Super Mario Bros. (1993 film)

Super Mario Bros. (also known as Super Mario Bros.: The Movie) is a 1993 American adventure comedy film loosely based on the Mario video game series by Nintendo. The film was directed by the husband-and-wife team of Rocky Morton and Annabel Jankel, written by Parker Bennett, Terry Runté and Ed Solomon and distributed by Walt Disney Studios through Hollywood Pictures. Its story follows the Mario brothers (Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo) in their quest to rescue Princess Daisy (Samantha Mathis) from a dystopic parallel universe ruled by the ruthless President Koopa (Dennis Hopper).

Given free creative license by Nintendo, the screenwriters envisioned the film as a subversive comedy with a "weird and dark" tone similar to Ghostbusters (1984) and The Wizard of Oz (1939). The setting was primarily inspired by the Nintendo game Super Mario World (1990), with other elements drawn from fairy tales and contemporary American culture. The production innovated and introduced many filmmaking techniques now considered pivotal in the transition from practical to digital visual effects, including the use of Autodesk Flame. The dinosaur puppets reportedly impressed the producers of the concurrently developed Jurassic Park.

Released on May 28, 1993, the film was a critical and financial failure, grossing an estimated $35 million worldwide, against a budget of $42–48 million. Reviewers praised the film for its innovative special effects, creative artistic direction, and the performances of its actors, but criticized the confusing narrative, lack of similarity to the games and inconsistent tone. Mario creator Shigeru Miyamoto opined that the film tried too hard to replicate the game series instead of being a good film.

Though poorly received, the film's producer and co-director have claimed that Super Mario Bros. gained a cult following in later years. In 2012, a webcomic sequel was produced in collaboration with Bennett. It remained the only live-action film based on a Nintendo property until Pokémon: Detective Pikachu (2019). As of 2018, an animated Mario reboot film was in development by Universal Pictures through its Illumination division, with Miyamoto serving as co-producer alongside Illumination founder Chris Meledandri, with the film's release slated for 2022.