The Super Mario Galaxy Movie opens this week, so that means most of its all-star cast is on the marketing trail and talking to the press. One would expect chatter to be limited to the next big Nintendo adaptation, but things tend to go off the rails, especially if Jack Black is involved…
During an interview with ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan, the comedy legend, who plays Bowser, took the opportunity to reveal another video game franchise he’d love to join if given the chance: Yakuza.
“So I’m going to throw my hat in that ring. I don’t know if there [are] any parts for me, like a portly American, but talk to me. Sega, give me a jingle,” the actor said. As a reminder, Black also starred in the live-action Minecraft movie, which totally demolished the box office like the first Mario flick. We don’t talk about Borderlands, though.
If you haven’t been keeping track, Yakuza has already spawned a number of live-action adaptations, including Takeshi Miike’s Ryu Ga Gotoku Gekijoban (2007) and the Prime Video-distributed series released in late 2024. Recently, there was also a collaboration between gangster drama Nihon Touitsu and Ryu Ga Gotoku Studio that you can watch online for free.
Later in the same conversation, co-star Donald Glover (Yoshi) and Black were asked about other universes they’d love to be a part of. Glover used the opportunity to say his kids “are really into Wings of Fire” (a fantasy graphic novel series) and excellent comic book series Saga. At this point, Black jumped in to warn him: “But don’t say Sega. Because we’ll get in trouble.” The man knows his video game history.
Even if Black is fully aware he probably wouldn’t be a natural fit in another Yakuza adaptation due to its setting, he’s right in saying he could be a “portly American” should the story have an international twist. Who knows, maybe another Hollywood studio will show genuine interest in the material and try to bridge the gap between Yakuza’s original storyline and Western audiences. Mind you, Like a Dragon has quickly become a global sensation, so there’s no real need for that if you ask us.
