Does anyone remember that weird live-action Super Mario Bros. film from 1993? You know, the really dark and weird one that has since gotten a cult following? Well, it seems that John Leguizamo, the actor who played Luigi in that film, isn’t all that happy with Nintnedo’s recent animated film adaptation of their Mario franchise. Why? Well, read on and find out.
The Super Mario Bros. Movie: Criticism from John Leguizamo?
TMZ has just revealed that John Leguizamo really seems to despise The Super Mario Bros. Movie. So much so that he’s actively calling for a boycott of this animated Mario adventure. Why? Well apparently, it’s due to a lack of diversity in the voice casting. Very specifically: a lack of Latinx actors/actresses in the voice roles.
See, according to John Leguizamo, he considered his casting in the 1993 Super Mario Bros. film to have been a significant thing due to a perceived lack of Latinx actors/actresses in film roles during that time period. With no Latinx voice actors/actresses in this recent animated adaptation, Lguizamo feels that it’s a step backwards. According to Leguizamo’s exact words:
No, I will not be watching Super Mario Bros. They could have included a Latin character like I…I was groundbreaking and they stopped the groundbreaking. They messed up the inclusion. They disincluded.
As TMZ pointed out: it’s unclear here if John Leguizamo wants The Super Mario Bros. Movie to have a more accurate representation for their characters in the casting department, or if he just wants more Latinx casting for the film period. The former doesn’t quite make sense, given that neither Leguizamo nor Bob Hoskins (who was English) are Italian in descent. Thus, it makes Leguizamo’s protests understandable…but a bit petty, in my opinion. Maybe the sequel will include some Latinx casting to make him happy? We’ll just have to see if we ever do see that sequel. Tune back in to THS later to find out if John Leguizamo ever changes his mind…or not.
Source: TMZ
