John Leguizamo was cast in the original Super Mario Bros movie released in 1993. He has been critical of the new animated film and revealed why Disney was unhappy with the original movie’s direction, especially regarding a scene with strippers.
Related: The Super Mario Bros. Could Be Mickey Mouse’s Biggest Rival Yet — Here’s Why
Oddly enough, Disney produced the original Super Mario Bros movie under Buena Vista Pictures, which Disney owned—even back in the 1990s. Though Disney had not been the powerhouse that owned Marvel and 20th Century Studios, the company still had control of some sister studios.
Leguizamo was part of the new GQ YouTube series, which selects certain actors to delve deep into some of their most iconic characters. The actor naturally discussed the Super Mario Bros movie and how it was innovative to cast a Latin actor in a lead role. That is something that Leguizamo has revealed is his biggest issue with the new animated feature, as it didn’t cast a Latin actor in the lead role.
During the interview, Lugizamo revealed that Disney had become incredibly unhappy with the dark direction the movie was taking, especially regarding one scene where the main characters were at a nightclub.
“[The directors] had this dark, dark vision that Disney was not okay with so there was all this butt-heading that was incredible,” Leguizamo stated. He also revealed the scene in Super Mario Bros that the House of Mouse hated.
“That party scene? Those were all strippers from North Carolina that they put on the set, and they had them in the most revealing clothes and costumes.” He revealed. He also stated that “Disney was not happy.” We can certainly understand that Disney would hate anyone having to call and clear hiring strippers for what was supposed to be a more kid-friendly venture.
However, the idea behind the original movie was not to emulate or copy the video game. That was certainly the case, and the film bombed at the box office and all but sank the careers of the directors. We would assume making Bowser into a cutthroat business owner and showcasing a Yoshi that looked like a velociraptor from Jurassic Park did not sit well with most people. Still, it grew to cult status, which Leguizamo indicates in the above interview.
Disney might have been mad about strippers being cast in the original movie. Still, the company is likely far angrier now that the new animated venture from Illumination has been stealing records.
Related: ‘Super Mario Bros Movie’ Defeats ‘Frozen 2’, Disney No Longer the Top of Animation
The Super Mario Bros movie is currently one of the top-grossing animated films ever. It also beat out Frozen 2 as the biggest 5-day opening for an animated film. Illumination’s effort is also projected to hit the billion mark soon, and current box office totals currently sit at $720 million.
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