Movies

John Leguizamo tells Showbiz Cheat Sheet his 1993 live-action 'Super Mario Bros.' movie had one advantage over the upcoming animated version.

Published on February 15, 2023

Super Mario Bros. was the first video game movie. The late Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo starred as Mario and Luigi in a live-action adaptation. An animated version is coming out this year, but Leguizamo laments the lack of representation in its voice cast. 

Leguizamo spoke to Showbiz Cheat Sheet about his role in Violent Night, available on Digital, Blu-ray, and DVD now. When we asked his thoughts on the new Super Mario Bros. Movie, he shared his perspective and what his film has meant to fans. The Super Mario Bros. Movie opens April 7 in theaters.

1 thing the John Leguizamo ‘Super Mario Bros. Movie’ had over the animated version

In 1993, casting Leguizamo as Luigi was huge. In that way, having Charlie Day voice Luigi to Chris Pratt’s Mario doesn’t pack the same punch. The animated film does feature Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike, and Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek.

“I miss the inclusivity of the original,” Leguizamo said. “It was such a ground breaker in terms of inclusivity and having Latinx portraying a lead. Yeah, it was the first video game [movie] ever made so I like that they fixed that part of it, the video game aspect of it but I like the original. It’s so charming and was hard to make. It was really difficult to make so I have a special love for the original, the OG.”

‘Super Mario Bros.’ is 1 of the top 3 films fans ask John Leguizamo about

In 1993, Super Mario Bros. was not a hit. Directors Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel never made another movie. But, kids appreciated the post-apocalyptic take on King Koopa (Dennis Hopper)’s underground world. They still talk to Leguizamo about Super Mario Bros.

“Oh yeah, I get a lot of Super Mario, especially when I go to Comic-Cons across the country,” Leguizamo said. “The Pest, Super Mario Bros, Spawn, Clown, those are what people come and talk to me the most about. The Pest is really random because they all bring a DVD or VHS. That’s how old that movie is. They all request a Blu-ray version. They do the beginning opening song for me.”

The Pest was a 1997 comedy Leguizamo created and starred in. He plays a con artist who ends up in a “Most Dangerous Game” scenario when he tries to con the wrong rich guy. The opening song he’s referring to is a rap he does in the shower. 

The 1993 Mario movie was worldwide too

It isn’t only fans in person who remind Leguizamo about Super Mario Bros. He is on social media and fans show him the international memorability for the 1993 film.

“I get tons of ‘gram, people sending me posters, action dolls,” Leguizamo said. “The Japanese poster, the Spanish poster, everybody’s always tagging me.”

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