View source for Superman (1978 film)

{{Short description|1978 superhero film by Richard Donner}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=April 2024}}
{{Infobox film
| image          = Superman (1978 film poster).jpg
| caption        = Theatrical release poster
| director       = [[Richard Donner]]
| producer       = [[Pierre Spengler]]
| screenplay     = {{Plainlist|
* [[Mario Puzo]]
* [[David Newman (screenwriter)|David Newman]]
* [[Leslie Newman]]
* [[Robert Benton]]
}}
| story          = Mario Puzo
| based_on       = {{Based on|[[Superman]]|[[Jerry Siegel]]|[[Joe Shuster]]}}
| starring       = {{Plainlist|
* [[Marlon Brando]]
* [[Gene Hackman]]
* [[Christopher Reeve]]
* [[Ned Beatty]]
* [[Jackie Cooper]]
* [[Glenn Ford]]
* [[Trevor Howard]]
* [[Margot Kidder]]
* [[Valerie Perrine]]
* [[Maria Schell]]
* [[Terence Stamp]]
* [[Phyllis Thaxter]]
* [[Susannah York]]
}}
| music          = [[John Williams]]
| cinematography = [[Geoffrey Unsworth]]
| editing        = [[Stuart Baird]]
| studio         = {{Plainlist|
* Dovemead Ltd.<ref name="afi" />
* International Film Production<ref name="afi">{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/57040 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180914094511/https://catalog.afi.com/Catalog/MovieDetails/57040 |archive-date=September 14, 2018 |access-date=September 14, 2018 |website=[[AFI Catalog of Feature Films]]}}</ref>
}}
| distributor    = {{Plainlist|
* [[Columbia Pictures|Columbia]]–[[EMI Films|EMI]]–[[Warner Bros. Pictures|Warner Distributors]] (United Kingdom)
* Warner Bros. (United States)}}
| released       = {{Film date|1978|12|10|[[The Kennedy Center]]|1978|12|14|United Kingdom|1978|12|15|United States}}
| runtime        = 143 minutes<ref>{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=http://www.bbfc.co.uk/releases/superman-1970-3 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130622140651/http://bbfc.co.uk/releases/superman-1970-3 |archive-date=June 22, 2013 |access-date=December 1, 2012 |publisher=[[British Board of Film Classification]]}}</ref>
| country        = {{Plainlist|
* United Kingdom<ref name="AFI">{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=57040 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160323053016/http://www.afi.com/members/catalog/DetailView.aspx?s=&Movie=57040 |archive-date=March 23, 2016 |access-date=December 11, 2015 |publisher=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref><ref name="BFI">{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=https://www2.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b75d373 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160817110125/http://www.bfi.org.uk/films-tv-people/4ce2b6b75d373 |archive-date=August 17, 2016 |access-date=June 26, 2021 |publisher=[[British Film Institute]]}}</ref><ref name="Lumiere">{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=53002 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626105235/https://lumiere.obs.coe.int/web/film_info/?id=53002 |archive-date=June 26, 2021 |access-date=June 26, 2021 |publisher=[[Lumiere (database)|Lumiere]]}}</ref>
* United States<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="BFI" /><ref name="Lumiere" />
* Panama<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="BFI" />
* Switzerland<ref name="AFI" /><ref name="BFI" />
}}
| language       = English
| budget         = $55&nbsp;million<ref name="BOM">{{Cite web |title=Superman (1978) |url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0078346/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191210200413/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt0078346/ |archive-date=December 10, 2019 |access-date=December 29, 2020 |website=[[Box Office Mojo]]}}</ref>
| gross          = $300&nbsp;million<ref name="BOM" />
}}

'''''Superman''''' (also marketed<!--Do not change to "also known" per talk page discussion.--> as '''''Superman: The Movie''''') is a 1978 [[superhero film]] based on [[Superman|the DC Comics character]], played by [[Christopher Reeve]]. It is the first of four installments in the [[Superman in film#Salkind/Cannon film series (1978–1987)|''Superman'' film series]] starring Reeve as Superman. The film was directed by [[Richard Donner]] and written by [[Mario Puzo]], [[David Newman (screenwriter)|David Newman]], [[Leslie Newman]], and [[Robert Benton]]. The film features an [[ensemble cast]] including [[Marlon Brando]], [[Gene Hackman]], [[Ned Beatty]], [[Jackie Cooper]], [[Glenn Ford]], [[Trevor Howard]], [[Margot Kidder]], [[Valerie Perrine]], [[Maria Schell]],  [[Terence Stamp]], [[Phyllis Thaxter]], and [[Susannah York]]. It depicts the origin of Superman, including his infancy as Kal-El of [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]], son of Jor-El (Brando), and his youthful years in the rural town of [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]]. Disguised as reporter [[Clark Kent]], he adopts a mild-mannered disposition in [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]] and develops a romance with [[Lois Lane]] (Kidder) while battling the villainous [[Lex Luthor]] (Hackman).

