Super Mario Bros. director Rocky Morton admits to the 1993 film’s failings, indicating it would have done better if Nintendo had been pulled in for more involvement. The first attempt at an American movie adaptation of the Mario franchise, Super Mario Bros. sees Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo take on the roles of Mario and Luigi as they try to stop Dennis Hopper’s King Koopa from merging Earth with a dinosaur-inhabited world. The film was panned by critics and gamers alike due to its unfaithful adaptation of the game series.
Speaking with Variety, Morton admits that Super Mario Bros. could have been a better film if there had been more involvement from Nintendo. In particular, he says Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto should have been more directly involved in the film’s production. Check out what Morton had to say below:
If I’d have had a relationship with Miyamoto and brought him onboard, if he had been a producer and he understood what we were doing, he wouldn’t have let certain things happen. We would have been a team, and it would have been a different film.
Why The Super Mario Bros. Movie Can Fix Mario’s Past Mistakes
Morton’s comments about how Super Mario Bros. could have been made into a better, more faithful film are already being addressed by The Super Mario Bros. Movie. Illumination’s animated attempt at a Mario film is already receiving praise from early reactions, which note the amount of fan service in the movie. This is a result of Miyamoto working directly with Illumination on the film as a producer, alongside Illumination CEO Chris Meledandri.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is also set to take place in the Mushroom Kingdom, as opposed to Super Mario Bros.’ decision to have its story set primarily on Earth. Because the Mushroom Kingdom and other familiar locations like Rainbow Road will feature prominently in the film, it will likely be a faithful translation of Mario to the big screen. With so much dedication being put into the movie, the film is also on track to succeed at the box office.
While it’s possible Super Mario Bros. could have been more successful with direct involvement from Miyamoto, the decision to remake the film as an animated feature may be for the best. A live-action film may not be able to capture the Mushroom Kingdom and non-human characters like Bowser as well, and could also result in more expenses that would necessitate a larger box office for success. The Super Mario Bros. Movie is likely to learn from the failures of Super Mario Bros. to create a memorable, faithful adaptation of the Mario franchise.
Source: Variety
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The Super Mario Bros. Movie
