Original Live Action Super Mario Bros. Movie Returns to Theaters in 4K

Super Mario Bros. live action returns in 4K. The infamous ’90s movie is back in theaters.

Three decades ago, the live action adaptation of the Nintendo franchise, released in 1993, distorted the original story and featured actors like Bob Hoskins playing Mario, John Leguizamo as Luigi and Dennis Hopper as President Koopa. It was both a critical and commercial failure.

However, according to Crunchyroll, the film will get a second chance in Japanese theaters starting on September 15, coinciding with its 30th anniversary in the region. Unfortunately, there don’t seem to be any similar plans for its international release.

Super Mario Bros. has become an infamous movie that led Nintendo to avoid any future adaptations of its properties. In contrast, the upcoming animated The Super Mario Bros. Movie, produced by Illumination and Universal, has more of Nintendo’s involvement in its production and is closer to the tone and spirit of the games.

In the plot of Super Mario Bros., Mario and Luigi find themselves transported to a parallel dimension where they try to rescue a woman named Daisy. In Dinohatten, the plumbers discover a world where humanity evolved from dinosaurs instead of apes. President Koopa rules this world and is looking for a meteorite fragment that will allow him to merge both worlds. Mario and Luigi manage to save the day, and a sequel is hinted at at the end of the film. However, due to a lack of interest, a second installment was never made, although Super Mario Bros. has begun to gain a following in recent years.

Despite the narrative chaos, people can’t help but come back again and again, so the news of a 4K version being released in theaters is sure to bring joy.