[[Ilya Salkind]] had the idea of a Superman film in 1973 and, after a difficult process with DC Comics, the Salkinds bought the rights to the character the following year. Several directors, most notably [[Guy Hamilton]], and screenwriters were associated with the project before Donner was hired to direct. [[Tom Mankiewicz]] was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a [[creative consultant]] credit. It was decided to film both ''Superman'' and its sequel ''[[Superman II]]'' (1980) simultaneously, with [[principal photography]] beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions arose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel, of which 75 percent had already been completed, and finish the first film.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Tonguette |first=Peter |title=Bright Lights Film Journal :: The Superman Films of Richard Lester |url=http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/36/lester1.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://archive.today/20120724191708/http://www.brightlightsfilm.com/36/lester1.html |archive-date=July 24, 2012 |access-date=June 17, 2010 |publisher=Brightlightsfilm.com}}</ref>

The [[List of most expensive films#Record-holders|most expensive film]] made up to that point, with a budget of $55&nbsp;million,<ref name="Cook (2000)">{{Cite book |last=Cook |first=David A. |title=Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970–1979 |publisher=[[Charles Scribner's Sons|Scribner]] |year=2000 |volume=9 of History of the American Cinema, Richard Koszarski |page=[https://books.google.com/books?id=sUUNAQAAMAAJ&q=superman+%22$55+million+production%22 58]}}</ref><ref name="superman-tcm">{{Cite web |title=Superman: The Movie (1978) – Articles |url=https://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/91973/superman-the-movie#articles-reviews |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190724083358/http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/91973/Superman-The-Movie/articles.html |archive-date=July 24, 2019 |access-date=April 26, 2012 |publisher=[[Turner Classic Movies]]}}</ref> ''Superman'' premiered at [[John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts|The Kennedy Center]] in Washington, DC, on December 10, 1978, and was released in the United Kingdom on December 14, and in the United States on December 15. The film was a critical and financial success; its worldwide box office earnings of $300&nbsp;million made it the second-highest-grossing release of the year. It received praise for Reeve's performance and [[John Williams]]'s musical score,<ref name="comment" /> and was nominated for [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]], [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Music (Original Score)]], and [[Academy Award for Best Sound Mixing|Best Sound]] at the [[51st Academy Awards]], and received a [[Special Achievement Academy Award]] for [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Visual Effects]].<ref>[http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1448874964259 "Superman (1978) – Awards and Nominations"]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 30, 2015</ref> Groundbreaking in its use of [[special effect]]s and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood's [[superhero film]] franchises. In 2017, ''Superman'' was selected for preservation by the [[Library of Congress]]'s [[National Film Registry]].

== Plot ==
<!--per [[WP:FILMPLOT]], plots should be between 400 and 700 words only. 473 words.-->
On the planet [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]], [[Jor-El]], a member of the [[Kryptonian]] high council, sentences criminals [[General Zod (1978 film series character)|General Zod]], [[Ursa (DC Comics)|Ursa]], and [[Non (character)|Non]] to the [[Phantom Zone]]. He warns the council that Krypton will be destroyed by its exploding [[red supergiant]] sun, but they dismiss his concerns. Before the planet's destruction, Jor-El and his wife Lara send their infant son [[Superman (1978 film series character)|Kal-El]] to Earth, where his unique physiology grants him evolving superhuman abilities. Kal-El's spaceship touches down near [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]], Kansas. Found by [[Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who are astonished when the infant lifts their truck, they adopt him, naming him [[Clark Kent|Clark]]. As he grows, hiding his powers, Jonathan believes Clark was sent to Earth for a special purpose.

Years later, after losing Jonathan to a fatal heart attack, a teenage Clark is contacted by a glowing green crystal from his spaceship that is hidden in the barn. This leads him to the [[Arctic]], where a [[Fortress of Solitude]], echoing Krypton's architecture, ascends from the ice. Inside, Jor-El's hologram reveals Clark's heritage and trains him for twelve years. Emerging in a blue-and-red suit bearing the [[Superman logo|crest of the House of El]], he is cautioned against changing human history.

Clark adopts a new persona as a mild-mannered reporter, and starts wearing glasses to disguise his true appearance. He is hired by the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' in [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]], where he meets investigative journalist [[Lois Lane (1978 film series character)|Lois Lane]]. Clark debuts his new costume by saving Lois from a helicopter accident and, over the rest of the evening, uses his powers in public acts of heroism, gaining immediate fame as the "caped wonder". Thanks to his disguise, Clark successfully keeps his true identity secret from Lois and his colleagues. [[Perry White]], the ''Daily Planet''{{'}}s chief, seeks more information on this new hero; Clark arranges for Lois to interview his new alter-ego and, afterwards, takes her on a flight over the city, leading her to coin his name, "[[Superman (1978 film series character)|Superman]]".

Criminal mastermind [[Lex Luthor (1978 film series character)|Lex Luthor]] discovers a joint [[U.S. Army]]/[[U.S. Navy]] missile test and plots to target the [[San Andreas Fault]] with reprogrammed missiles, though one is misdirected by his bumbling assistant, [[Otis (DC Comics)|Otis]]. Suspecting Superman's interference, Lex identifies a Kryptonian meteorite, lethal to Superman. With Otis and his girlfriend [[Eve Teschmacher]], Lex retrieves it and traps Superman in his lair, revealing his plan to sink the western U.S., making his desert land prime coastline. He weakens Superman using the meteor, now known as [[Kryptonite]], and informs him of the misdirected missile set for [[Hackensack, New Jersey]].

