The live-action Super Mario Bros. (1993) movie went through various states of production on its way to theaters, ultimately culminating in a 1993 release. While the finished film's connection to the games is fairly loose, the very first draft of the film, dated 1991, was an animated comedy-fantasy adventure that had the Mario Bros. warped to a Mushroom Kingdom straight out of Nintendo. Ultimately, some elements of this draft were included in the 2023 animated film, The Super Mario Bros. Movie, such as the Mario Bros.' origins in Brooklyn, Toad being a sidekick throughout the film, and the wedding between Bowser/Koopa and Princess Peach/Hildy.
The evil dragon Koopa plans to marry Princess Hildy and obtain the Crown of Invincibility, which will allow him to extend his despotic rule over the Mushroom World. Mario and Luigi, two average plumbers from Brooklyn, are summoned to stop him, and while Mario is cynical and world-weary, Luigi is optimistic and determined to save the princess, who he's fallen in love with. With Toad as their guide and companion, they battle the forces of Koopa and race to his castle to stop the wedding.
The script, along with other pre-production drafts, can be found and read here.
This script contains examples of:
- Adaptation Name Change: In lieu of Peach, Toadstool, or Daisy, the latter of which the finished film used, the princess is named Hildegard, or Hildy for short.
- And Now You Must Marry Me: Koopa's plan hinges on marrying Hildy to legally obtain the Crown, which can't be gotten otherwise.
- Briar Patching: Once Koopa has the Crown, his powers make him unstoppable by physical means. Remembering Luigi's tale of the fisherman and the genie, Mario tricks Koopa by saying if he had the Crown he'd make himself gigantic, and Koopa promptly does so. Koopa thinks he plans to make the bridge underneath him collapse and floats to avoid it, but what Mario really wanted was for the Crown to become too small for his head and fall off.
- Cannot Spit It Out: Luigi and Hildy have a mutual version where neither can outright say they love one another.
- Chekhov's Lecture: Luigi's fairy tale of a fisherman outsmarting a genie by tricking him into going back in his bottle helps Mario realize how to handle Koopa.
- Disappeared Dad: Unlike the finished film, which had Daisy's mother die early, Hildy's father dies early on as he smuggles her to our world. Or at least, we're supposed to believe he's the father. For as it turns out after Koopa's defeat, the elderly and wise wizard Woltan reveals himself as the former king of the Mushroom Kingdom, and thanks to Mario, Luigi and Toad, he shall continue, albeit Hildy is allowed to stay in Brooklyn while he produces more heirs to the kingdom.
- Disney Villain Death: Just like the games, Koopa meets his end by falling in a pit of lava.
- Egg MacGuffin: Mario happens on a dinosaur egg, names the hatchling Mario Junior, and shares heartwarming moments before sending him on his way to be with his mother.
- Evil Makes You Ugly: The more hypnotizing chocolates she eats the uglier Hildy gets, and by the time she finishes the box she's essentially a female Koopa.
- Hypnotize the Captive: Knowing Hildy would never willingly agree to marry him and let him have the Crown, Koopa gives her spiked chocolates to hypnotize her into falling in love with him.
- I Am Who?: Hildy is very shocked to learn that she's the lost princess of the Mushroom Kingdom.
- MacGuffin: Koopa plans to marry Hildy and obtain the Crown of Invincibility, which will make him ruler and greatly increase his powers.
- Maybe Ever After: The movie ends with Mario having a meet-cute with a woman implied to be the old hag, now young and beautiful again.
- Moses in the Bulrushes: Like the finished film, Hildy grows up in our world after her 'father' died smuggling her there.
- Sensitive Guy and Manly Man: Like in the finished product, Luigi is an optimistic dreamer while Mario is more of a realist.
- Silly Rabbit, Romance Is for Kids!: Mario has a cynical view on love and romance in general after his ex Brenda dumped him for his wedding caterer.
- Taken for Granite: The climax has Koopa turn Luigi to stone; he's freed once Koopa is defeated.
- Trapped by Gambling Debts: Mario and Luigi owe the gangster Big Eddie money, which drives them to escape to the Mushroom World.
- True Love's Kiss: Mario runs into an old hag who thinks this will free her from a spell. It doesn't work initially as his heart is too cold. But it succeeds the second time after Koopa's defeat, and by the time the movie ends and Mario's regained belief in love, a woman heavily implied to be her shows up to romance him.
- Wedding Smashers: Mario and Luigi manage to interrupt Koopa's wedding and change Hildy back to normal just before she gives him the Crown of Invincibility.
