Wednesday 3 March 1996 USA.
Zaboru was working as usual at the ZAGE offices in the USA when his assistant informed him that someone from Warner Bros—a film director, no less—was asking to meet with him. The unexpected visit left Zaboru puzzled.
"Why is a director looking for me? Do they want to make a movie involving me?" Zaboru wondered, intrigued. Not long after, he found himself face to face with the director, a man named Ricky Morton. Zaboru studied him closely—he seemed like a regular guy, but full of eagerness and energy.
Ricky grinned and extended his hand. "Mr. Renkonan, nice to meet you."
Zaboru smiled and shook it firmly. "Nice to meet you too, Mr. Morton. What brings a Warner Bros director like you to me?"
Ricky smiled and said, "First of all, I'm a huge fan of your work! Ever since I was bought the games, your games have left a big impression on me—especially the Super Mario Bros series! They're so full of life, color, fun, and challenge. I still remember the first time I beat Bowser—it felt like a real achievement! The platforming, the quirky enemies, the creative levels—everything about them is just brilliant. And it always made me wonder… what if we brought Super Mario Bros to the big screen? A live-action movie! Think about it: real actors, real sets, amazing special effects—it could be an adventure like no other! With a powerful slogan like, 'It's not a game!'—people would be curious. It would grab attention immediately and I bet it could sell incredibly well, maybe even become a global phenomenon!"
Zaboru remained silent, his expression unreadable. Ricky, sensing the hesitation but undeterred, leaned forward with a confident grin.
"That's exactly why I'm here! My proposal is simple—I want the rights to make a Super Mario Bros movie! Just imagine it, Mr. Renkonan—a full-blown, live-action blockbuster! I've got the vision, the team, and the drive to bring it to life. It'll be colorful, action-packed, and full of fun, just like the games. And I genuinely believe it's going to be a massive hit! Think about the merchandising, the box office, the global appeal. Kids will go crazy for it, parents will loved it too—it's a guaranteed success!"
Zaboru sipped his coffee and tried to maintain a poker face, but inside, he couldn't help but laugh. He remembered the goofy, poorly made Super Mario movie from 1993 in his previous life. The idea that, even in this world, some directors were still eager to recreate that disaster amused him to no end. The whole concept felt like an elaborate joke, and he wanted to burst out laughing. Of course, he had no intention of tarnishing Super Mario's image by allowing such a terrible movie to be made. While the proposal itself was amusing, he knew better than to let it become reality.
Then Zaboru looked at Ricky, and in that moment, one thing became perfectly clear to him—this guy wasn't a real Super Mario fan. He had probably only played the game for about fifteen minutes, just enough to say he had, and then jumped on the idea of making a movie because some of his friends told him how popular it was. It was obvious that his knowledge was paper-thin; he likely only recognized the main characters: Mario, Luigi, Bowser, and Princess Peach.
Zaboru narrowed his eyes slightly and asked with deliberate calm, "Mr. Morton… you said you're a Super Mario fan, right?"
Ricky Morton's eyes widened as he nodded stiffly. "Y-yes," he replied, clearly nervous.
Zaboru smiled. "Then this question should be easy for you to answer: Who is the name of the green dinosaur that Mario rides? Do you know?" Morton began to panic. He actually didn't know anything! He only knew Mario, Bowser, and Luigi. Still, he couldn't afford to lose this opportunity, so he blurted out a wild guess. "Umm... I think his name is Gordon?"
Zaboru's eyes widened, and Ricky Morton's expression was so hilariously ridiculous that Zaboru couldn't hold back any longer—he burst out laughing. "HAHAHAHA! Who the hell is Gordon?!" he roared. The name was so off-base, so absurd, that Zaboru was left utterly amused. If Morton had just admitted he didn't know, Zaboru would've understood. But instead, he had chosen a completely random name, and the sheer randomness of it was what made it so funny. Zaboru clutched his stomach as he laughed, tears welling in his eyes. Meanwhile, Ricky Morton's face turned beet red, clearly ashamed of his blunder.
Zaboru finally calmed down from his laughter, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye. Then, with a serious expression, he looked straight at Ricky Morton and said, "Well, Mr. Ricky Morton, it's clear to me that you're not truly a Super Mario fan. If you genuinely knew and loved Super Mario, you would understand that creating a live-action Mario movie is nearly impossible. It would contradict everything the franchise stands for—its whimsical charm, its fantastical settings, its cartoonish logic. Trying to force all that into a realistic, live-action format would only cheapen the magic that makes Mario so beloved. I'm sorry, but I can't accept your proposal. I won't risk tarnishing the legacy and image of Super Mario just to create a silly movie. I hope you understand."
Ricky Morton's eyes widened, and he stammered slightly, but managed to say, "Well, it's true I'm not the biggest Super Mario fan, but I still believe this movie has the potential to make a great deal of money. Mr. Renkonan, please, I urge you to reconsider!"
Zaboru calmly shook his head. "Money has never been the issue, Mr. Morton. It's far more than that—it's about integrity, legacy, and respect for what Super Mario represents."
Morton leaned forward and said, "We still won't know unless we try, Mr. Renkonan. Isn't that worth something? What if the movie is insane and hits a Blockbuster!.?"
Zaboru shook his head slowly. "No, Mr. Morton. I already know and no. No way its become blockbuster"
Ricky Morton snorted in frustration. "How can you know? Mario deserves to be on the big screen—in a real movie! And you're the one stopping it!"
Zaboru chuckled and replied calmly, "As far as I know, Mario is the intellectual property of ZAGE, not yours. And frankly, it's both rude and unprofessional for you to speak to me like that. Don't you think so, Mr. Morton?"
Ricky flinched at the remark, clearly caught off guard by Zaboru's composed but firm response. Embarrassed, he scratched the back of his head, unsure of how to recover.
After a while, Ricky Morton left, visibly disappointed that he wouldn't be able to create the Super Mario movie he had envisioned. Zaboru, still sitting at his desk, leaned back in his chair, clearly amused. He let out a soft chuckle, murmuring to himself, "Gordon... Hahahaha!" The absurdity of it all still made him laugh. Even now, he couldn't quite grasp what Morton had been thinking, but there was no denying that the man had been serious. Shaking his head in disbelief, Zaboru took a deep breath, composed himself, and returned his attention to his work, still smiling at the ridiculousness of it all.
To be continue
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