Concerned for her mother in Hackensack, Teschmacher frees Superman, urging him to first stop the eastbound missile. He sends it to space but misses the westbound missile, which triggers severe earthquakes in California, endangering landmarks like the [[Golden Gate Bridge]] and [[Hoover Dam]]. Superman counteracts the devastation by mending the fault line. As Superman rescues others, Lois is trapped in her car by an [[aftershock]], suffocating before he can save her. Distraught and enraged over his failure to save Lois, Superman disregards Jor-El's warning against altering history. Heeding Jonathan's belief in his purpose, he flies around Earth, reversing time to prevent Lois's death and the missile's destruction. After saving the West Coast, he imprisons Luthor and Otis, then soars into the sunrise.

== Cast ==
* [[Marlon Brando]] as [[Jor-El]]: Superman's biological father on [[Krypton (comics)|Krypton]]. He has a theory about the planet exploding, yet the Council refuses to listen. He dies as the planet explodes but successfully sends his infant son to Earth as a means to help the child. Brando sued the Salkinds and [[Warner Bros.]] for $50&nbsp;million because he felt cheated out of his share of the box office profits.<ref name="Kroll" /> This stopped Brando's footage from being used in Richard Lester's version of ''[[Superman II]]''.<ref name="DVD" />
* [[Gene Hackman]] as [[Lex Luthor (1978 film series character)|Lex Luthor]]: A scientific genius and businessman who is Superman's nemesis. It is he who discovers Superman's weakness and hatches a plan that puts millions of people in danger.
* [[Christopher Reeve]] as [[Superman (1978 film series character)|Clark Kent / Superman]]: Born on Krypton as Kal-El and raised on Earth, he is a being of immense power, strength, flight and invulnerability who, after realizing his destiny to serve mankind, uses his powers to protect and save others. As a means to protect his identity, he works in [[Metropolis (comics)|Metropolis]] at the ''[[Daily Planet]]'' as mild-mannered newspaper reporter [[Clark Kent]] and changes his clothes into a red-blue red caped suit with an S shield on its chest and is dubbed "[[Superman]]" by Lois. Reeve was picked from over 200 actors who auditioned for the role.
** [[Jeff East]] as the teenage Clark Kent: As a teenager, he is forced to hide his superhuman abilities, making him unpopular among his classmates and frustrating his efforts to gain the attention of classmate [[Lana Lang]] (Diane Sherry). Following the death of his adoptive father, he travels to the Arctic to discover his Kryptonian heritage. East's dialogue in the film is redubbed by Christopher Reeve for the final cut.<ref name="East" />
* [[Ned Beatty]] as [[Otis (DC Comics)|Otis]]: Lex Luthor's bumbling henchman.
* [[Jackie Cooper]] as [[Perry White]]: Clark Kent's hot-tempered boss at the ''Daily Planet''. He assigns Lois to uncover the news of an unknown businessman purchasing a large amount of property in California. [[Keenan Wynn]] was originally cast, but dropped out shortly before filming because of [[heart disease]]. Cooper, who originally auditioned for Otis, was subsequently cast.<ref name="Ilya" />
* [[Glenn Ford]] as [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Jonathan Kent]]: Clark Kent's adoptive father in Smallville during his youth. He is a farmer who teaches Clark skills that will help him in the future. He later has a fatal heart attack that changes Clark's outlook on his duty to others.
* [[Trevor Howard]] as the First Elder: Head of the Kryptonian Council, who does not believe Jor-El's claim that Krypton is doomed. He warns Jor-El: "Any attempt by you to create a climate of fear and panic amongst the populace must be deemed by us an act of insurrection."
* [[Margot Kidder]] as [[Lois Lane (1978 film series character)|Lois Lane]]: A reporter at the ''[[Daily Planet]]'', who becomes a romantic interest to Clark Kent. The producers and director had a very specific concept for Lois: liberated, hard-nosed, witty and attractive. Kidder was cast because her performance had a certain spark and vitality, and because of her strong interaction with Christopher Reeve.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Petrou |first=David Michael |title=The Making of Superman the Movie |publisher=[[Warner Books]] |year=1978 |isbn=0-352-30452-9 |pages=47, 81}}</ref> Over 100 actresses were considered for the role. Margot Kidder (suggested by Stalmaster), [[Anne Archer]], [[Susan Blakely]], [[Lesley Ann Warren]], [[Deborah Raffin]], and [[Stockard Channing]] screen tested from March through May 1977. The final decision was between Channing and Kidder, with the latter winning the role.<ref name="flight" /><ref name="screen" />
* [[Jack O'Halloran]] as [[Non (character)|Non]]: Large and mute, the third of the Kryptonian villains who are sentenced to be isolated in the Phantom Zone.
* [[Valerie Perrine]] as [[Eve Teschmacher]]: Lex Luthor's girlfriend and accomplice. Already cynical of his increasing grandiosity and disturbed by his cruelty, she saves Superman's life after learning that Luthor has launched a nuclear missile toward her mother's hometown of [[Hackensack, New Jersey]]. She shows a romantic interest in Superman, implied by her fixing her hair before she makes her presence known to him, and then by kissing him before she saves his life.
* [[Maria Schell]] as Vond-Ah: Like Jor-El, a top Kryptonian scientist; but she too is not swayed by Jor-El's theories.
* [[Terence Stamp]] as [[General Zod (1978 film series character)|General Zod]]: Evil leader of the three Kryptonian criminals who swears vengeance against Jor-El when he is sentenced to the [[Phantom Zone]]. His appearance was to set him and his accomplices as the main antagonists of ''Superman II''.
* [[Phyllis Thaxter]] as [[Jonathan and Martha Kent|Martha Kent]] (née Clark): Clark Kent's faithful adoptive mother. A kindly woman who dotes on her adoptive son and is fiercely devoted to her husband, Jonathan. She is her son's emotional support after Clark is devastated by Jonathan's death. Thaxter was producer [[Ilya Salkind]]'s mother-in-law.<ref name="saga" />
* [[Susannah York]] as [[Lara (character)|Lara]]: Superman's biological mother on Krypton. She, after learning of Krypton's fate, has apprehensions about sending her infant son to a strange planet alone.
* [[Marc McClure]] as [[Jimmy Olsen]]: A teenage photographer at the ''Daily Planet''. Jeff East, who portrayed the teenage Clark Kent, originally auditioned for the role of Jimmy, but outranked following his portrayal of the teen Clark.<ref name="East" />
* [[Sarah Douglas (actress)|Sarah Douglas]] as [[Ursa (DC Comics)|Ursa]]: General Zod's second in command and consort, sentenced to the Phantom Zone for her unethical scientific experiments. [[Caroline Munro]] turned down the opportunity to play Ursa, in favour of Naomi in ''[[The Spy Who Loved Me (film)|The Spy Who Loved Me]].''<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 15, 2014 |title=Interview: Caroline Munro |url=https://horrornews.net/85005/actress-interview-caroline-munro |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210123044059/https://horrornews.net/85005/actress-interview-caroline-munro/ |archive-date=January 23, 2021 |access-date=March 2, 2021}}</ref>
* [[Harry Andrews]] as the Second Elder: Council member, who urges Jor-El to be reasonable about plans to save Krypton.

