Super Mario Bros. (also known as Super Mario Bros.: The Movie) is a 1993 science fantasy adventure film based on the Mario video game series by Nintendo. It was directed by the husband-and-wife team Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, written by Parker Bennett, Terry Runté and Ed Solomon and distributed by Buena Vista Pictures through Hollywood Pictures. The first American feature-length live-action film based on a video game, it follows the brothers Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo) in their quest to rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from a dystopian parallel universe ruled by the ruthless President Koopa (Dennis Hopper).
Development began after the producer, Roland Joffé, obtained the Mario rights. Given free creative license by Nintendo, which believed the Mario brand was strong enough for experimentation, the screenwriters envisioned Super Mario Bros. as a subversive comedy influenced by Ghostbusters (1984) and The Wizard of Oz (1939). Its dinosaur theme was inspired by the most recent Mario game, Super Mario World (1990), with other elements drawn from fairy tales and contemporary American culture. Filming took place from May to July 1992. The production used several techniques considered innovative in the transition from practical to digital visual effects, including the use of Autodesk Flame.
Released on May 28, 1993, Super Mario Bros. was a financial failure, grossing $38.9 million worldwide on a budget of $42–48 million. It received generally negative reviews from critics and is considered one of the worst films ever made. Despite this, it has developed a cult following. Nintendo did not license another Mario film until The Super Mario Bros. Movie, an animated film released by Universal Pictures in 2023, which received mixed reviews and was a commercial success, breaking multiple box-office records.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA)
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