Grant Kirkhope Apparently Got A Bananas Reason For His Missing Mario Movie Credit

If you reminisce about 2023 and the debut of The Super Mario Bros. Movie, you might remember that acclaimed composer Grant Kirkhope was understandably perplexed when he discovered that he did not receive a credit at the conclusion of the film, even though his ‘DK Rap’ was quite significant in its context. Eventually, Nintendo did provide a rationale for its omission, yet it remains somewhat puzzling.

In a recent dialogue with Eurogamer, the Donkey Kong 64 composer mentioned that he contacted Nintendo for clarity on “why they didn’t include my name” and encountered a policy laden with stipulations.

“[Nintendo] stated they concluded that any music quoted from the games they owned wouldn’t credit the composers—except for Koji Kondo,” shared Kirkhope, “Then they resolved that any piece with vocals would receive credit, hence the DK Rap qualifies. However, they later decided that if we also hold the rights, we won’t acknowledge the composers.” Thus, despite composing and performing the track (which, Kirkhope emphasizes, appears in the film “directly from the game”), he wouldn’t receive acknowledgment since the song belongs to Nintendo. “That was the final blow,” he confessed.

Kirkhope disclosed to Eurogamer that he attempted to advocate for himself, arguing that viewers would have departed the theater by the time his name appeared, “it’s just me, my wife, and my two kids sitting there saying ‘look daddy’s name!'”. However, the House of Mario remained unmoved.

Discussion shifted toward the absence of the classic rap (alongside the entire DK 64 soundtrack) from Nintendo Music. “Some of Dave’s [Wise] works are included. It’s their decision,” he told the site. “I don’t believe they ever had much fondness for DK 64. That’s a rumor we heard through the grapevine while at Rare. Whether it’s accurate or not remains uncertain.” Yikes.

What are your thoughts on Nintendo’s justification? Share in the comments.