[[Kirk Alyn]] and [[Noel Neill]] have [[cameo appearance]]s as [[Sam Lane (comics)|Sam Lane]] and Ella Lane, the parents of Lois Lane, in a deleted scene that was restored in later home media releases.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Vallance |first=Tom |date=March 28, 1999 |title=Obituary: Kirk Alyn |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-kirk-alyn-1083768.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113115648/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/obituary-kirk-alyn-1083768.html |archive-date=January 13, 2018 |access-date=January 28, 2018 |work=[[The Independent]]}}</ref> Alyn and Neill portrayed Superman and Lois Lane in the film serials ''[[Superman (serial)|Superman]]'' (1948) and ''[[Atom Man vs. Superman]]'' (1950), and were the first actors to portray the characters onscreen in a live-action format. Neill reprised her role in the 1950s ''[[Adventures of Superman (TV series)|Adventures of Superman]]'' TV series.

[[Larry Hagman]] and [[Rex Reed]] also make cameos; Hagman plays an army major in charge of a convoy that is transporting one of the missiles, and Reed plays himself as he meets Lois and Clark outside the ''Daily Planet'' headquarters.

== Production ==
=== Development ===
[[Ilya Salkind]] had first conceived the idea for a Superman film in late 1973.<ref name="one">{{Cite news |last=Barry Freiman |date=February 2006 |title=One-on-One Interview with Producer Ilya Salkind |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-salkind |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140704005928/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-salkind |archive-date=July 4, 2014 |access-date=September 9, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> In November 1974, after a long, difficult process with [[DC Comics]], the Superman [[film rights]] were purchased by Ilya, his father [[Alexander Salkind]], and their partner [[Pierre Spengler]]. DC wanted a list of actors that were to be considered for Superman, and approved the producer's choices of [[Muhammad Ali]], [[Al Pacino]], [[James Caan]], [[Steve McQueen]], [[Clint Eastwood]] and [[Dustin Hoffman]].<ref name="saga">Richard Donner, [[Tom Mankiewicz]], Ilya Salkind, [[Pierre Spengler]], [[David Prowse]], ''You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman'', 2006, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref> The filmmakers felt it was best to film ''Superman'' and ''[[Superman II]]'' [[Back to back film production|back-to-back]], and to make a [[negative pickup deal]] with [[Warner Bros.]]<ref name="flight">{{Cite AV media notes |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-tgqMbGulA |title=Taking Flight: The Development of ''Superman'' |year=2001 |type=Documentary feature |format=DVD |publisher=[[Warner Home Video]] |via=YouTube |access-date=April 7, 2021 |archive-date=November 2, 2020 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201102030606/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g-tgqMbGulA |url-status=live}}</ref> [[William Goldman]] was approached to write the screenplay, while [[Leigh Brackett]] was considered. Ilya hired [[Alfred Bester]], who began writing a [[film treatment]]. Alexander felt, however, that Bester was not famous enough, so he hired [[Mario Puzo]] to write the screenplay at a $600,000 salary.<ref name="life">{{Cite book |last1=Julius Schwartz |author-link=Julius Schwartz |title=Man of Two Worlds: My Life In Science Fiction and Comics |last2=Brian M. Thomsen |publisher=[[HarperCollins]] |year=2000 |isbn=0-380-81051-4 |location=New York City |pages=[https://archive.org/details/manoftwoworldsmy00schw/page/135 135–142] |chapter=B.O. |chapter-url=https://archive.org/details/manoftwoworldsmy00schw/page/135 |chapter-url-access=registration}}</ref><ref name="market" /> [[Francis Ford Coppola]], [[William Friedkin]], [[Richard Lester]] (who later directed ''Superman II'' and ''III''), [[Peter Yates]], [[John Guillermin]], [[Ronald Neame]], and [[Sam Peckinpah]] were in negotiations to direct. Peckinpah dropped out when he produced a gun during a meeting with Ilya. [[George Lucas]] turned down the offer because of his commitment to ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]''.<ref name="Ilya" /><ref name="one" />

