Back in January of this year, we found out that
Nintendo and Illumination had teamed up in order to bring a new Super Mario Bros. movie to life. The official report also stated that
Super Mario series creator Shigeru Miyamoto would be working closely with Illumination movie producer Chris Meledandri, although we didnt know to which extent Miyamoto would be involved. It turns out that he's actually being kept front and centre of the movie's creation as new interview reveals some interesting details.
In a recent interview with Variety, Chris Meledandri revealed that the infamous
Super Mario Bros. movie from the 90s has definitely helped shape up how they approach making this new film.
"
I like that this was not done well the first time. I think that’s more exciting or more worthy than simply making another version of a film that was done incredibly well to begin with", explained Meledandri.
The 1993
Super Mario Bros. movie is regarded as one of the worst video game movie adaptations ever made, especially one based on a series as popular as
Super Mario Bros. It's not only audiences that disliked the movie but actors John Leguizamo and Bob Hoskins have even come out and stated that the movie is, indeed, one of the worst experiences they've ever had.
In regards to Shigeru Miyamoto's involvement in the new
Super Mario Bros. movie, Meledandri reassures fans that he is very involved, which is rare in major Hollywood productions, and that he knows very well that him being involved is a good thing.
"We are keeping him front and center in the creation of this film. I’ve rarely seen that happen with any adaptation where the original creative voice is being embraced like we’re embracing Miyamoto. There’s a history in Hollywood of people believing that they know better than the people responsible for a property. I’ve made that mistake before".
Another interesting fact Meledandri revealed was that currently, the Super Mario Bros. movie is in "priority development", as well as sharing how much of a challenge making a movie that pleases fans but also feels like a proper movie with a three-act structure.
"It’s an ambitious task. The challenge is taking things that are so thin in their original form and finding depth that doesn’t compromise what generations of fans love about Mario, but also feels organic to the iconography and can support a three-act structure".
The Super Mario Bros. movie is still in very early stages of development and could end up seeing the light of day as soon as 2022, but it is definitely reassuring to see that Miyamoto is as involved as he is and that Illumination actually wants to deliver a movie that will please audiences and longtime fans of the adventurous Italian plumber.