The 1993 'Super Mario Bros.' Movie Could Have Been a Totally Different Film – And Not in the Way You’d Expect!
When the infamous Super Mario Bros. movie hit theaters in 1993, fans and critics alike were stunned—but not in a good way. This wasn’t just a bad adaptation; it was a bizarre, dystopian reimagining that bore almost no resemblance to the beloved Nintendo games. But here’s the twist: the first draft of the script was even weirder—and shockingly, it had more in common with Rain Man than Super Mario World.
A Movie So Far From the Games, It Might As Well Have Been Another IP
The final version of Super Mario Bros., directed by Annabel Jankel and Rocky Morton, transformed the Mushroom Kingdom into a grim, cyberpunk-esque wasteland, complete with a humanoid dinosaur villain (Dennis Hopper’s King Koopa) instead of the fire-breathing Bowser fans knew. The plot? A parallel universe where dinosaurs evolved into human-like creatures, and the Mario brothers (Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo) accidentally stumble into their world. It was a far cry from the colorful, whimsical platformer games—and fans hated it.
But here’s the part most people miss: this wasn’t even the original vision.
The 'Rain Man' Connection: A Script That Took Mario in a Wild New Direction
Before Jankel and Morton got involved, Oscar-winning screenwriter Barry Morrow (Rain Man) was hired to pen the script. And his take? A prequel set entirely in the real world, focusing on the emotional bond between Mario and Luigi—modeled after the relationship in Rain Man.
Yes, you read that right. Morrow envisioned Mario as the responsible older brother (like Tom Cruise’s character in Rain Man) and Luigi as a more vulnerable, possibly neurodivergent figure (akin to Dustin Hoffman’s Raymond). The story would follow their blue-collar struggles, culminating in a road trip that deepened their bond—with zero Mushroom Kingdom, zero Koopa, and zero fantastical elements. The film would end before the brothers ever became video game heroes.
But here’s where it gets controversial:
Some might argue this approach could have worked—a grounded, character-driven drama about brotherhood, with Mario and Luigi as relatable everymen. But let’s be real: would anyone have accepted a Super Mario movie without… well, Super Mario? The studio certainly didn’t think so. Producers reportedly told Morrow the film needed to be a blockbuster in the vein of E.T. or Ghostbusters, not an intimate drama.
The Long, Messy Road to the Dystopian Disaster We Got
After Morrow’s departure, subsequent writers tried (and failed) to crack the code. One pitch framed the story as a Wizard of Oz-style satire, with the brothers traveling to a parallel world—a concept that actually feels ahead of its time (Shrek wouldn’t do this for another decade). But it wasn’t until Jankel and Morton entered the picture that the film took its final, divisive shape.
Their vision? A Blade Runner-meets-dinosaurs fever dream, complete with cyberpunk aesthetics and a bizarre alternate-history premise. And believe it or not, this wasn’t entirely random—the recent release of Super Mario World (featuring Yoshi, a dinosaur companion) gave the idea some tenuous connection to the games.
The Aftermath: A Cult Classic or an Unforgivable Flop?
The 1993 Super Mario Bros. bombed spectacularly, both critically and commercially. Yet, shockingly, it’s gained a cult following over the years, with some defenders praising its audacity and originality. Which raises the question: was it really that bad, or was it just ahead of its time?
And here’s the real kicker: Would Morrow’s Rain Man-esque version have been better? Imagine a world where Super Mario Bros. was a slow-burn drama about brotherhood instead of a neon-drenched dystopia. Would fans have embraced it? Or would it have flopped even harder?
What do you think? Was the 1993 movie a misunderstood gem, or should it stay buried in the past? And could a Rain Man-style Mario movie have ever worked? Sound off in the comments—we’re dying to hear your takes!