Ilya wanted to hire [[Steven Spielberg]] to direct, but Alexander was skeptical, feeling it was best to "wait until [Spielberg's] big fish opens." ''[[Jaws (film)|Jaws]]'' was very successful, prompting the producers to offer Spielberg the position, but by then Spielberg had already committed to ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]''.<ref name="one" /> [[Guy Hamilton]] was hired as director, while Puzo delivered his script for ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' in July 1975.<ref name="flight" /> [[Jax-Ur]] appeared as one of [[General Zod]]'s [[henchman|henchmen]], with Clark Kent written as a television reporter. Dustin Hoffman, who was previously considered for Superman, turned down [[Lex Luthor]].<ref name="saga" /><ref name="life" />

In early 1975, Brando signed on as Jor-El with a salary of $3.7&nbsp;million and 11.75% of the box office gross profits, totaling $19&nbsp;million. He horrified Salkind by proposing in their first meeting that Jor-El appear as a [[suitcase]] or a green [[bagel]] with Brando's voice, but Donner used flattery to persuade the actor to portray Jor-El himself.<ref name="one" /> Brando hoped to use some of his salary for a proposed 13-part ''[[Roots (1977 miniseries)|Roots]]''-style [[miniseries]] on [[Native Americans in the United States]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Peter Manso |title=Brando the Biography |date=November 1995 |publisher=[[Hyperion (publisher)|Hyperion]] |isbn=0-7868-8128-3 |chapter=The Way It's Never Been Done Before}}</ref> Brando had it in his contract to complete all of his scenes in twelve days. He also refused to memorize his dialogue, so [[cue card]]s were compiled across the set. Fellow [[Academy Award for Best Actor|Oscar winner]] Hackman was cast as Lex Luthor days later. The filmmakers made it a priority to shoot all of Brando's and Hackman's footage "because they would be committed to other films immediately."<ref name="flight" /><ref name="one" /> Though the Salkinds felt that Puzo had written a solid story for the two-part film, they deemed his scripts as "very heavy", and so hired [[Robert Benton]] and [[David Newman (filmmaker)|David Newman]] for rewrite work.<ref>Puzo, Mario, 1920–1999. ''Superman'', Box: 20, 1975. MS-1371, Box: 20. Mario Puzo Papers. https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/560000 {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221206214431/https://archives-manuscripts.dartmouth.edu/repositories/2/archival_objects/560000 |date=December 6, 2022 }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Kroll |first=Jack |date=January 1, 1979 |title=Superman to the Rescue! |url=https://www.capedwonder.com/images/picture-folder/images/Donner-years/promo/CW-Newsweek-January-1-1979.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230813111323/https://www.capedwonder.com/images/picture-folder/images/Donner-years/promo/CW-Newsweek-January-1-1979.pdf |archive-date=August 13, 2023 |access-date=December 6, 2022 |work=Newsweek |pages=49}}</ref> Benton became too busy directing ''[[The Late Show (film)|The Late Show]]'', so David's wife [[Leslie Newman|Leslie]] was brought in to help her husband finish writing duties.<ref name="Ilya" /> [[George MacDonald Fraser]] was later hired to do some work on the script, but he says he did little.<ref name="fraser">George MacDonald Fraser, ''The Light's on at Signpost'', HarperCollins 2002 pp. 55–65</ref>

