Summary
Overview
The How Did This Get Made podcast hosts a live episode at Bumbershoot in Seattle, dissecting the 1993 Super Mario Bros. movie with guest Jenny Slate. The crew explores the bizarre adaptation choices, from the dystopian dinosaur dimension to the film's complete departure from the beloved video game, uncovering production disasters, drunk actors, and one of cinema's most baffling video game adaptations.
Opening and First Impressions: A Bonkers Beginning
The hosts introduce the Super Mario Bros. movie and immediately dive into its insane opening sequence. The film begins with an animated prologue explaining how a meteor created an alternate dimension where dinosaurs evolved into intelligent beings with Brooklyn accents. This sets the tone for a movie that bears almost no resemblance to the video game it's based on, eschewing mushrooms, coins, and jumping mechanics for a dystopian sci-fi thriller.
- The movie starts with an animated sequence about a meteor creating a parallel dimension where dinosaurs evolved, narrated by a dinosaur with a Brooklyn accent
- Bob Hoskins didn't know the movie was based on a video game until his son showed him the Nintendo game mid-production
- The film completely abandons the game's elements - no jumping, coins, or recognizable Mario gameplay
" Can you make a movie out of a video game? In this case, no. "
" If a meteor hit Earth and created an alternate dimension where dinosaurs exist, what if they find their way back? Super Mario Brothers. Just like the game. "
Casting Chaos and the Brother Problem
The discussion reveals the troubled casting process and one of the film's most bizarre choices: Mario and Luigi aren't actually brothers. Danny DeVito turned down the role, Tom Hanks was deemed too expensive, leading to Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo being cast as the not-quite-brothers Mario Mario and Luigi Mario. The hosts explore the confusing relationship dynamic and the uncomfortable Italian stereotypes throughout the film.
- Danny DeVito didn't respond to the script, Tom Hanks was attached but deemed too expensive, then they hired Bob Hoskins
- Mario and Luigi aren't brothers in the film - Luigi is Mario's foster kid or adoptee
- The reveal that their names are Mario Mario and Luigi Mario gets the biggest laugh in the movie
- Bob Hoskins is not Italian but plays Mario with a strong accent, while John Leguizamo has no accent at all
" Danny DeVito did not respond to the script. Tom Hanks then was attached. But the film executives believed that Tom Hanks was more than the studio could afford, so they dismissed him and hired Bob Hoskins, believing Hoskins would be a more profitable actor. "
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