According to reports, the newly released Super Mario Bros. animated film by Universal Pictures and Nintendo is expected to challenge the five-day box office opening record currently held by Despicable Me 2 ($143 million). The commendable calculations come on the heels of the highly anticipated grand opening of Super Nintendo World at Universal Studios Hollywood. However, long before Nintendo crossed over and reached new heights in the entertainment industry, John Leguizamo co-starred in the first-ever live-action film based solely on a video game, the original Super Mario Bros (1993). The Colombian-American actor played Luigi, the fraternal twin brother of perhaps the most recognizable video game character ever created, Mario. Although this movie performed underwhelmingly at the box office, the concept of the project was undeniably groundbreaking as it would serve as a precursor to "films based on video games" for decades to come. Another notable aspect of the production was that the main cast featured a Latino performer in one of the leading roles. The original Super Mario Bros movie was the second feature film in John Leguizamo's early career on the big screen. The 62-year-old actor recently went public with his disappointment about the lack of Latino representation in the big-budget remake, stating the executive producers from Universal Pictures "messed up the inclusion" that he once brought to the original cast.
"No, I will not be watching [the new Super Mario Bros film]," Leguizamo said during a discussion with TMZ. "They could've included a Latin character. I was groundbreaking, and they stopped the groundbreaking..."Just cast some Latin folk. We're 20 percent of the population, the largest people of color group, and we're underrepresented...Overrepresented in the worst kind of jobs, though."
John Leguizamo previously expressed his desire for more Hollywood producers to become more inclusive regarding actors/actresses of Latino descent by referencing an upcoming film about Fidel Castro's daughter called Alina of Cuba starring James Franco. Thus, his stance against the new Super Mario Bros. film is unlikely to waver.
The new Super Mario Bros. film stars Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess, Jack Black as Bowser, and Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong. It is now playing in theaters.
Source: EW Weekly