Their script was submitted in July 1976,<ref name="flight" /> and had a [[camp (style)|camp]] tone, including a [[cameo appearance]] by [[Telly Savalas]] as his ''[[Kojak]]'' character. The scripts for ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'' were now at over 400 pages combined.<ref name="Kroll">{{Cite news |last=Jack Kroll |date=January 1, 1979 |title=''Superman'' to the Rescue |work=[[Newsweek]] |pages=34–41}}</ref><ref name="Dick">{{Cite news |last=Daniel Dickholtz |date=December 16, 1998 |title=Steel Dreams: Interview with Tom Mankiewicz |work=[[Starlog]] |pages=67–71}}</ref> Pre-production started at [[Cinecittà]] Studios in Rome, with sets starting construction and flying tests being unsuccessfully experimented. "In Italy", producer Ilya Salkind remembered, "we lost about $2&nbsp;million [on flying tests]."<ref name="one" /> Marlon Brando found out he could not film in Italy because of a warrant out for his arrest: a sexual-obscenity charge from ''[[Last Tango in Paris]]''. Production moved to England in late 1976, but Hamilton could not join because he was a [[tax exile]].<ref name="Dick" /> Hamilton left the project as he was also ill.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2013 |title=From the Archive: The Making of Superman |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/making-superman/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181116003709/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/making-superman/ |archive-date=November 16, 2018 |access-date=November 20, 2022}}</ref>

[[Mark Robson (film director)|Mark Robson]] was strongly considered and was in talks to direct, but after seeing ''[[The Omen]]'', the producers hired [[Richard Donner]]. Donner had previously been planning ''[[Damien: Omen II]]'' when he was hired in January 1977 for $1&nbsp;million to direct ''Superman'' and ''Superman II''.<ref name="Hughes" /> Donner felt it was best to start from scratch. "They had prepared the picture for a year and not one bit was useful to me."<ref name="Hughes">{{Cite book |last=David Hughes |title=Comic Book Movies |publisher=[[Virgin Books]] |year=2003 |isbn=0-7535-0767-6 |pages=5–23 |chapter=Superman: The Movie}}</ref> Donner was dissatisfied with the campy script and brought in [[Tom Mankiewicz]] to perform a rewrite. According to Mankiewicz, "not a word from the Puzo script was used."<ref name="Dick" /> "It was a well-written, but still a ridiculous script. It was 550 pages. I said, 'You can't shoot this screenplay because you'll be shooting for five years'", Donner continued. "That was literally a [[shooting script]] and they planned to shoot all 550 pages. You know, 110 pages is plenty for a script, so even for two features, that was way too much."<ref name="cine">{{Cite magazine |last=Don Shay |date=Summer 1979 |title=Richard Donner on ''Superman'' |url=https://archive.org/details/cinefantastique_1970-2002/Cinefantastique%20Vol%2008%20No%204%20%281979%29/page/n11/mode/2up |magazine=[[Cinefantastique]] |pages=26–36 |via=[[Internet Archive]]}}</ref> Mankiewicz conceived having each Kryptonian family wear a [[crest (heraldry)|crest]] resembling a different letter, justifying the 'S' on Superman's costume.<ref name="Hughes" /> The [[Writers Guild of America]] refused to credit Mankiewicz for his rewrites, so Donner gave him a [[creative consultant]] credit, much to the annoyance of the Guild.<ref name="Hughes" />

==== Casting of Superman ====
It was initially decided to first sign an [[A-list]] actor for Superman before Richard Donner was hired as director. [[Robert Redford]] was offered a large sum, but felt he was too famous. [[Burt Reynolds]] also turned down the role, while [[Sylvester Stallone]] was interested and met with Donner, but he was more interested casting an "unknown" actor. [[Paul Newman]] was offered his choice of roles as Superman, Lex Luthor, or Jor-El for $4&nbsp;million, turning down all three roles.<ref name="Ilya" /><ref>{{Cite web |date=April 2016 |title='Superman,' the Inside Story: Director Richard Donner Remembers Meeting Stallone to Play the Lead, Working with Brando, and a Near-Fatal Knife Attack |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/superman-inside-story-director-richard-879894/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202051501/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-features/superman-inside-story-director-richard-879894/ |archive-date=December 2, 2023 |access-date=December 2, 2023 |website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]}}</ref>

When it was next decided to cast an unknown actor, [[Casting (performing arts)|casting director]] Lynn Stalmaster first suggested [[Christopher Reeve]], but Donner and the producers felt he was too young and skinny.<ref name="flight" /> Over 200 unknown actors auditioned for Superman.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peter Coutros |date=February 24, 1977 |title=Young Actor to Play in Super Role |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |location=New York}}</ref>

