The Chris Pratt-starring animated movie been delayed from 2022 to 2023, but that gives fans more time to catch up with Mario on film. 1993's notorious Super Mario Bros. was unprecedented at the time, as it was the first-ever Hollywood movie adaptation of a video game, but it was better known for reasons the cast and crew would rather forget.
Due to the overwhelmingly negative response, the amount of money it lost, and not wanting to remind audiences of it, the studio has avoided rebooting Mario for almost 30 years. The final product is a result of one of the most troubled movie productions of all time. It was full of near-death experiences, actors drinking just to get through the day, and heated arguments between the husband and wife directing duo, Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel.
Dennis Hopper Was Only Supposed To Be On Set For Five Weeks, But Was There For 17
At the time Dennis Hopper's time was undoubtedly valuable, as he was one of the most in-demand actors for two decades. And getting such a beloved actor to star in Super Mario Bros. is an achievement in itself. However, it didn't take Hopper long to regret the decision to the cast.
According to AV Club, Hopper was only contracted to be on set for five weeks, but that quickly turned into 17 weeks, more than four months of his life. Hopper seemingly didn't want to do it in the first place, as, when asked by his then six-year-old son why he played King Koopa, the actor responded, "So you can have shoes."
Strippers And Other Sexual Content Was In The Original Cut
The final cut of Super Mario Bros. is a weird amalgam of sci-fi and fantasy that's completely unlike the video game it's based on. And even though it's hard to believe, the movie was originally much weirder, and even less suitable for children too.
Screenwriters throwing around concepts that never make it into the movie happen all the time in Hollywood. But where those ideas get left behind in development, according to the three-breasted-woman-featuring Total Recall.
Danny DeVito Was Offered The Role Of Mario
For as hated as the movie is, Bob Hoskins is still iconic in the role of Mario. However, despite having an uncanny resemblance to the video game plumber, he wasn't the first choice for the character. According to L.A. Times, the studio wanted Danny DeVito to lead the movie. And as DeVito was an established filmmaker at the time, he was offered to direct too.
Though the want to see DeVito play Wolverine. While that might seem like a strange choice, especially compared to the towering physique of Hugh Jackman, Wolverine was always short and stocky in the comic books, and anybody who watches Always Sunny knows how well DeVito can act like a rabid animal.
The Directors Were Told To Get Off The Set
Super Mario Bros. might be universally hated and the first and worst stain on the video game movie genre, but nobody hates the movie more than Bob Hoskins himself.
In an interview with The Guardian, the actor doesn't look back fondly at the experience, noting, "The worst thing I ever did? Super Mario Brothers. It was a f*****' nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent." Hoskins then explained that after so many fights, the directing duo was told by their agent to get off the set. Unsurprisingly, the duo hasn't directed a major Hollywood production since.
The Studio Wanted Tom Waits As Toad
It wasn't just DeVito who was on the studio's list of ideal candidates for the movie's characters. In what is a bizarre but creative choice, according to SMB Movie, Tom Waits was approached to play Toad. Toad is one of the strangest characters in the movie, as instead of being a sentient mushroom-like in the games, in the movie, he's a human-looking rockstar.
Though Waits is a musician, he is also a great actor, having roles in Seven Psychopaths, Bram Stoker's Dracula, and, most recently, Paul Thomas Anderson's best movies. However, as versatile as he is, Toad wouldn't exactly be in his wheelhouse. Toad ended up being played by Mojo Nixon, who is also a musician, albeit a very musician different from the croaky and intimidating Waits.
Hoskins Almost Died On Set... Twice
Hoskins' resentment toward the movie is hardly surprising considering the number of near-death experiences he had onset. No actor should ever have to experience such a thing once during production, never mind twice. However, Hoskins almost died twice while shooting the movie.
The actor explains that he almost died of electrocution and drowning, which is hardly surprising given how those very things happen in the movie and how there was a clear lack of health and safety during the movie's production. Hoskins also notes that he got stabbed four times, which sounds fatal, but he doesn't go into any further detail.
Hoskins Broke A Finger
Though Hoskins survived electrocution and avoided getting drowned, he didn't escape production Scott-free. When Leguizamo and Hoskins had to pull off a stunt that required them to jump into a van and hastily drive away, according to the same article that details his near-death experiences, Hoskins broke his finger.
Leguizamo was in the driver's seat, and he hit on the accelerator too fast, which led to Hoskins' door slamming shut on his hand. However, after everything that happened on set, Hoskins is lucky that all he got was a broken finger.
Hoskins And Leguizamo Got Drunk Before Every Shoot
Based on the many different reports that have come out in the almost 30 years since the movie was released, it seems like a year that everybody involved would rather forget. The cast and crew handled their stress and exhaustion in different ways, and for Hoskins and Leguizamo, it was alcohol.
According to The Guardian, Leguizamo and Hoskins were getting drunk every day on set between takes, and their drink of choice was whisky. While a lot of the fault for the troubled production lies with the directors, it seems as if a lot of issues, including Hoskins breaking his finger, could have been avoided if they weren't so inebriated.
Leguizamo Is Proud Of The Movie In Retrospect
Surprisingly, Leguizamo doesn't still hold as much resentment of the movie as he or Hoskins once did, and according to a 20th-anniversary message available on YouTube, he's proud of the film in retrospect. In fairness, the movie has become something of a cult classic, as it has grown a huge fan following over the past 30 years.
And while it might completely ignore the source material and has a terrible screenplay, the seamless blend of practical effects and digital effects was way ahead of its time. Between the impressive CGI and its unique aesthetic, Super Mario Bros. is one of the best childhood movies that's universally hated.
Hoskins Didn't Even Know It Was A Video Game Movie
In some cases, Super Mario Bros. was a brave experiment. Though video game movies tend to do well at the box office now, in 1993, there was no knowing how receptive audiences would be to an adaptation of a video game, regardless of the film's quality.
That might especially be the case considering that some audiences may not have known that the high concept was based on a video game, and Bob Hoskins is case and point. According to Destructoid, Hoskins didn't know that he'd signed on to a video game movie until his son showed him the Nintendo game.
