Imagine a Super Mario Bros. movie that was less about jumping through pipes and more about...sibling therapy on wheels? That's right, the first script for the infamous 1993 Super Mario Bros. film was so wildly different, it's almost unrecognizable. Buckle up, because this is a story of creative clashes, abandoned ideas, and a desperate attempt to turn a whimsical video game into something...else entirely.
When Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton unleashed their cinematic interpretation of "Super Mario Bros." in 1993, it wasn't exactly a "Game Over" for their careers, but it was a critical and fan-driven disaster. Remember the vibrant, cartoonish Mushroom Kingdom? Gone. In its place was a grimy, industrial dystopia that looked like "Blade Runner" threw up on a construction site. And Bowser, the iconic fire-breathing Koopa (think a souped-up Chinese Dragon Turtle)? He was reimagined as a humanoid dinosaur, played by none other than Dennis Hopper. But here's where it gets controversial... some actually liked this bizarre, dark take on the Mario universe, praising its originality and unique design. What do you think, was it a bold move or a complete betrayal of the source material?
The plot itself was a head-scratcher. Instead of rescuing Princess Peach from Bowser in the Mushroom Kingdom, the Mario brothers found themselves in Dino World, a parallel dimension created by the meteor that wiped out the dinosaurs. In this world, dinosaurs evolved into humanoids, and Mario and Luigi had to save a dinosaur princess (Samantha Mathis) and prevent King Koopa from merging Dino World with Earth. Talk about a plot twist!
Nintendo's games were already pretty surreal, so maybe a straight adaptation wouldn't have worked. But this was a leap too far for many. That said, the movie has its defenders who appreciate its originality, striking visuals, and undeniably weird ideas. The on-screen chemistry between Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo as Mario and Luigi was a high point for many fans.
And this is the part most people miss... before the dinosaur dimension, before the dystopian setting, there was another vision: a "Rain Man"-esque prequel. According to a 1992 Los Angeles Times article, the initial script, penned by Barry Morrow (yes, the Oscar-winning writer of "Rain Man"), envisioned Mario and Luigi's relationship as being far more tender and dramatic. Imagine, Mario and Luigi embarking on a road trip of self discovery! It was going to be a prequel movie, depicting their lives before they ever donned their iconic overalls and ventured into the Mushroom Kingdom.
But why the sudden shift in direction? Well, the development of "Super Mario Bros." was a mess from the start. Nintendo essentially gave Hollywood carte blanche, figuring their brand was strong enough to withstand any interpretation. The studio, however, struggled to translate the simple "hero saves princess" narrative into a compelling film. Morrow, fresh off his "Rain Man" win, was brought in to work his magic. Some even jokingly called his draft "Drain Man," a nod to the brothers' plumbing profession.
Morrow's script, as the Times article details, was heavily inspired by "Rain Man." Remember the film about Charlie (Tom Cruise), who learns to care for his autistic brother Raymond (Dustin Hoffman) during a cross-country road trip? Morrow's script placed Mario in the Charlie role and Luigi in the Raymond role, with the pair embarking on a similar journey that leads to them growing closer. To further differentiate it from "Rain Man," Mario and Luigi were depicted as ordinary blue-collar workers, not slick collectibles dealers. The film would conclude before any fantastical elements were introduced. But here's where it gets controversial... was this version of Mario and Luigi more or less faithful to the spirit of the games than the final product?
Of course, Morrow's vision was about as game-accurate as the final Jankel/Morton movie. According to the Times article, a producer had to explain to Morrow that "Super Mario Bros." needed to be a broadly appealing action-adventure blockbuster, akin to "E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial," "Batman," "Ghostbusters," or even "Terminator 2: Judgment Day." "Rain Man" was a hit, but not the kind the studio was looking for.
Subsequent attempts to adapt "Super Mario Bros." weren't much better. Screenwriters Jim Jennewein and Tom S. Parker (known for films like "Richie Rich" and "The Flintstones") proposed structuring the film like "The Wizard of Oz," with the brothers traveling from Earth to a parallel world, only to satirize fairy tales. Think "Shrek," but a decade earlier. However, this idea didn't quite come together either.
Eventually, producer Roland Joffé, a fan of "Max Headroom," brought in the show's creators, Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton. They conceived the bizarre dinosaur-dimension concept, which Joffé loved. It's worth noting that the Super Nintendo game "Super Mario World," featuring the rideable dinosaur-like creature Yoshi, had recently been released, making a dinosaur-themed Mario movie not entirely out of left field.
As we all know, "Super Mario Bros." bombed both critically and commercially. It took 30 years for another "Super Mario Bros." movie adaptation to see the light of day. But the story of the original film's first script serves as a cautionary tale about the challenges of adapting beloved video games and the dangers of straying too far from the source material. What do you think? Was the final film a misunderstood masterpiece or a complete train wreck? And should Hollywood take more risks when adapting video games, or stick closer to the source material? Let us know in the comments!