Olympic champion [[Caitlyn Jenner]]{{refn |group=nb |name=Jenner |At the time of production, Jenner went by the name "Bruce Jenner"; biologically male, Jenner has presented as a woman since the 1990s.}} auditioned for the title role.<ref name="Ilya" /> [[Patrick Wayne]] was cast, but dropped out when his father [[John Wayne]] was diagnosed with stomach cancer.<ref name="Hughes" /> Both [[Neil Diamond]] and [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] lobbied hard for the role, but were ignored. [[James Caan]], [[James Brolin]], [[Lyle Waggoner]], [[Christopher Walken]], [[Nick Nolte]], [[Jon Voight]], and [[Perry King]] were approached.<ref name="Ilya" /><ref name="one" /> Nolte wanted to play Superman as a [[schizophrenic]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Nick Nolte opens up about turning his back on Hollywood, not caring about his legacy, and his decades-old feud with Julia Roberts |url=https://www.insider.com/nick-nolte-interview-legacy-drinking-julia-roberts-2022-11 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240418045453/https://www.businessinsider.com/nick-nolte-interview-legacy-drinking-julia-roberts-2022-11 |archive-date=April 18, 2024 |access-date=December 3, 2022 |website=[[Insider.com]]}}</ref> [[Kris Kristofferson]] and [[Charles Bronson]] were also considered for the title role.<ref>2001 introduction to Turner Classic Movies broadcast of ''Superman'' by Robert Osbourne, TCM</ref> [[Warren Beatty]] was offered the role, but turned it down.<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 17, 2016 |title='Happy Sad Confused,' With Legend Warren Beatty |url=http://www.mtv.com/news/2954653/happy-sad-confused-with-legend-warren-beatty/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210630184701/http://www.mtv.com/news/2954653/happy-sad-confused-with-legend-warren-beatty/ |archive-date=June 30, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |publisher=MTV News}}</ref> James Caan said he was offered the part but turned it down. "I just couldn't wear that suit."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siskel, Gene |date=November 27, 1977 |title=James Caan's career hitting tough times |url=https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386697430 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080302/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/386697430/ |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=April 7, 2021 |work=Chicago Tribune |page=E7 |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref>

"We found guys with fabulous physique who couldn't act or wonderful actors who did not look remotely like Superman", creative consultant [[Tom Mankiewicz]] remembered. The search became so desperate that producer [[Ilya Salkind]]'s wife's dentist was [[screen test]]ed.<ref name="Ilya" /><ref name="one" />

Stalmaster convinced Donner and Ilya to have Reeve screen test in February 1977. Reeve stunned the director and producers. He was told to wear a "muscle suit" to produce the desired muscular physique, but Reeve refused,<ref name="screen">{{Cite AV media notes |year=2001 |publisher=Warner Home Video}}</ref><ref>{{Cite AV media |title=The Making of ''Superman: The Movie'' |type=Television special |publisher=Film Export, A.G. |year=1980}}</ref> instead undertaking a strict [[physical exercise]] regime headed by [[David Prowse]]. Prowse had wanted to portray Superman, but was denied an audition by the filmmakers because he was not American. Prowse also auditioned for [[Non (character)|Non]]. Reeve went from {{convert|188|lb}} to {{convert|212|lb}} during pre-production and filming.<ref>{{Cite book |last=[[David Prowse]] |title=Straight from the Force's Mouth |date=June 2005 |publisher=Filament Publishing |isbn=978-0-9546531-6-3 |chapter=Chapter 25}}</ref> Reeve earned only $250,000 for both ''Superman'' and ''Superman II'', while his veteran co-stars received huge sums of money: $3.7&nbsp;million for Brando and $2&nbsp;million for Hackman for ''Superman''.{{sfn|Andersen|2008|p=32}} However, Reeve felt, "''Superman'' brought me many opportunities, rather than closing a door in my face."<ref>{{Cite news |date=May 1, 2001 |title=AOL Online Chat with Christopher Reeve |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-aol-chrisreeve1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081014174122/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-aol-chrisreeve1 |archive-date=October 14, 2008 |access-date=September 10, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> [[Jeff East]] portrays [[Superboy (Kal-El)|teenage Clark Kent]]. East's lines were [[overdubbing|overdubbed]] by Reeve during post-production. "I was not happy about it because the producers never told me what they had in mind", East commented. "It was done without my permission but it turned out to be okay. Chris did a good job but it caused tension between us. We resolved our issues with each other years later."<ref name="East" /> East also tore several thigh muscles when performing the stunt of racing alongside the train. Technicians applied 3 to 4 hours of [[prosthetic makeup]] daily to increase his resemblance to Reeve.<ref name="East">{{Cite news |last=Steve Younis |date=November 17, 2004 |title=Exclusive Jeff East Interview |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-jeff-east |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180901044821/https://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-jeff-east |archive-date=September 1, 2018 |access-date=September 4, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref>

