The Wizard (1989 film)
| The Wizard | |
|---|---|
Theatrical release poster | |
| Directed by | Todd Holland |
| Written by | David Chisholm |
| Produced by |
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| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Robert D. Yeoman |
| Edited by | Tom Finan |
| Music by | J. Peter Robinson |
Production company |
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| Distributed by | Universal Pictures (North America) Carolco Pictures (International) |
Release date |
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Running time | 100 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $6 million |
| Box office | $14.3 million |
The Wizard is a 1989 American adventure comedy-drama film directed by Todd Holland (in his directorial debut), written by David Chisholm, and starring Fred Savage, Jenny Lewis, Beau Bridges, Christian Slater, and Luke Edwards. It was also Tobey Maguire's uncredited film debut.
The film follows three children, the youngest of whom is emotionally withdrawn but gifted at playing video games, as they travel to California to compete in a video game tournament. Known for its extensive product placement of Nintendo material, it also officially introduced Super Mario Bros. 3 to North America, which then became the best-selling standalone video game. Despite receiving generally negative reviews upon its initial release, the film has garnered a cult following.