Super Mario Bros. is an infamous example of how not to adapt a video game. The 1993 live-action movie starred Bob Hoskins and John Leguizamo, and bombed at the box office. While some view it fondly these days, it's still seen as a mistake. Now Universal and Despicable Me creators Illumination are aiming to take a new crack at the characters, making a deal for an animated film based on the Super Mario Bros. game.
It's been a long time since Nintendo has allowed anyone to adapt its game properties into films – the 1993 example was a big part of that – but it'll be hoping that the animated version can prove to be a better example of how to bring the world of the brother plumbers and their reptilian enemies to screens. It also represents the Illumination team once again stepping outside the world of Minions and more to work on some other title. The company has had big success with both the Despicable Me films, their Minions spin-off (another is one the way) and Sing.
If it does succeed, it potentially opens up a collaboration on other Nintendo characters, including Donkey Kong and Zelda.