John Leguizamo, star of 1993’s Super Mario Bros., discusses how his feelings about the film have changed thanks to fans. Super Mario Bros. was adapted from Nintendo’s hit video game franchise, becoming the first film based on a game. Leguizamo starred as Luigi alongside Bob Hoskins as Mario, Samantha Mathis as Princess Daisy, and Dennis Hopper as King Koopa. Unfortunately, Super Mario Bros. was poorly received by critics and audiences, leading to a substantial loss by taking in $20 million on a reported budget of $48 million.
As reported by /Film, Leguizamo’s low opinion of Super Mario Bros. has shifted over the years with the help of loyal fans. Years of attending comic cons have allowed the actor to see a dedicated fanbase who grew up loving the movie despite the negativity it received upon release. Leguizamo says thanks to these passionate fans, “it softened my heart.” Check out Leguizamo’s comments on Super Mario Bros. below:
“Yes, definitely my opinion of it has changed. I just did Comic-Con in New York and Baltimore, two big comic cons in America, and so many people are huge fans. There were so many people dressed up as Luigi and Mario, and they [would pose as] the poster with the two plungers. They brought the plungers and there were so many [fans]. They brought their DVDs, their VHSs, their posters. I was signing so much stuff and it was like, ‘Wow, there’s so much love for this flick’ that it softened my heart.”
How Fan Perception Of Super Mario Bros. Has Changed
When Super Mario Bros. hit theaters in 1993, critics panned the film for its odd mix of dark tones while trying to pander to children who loved the games, seeing the end result as a mish-mash of ideas. Audiences also felt that the movie missed the mark and didn’t represent the games correctly, failing to adapt the material in any accurate way. Furthermore, Super Mario Bros. is said to have had a troubled production, with directors Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton clashing with the studio and stars over their vision for the final product. Super Mario Bros. was so hated that even Hoskins later called the movie the worst thing he had ever done.
Over the years following the release of Super Mario Bros., the young audience that grew up with the film has seen the movie garner a cult following of fans who love it. While critics and the adult audiences of the time maligned the film, the younger viewers were able to find things they loved and revisit Super Mario Bros. throughout their lives. Some fans have become so dedicated that they went about adding back in the deleted scenes to create a definitive cut of the movie that runs 125 minutes. It’s these passionate fans who cosplay as the characters and have had Leguizamo sign old VHS copies who have ultimately softened his opinion of the troubled video game movie.
Super Mario Bros. was so poorly received upon its release that Nintendo has shied away from adapting it since. However, a new animated film called The Super Mario Bros. Movie, which just released a new trailer highlighting the game-accurate elements of the film, is due out next year. With a new movie on the way and the dedicated fans of Super Mario Bros. warming Leguizamo’s heart, the IP is getting a new cinematic lease on life in more ways than one.
Key Release Dates
The Super Mario Bros Film
Release Date:2023-04-07
