Schwarzenegger, Hanks offered roles in Super Mario Bros film

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Tom Hanks were almost in the 1993 big-screen adaptation of Super Mario Bros.

Before Bob Hoskins, John Leguizamo, and the other actors were cast, producers of the film wanted the services of the Academy Award winning Hanks and Austrian uber-star Schwarzenegger.

The studio originally wanted Hanks as Mario, although he was dropped before the project made any real headway. Schwarzenegger was also initially wanted as the evil King Koopa, although the Terminator star turned down the part.

Details of the origins of the project come from Jeff Ryan’s book Super Mario: How Nintendo Conquered America, which also reveals that Danny Devito was originally offered to direct and star, but also turned down the opportunity.