‘Super Mario Bros.’ 1993: Dennis Hopper’s 6-Year-Old Son Had a Hilarious Reaction to His ‘Terrible’ Role
Apparently, even kids couldn’t find the appeal in 1993’s horrible Super Mario Bros. movie. Back in 2008, Dennis Hopper reflected on some films he wasn’t proud of, including the video game adaptation. The actor shared a hilarious anecdote about his son, 6 years old at the time of Super Mario Bros.’ release, who had a surprising reaction to his father’s role in the box office flop. Here’s what Hopper’s son said.
The 1993 film ‘Super Mario Bros.’ is considered the worst video game movie ever
Super Mario Bros. made history as the first-ever live-action film adaptation of a video game. Unfortunately, it also made history as the worst video game movie ever created. Directed by Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, the film follows brothers Mario (Bob Hoskins) and Luigi (John Leguizamo). While working as plumbers in Brooklyn, New York, they stumble into a parallel universe ruled by King Koopa (Hopper). Mario and Luigi must put a stop to Koopa’s corruption and rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis).
Aside from the characters, Super Mario Bros. had practically no relation to its Nintendo video game source material. Few people cared to see it in theaters, which resulted in only $38.9 million in box office earnings compared to a $48 million budget. Those who did watch Super Mario Bros. criticized it for its unorganized plot and unusual tone.
On the other hand, it did receive praise for the special effects and cast. Despite its reputation, Super Mario Bros. became a cult classic for many fans.
Dennis Hopper once shared the hilarious criticism his 6-year-old son had about ‘Super Mario Bros.’
Needless to say, Super Mario Bros. wasn’t exactly a highlight for the careers of some of its stars. That includes Dennis Hopper, who named Super Mario Bros. in a discussion of films he didn’t feel proud of. He told Conan O’Brien on Late Night With Conan O’Brien in 2008 that even his son felt confused by Hopper’s role (per Far Out Magazine).
“I made a picture called Super Mario Bros, and my 6-year-old son at the time … he said, ‘Dad, I think you’re probably a pretty good actor, but why did you play that terrible guy King Koopa in Super Mario Bros.?'” Hopper said.
Hopper decided to tell his son the truth behind his reason for the role: money.
“I said, ‘Well Henry, I did that so you could have shoes,'” the actor added.
That wasn’t enough for Hopper’s son, who had a surprisingly hilarious response: “Dad, I don’t need shoes that badly.”
Bob Hoskins says the video game movie was the ‘worst thing’ he ever filmed
Hopper wasn’t the only Super Mario Bros. star to look back at the project with not-so-fond words. One year prior to Hopper’s interview, Bob Hoskins told The Guardian that Super Mario Bros. was the “worst thing [he] ever did].” He had some colorful language to describe the experience:
“It was a f***in’ nightmare. The whole experience was a nightmare. It had a husband-and-wife team directing, whose arrogance had been mistaken for talent. After so many weeks, their own agent told them to get off the set! F***in’ nightmare. F***in’ idiots.”
Not every cast member felt that way, though. On the 20th anniversary of the film, John Leguizamo shared a video of himself (seen above) to reflect on the film and recall some lighthearted memories. He called the Super Mario Bros. filmmakers “pioneers” because of the movie’s status as the first live-action video game movie. Plus, Leguizamo even revealed that he’s proud of the project today.
Nintendo is working on another attempt at a Super Mario Bros. movie — an animated version with Illumination Entertainment, starring Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Peach. The film is set to release in theaters on April 7, 2023. Will it have better luck than the 1993 version?
