisit beloved IP or extend the lore of the characters via a sequel, they were potentially walking on sacred ground.
The filmmakers behind “The Super Mario Bros. Movie,” “Trolls Band Together” and “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: Mutant Mayhem” all had to reckon with audience expectations, while also carving out something new.
In many cases, animation technology had also evolved over time to give the filmmakers options not available just a few years ago.
Each had to balance the look of the characters from previous years with what they could be now. “Super Mario” super fans and co-helmers Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic came to the movie with their own experiences as players of the original Nintendo game, and were determined to stay true to the feeling of the game and the characters in it.
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