=== Filming ===
[[Principal photography]] began on March 28, 1977, at [[Pinewood Studios]] for the Krypton scenes, budgeted as the most expensive film ever made at that point, which was $55&nbsp;million.<ref name="BOM" /><ref name="Memoir" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Jerome |first=Richard |url=https://www.life.com/arts-entertainment/superman-the-first-and-foremost-superhero/ |title=Life: Superman, The Comics, The Films, The Cape |date=2023 |publisher=Dotdash Meredith Premium Publishing |location=New York, NY |pages=34–37 |chapter=Chapter 2: Big-Screen Superhero |access-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312161805/https://www.life.com/arts-entertainment/superman-the-first-and-foremost-superhero/ |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref> Because ''Superman'' was being shot simultaneously with ''[[Superman II]]'', filming lasted nineteen months, until October 1978. Filming was originally scheduled to last between seven and eight months, but problems arose during production. [[John Barry (production designer)|John Barry]] served as [[production designer]], while [[Stuart Craig]] and [[Norman Reynolds]] worked as [[art director]]s. [[Derek Meddings]] and [[Les Bowie]] were credited as [[visual effects supervisor]]s. [[Stuart Freeborn]] was the [[make-up artist]], while Barry, [[David Tomblin]], [[John Glen (director)|John Glen]], [[David Lane (director)|David Lane]], [[Robert Lynn (director)|Robert Lynn]] and an uncredited [[Peter Duffell]] and [[André de Toth]]<ref name="Memoir">{{Cite book |last=Duffell |first=Peter |title=Playing Piano in a Brothel: Memoirs of a Film Director |publisher=BearManor Media |year=2010 |isbn=978-1-59393-612-9 |pages=167–169}}</ref> directed [[second unit]] scenes. [[Vic Armstrong]] was hired as the [[stunt coordinator]] and Reeve's [[stunt double]]; his wife Wendy Leech was Kidder's double. ''Superman'' was also the final complete film by [[cinematographer]] [[Geoffrey Unsworth]], who died during post-production while working on ''[[Tess (1979 film)|Tess]]'' for director [[Roman Polanski]]. The [[Fortress of Solitude]] was constructed at [[Shepperton Studios]] and at Pinewood's [[007 Stage]].<ref name="legend">Making ''Superman'': Filming The Legend, 2001, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref><ref name="look">{{Cite AV media |title=[[Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman]] |type=Documentary film |publisher=Warner Home Video |year=2006}}</ref> Upon viewing the footage of Krypton, [[Warner Bros.]] decided to distribute in not only North America, but also in foreign countries. Due to complications and problems during filming, Warner Bros. also supplied $20&nbsp;million and acquired [[broadcasting|television rights]].<ref name="market" /><ref name="legend" />

New York City doubled for Metropolis, while the [[Daily News Building|''New York Daily News'' Building]] served as the location for the offices of the ''[[Daily Planet]]''. [[Brooklyn Heights]] was also used.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Peter Coutros |date=June 1977 |title=Clark Kent Uses Our Lobby for a Phone Booth |work=[[Daily News (New York)|Daily News]] |location=New York}}</ref> Filming in New York lasted five weeks, during the time of the [[New York City blackout of 1977]]. Production moved to [[Alberta]] for scenes set in [[Smallville (comics)|Smallville]], with the cemetery scene filmed in the canyon of [[Beynon, Alberta]], the high school football scenes at [[Barons, Alberta]], and the Kent farm constructed at [[Blackie, Alberta]].<ref>The Making of Superman the Movie, David Michael Petrou, New York:Warner Books, 1978.</ref><ref>[[David Michael Petrou]]</ref> Brief filming also took place in [[Gallup, New Mexico]]; [[Lake Mead]]; and [[Grand Central Terminal]].<ref name="comment" /> Director Donner had tensions with the Salkinds and Spengler concerning the escalating production budget and the [[shooting schedule]]. [[Creative consultant]] [[Tom Mankiewicz]] reflected, "Donner never got a budget or a schedule. He was constantly told he was way over schedule and budget. At one point he said, 'Why don't you just schedule the film for the next two days, and then I'll be nine months over?'"<ref name="legend" /> [[Richard Lester]], who worked with the Salkinds on ''[[The Three Musketeers (1973 live-action film)|The Three Musketeers]]'' and ''[[The Four Musketeers (1974 film)|The Four Musketeers]]'', was then brought in as a temporary co-producer to mediate the relationship between Donner and the Salkinds,<ref name="one" /> who by now were refusing to talk to each other.<ref name="legend" /> On his relationship with Spengler, Donner remarked, "At one time if I'd seen him, I would have killed him."<ref name="market" />

Lester was offered producing credit but refused, going uncredited for his work.<ref name="legend" /> Salkind felt that bringing a second director onto the set meant there would be someone ready in the event that Donner could not fulfill his directing duties. "Being there all the time meant he [Lester] could take over", Salkind admitted. "[Donner] couldn't make up his mind on stuff."<ref name="one" /> On Lester, Donner reflected, "He'd been suing the Salkinds for his money on ''Three'' and ''Four Musketeers'', which he'd never gotten. He won a lot of his lawsuits, but each time he sued the Salkinds in one country, they'd move to another, from Costa Rica to Panama to Switzerland. When I was hired, Lester told me, 'Don't do it. Don't work for them. I was told not to, but I did it. Now I'm telling you not to, but you'll probably do it and end up telling the next guy.' Lester came in as a 'go-between'. I didn't trust Lester, and I told him. He said, 'Believe me, I'm only doing it because they're paying me the money that they owe me from the lawsuit. I'll never come onto your set unless you ask me; I'll never go to your [[dailies]]. If I can help you in any way, call me."<ref name="cine" />

It was decided to stop shooting ''Superman II'' and focus on finishing ''Superman''. Donner had already completed 75% of the sequel.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Richard Fyrbourne |date=January 1979 |title=The Man Behind ''Superman'': Richard Donner |work=[[Starlog]] |pages=40–44}}</ref> The filmmakers took a risk: if ''Superman'' was a [[box office bomb]], they would not finish ''Superman II''. The original [[climax (narrative)|climax]] for ''Superman II'' had [[General Zod]], [[Ursa (DC Comics)|Ursa]], and [[Non (character)|Non]] destroying the planet, with Superman [[time travel]]ing to fix the damage.<ref name="Ilya" />

Donner commented, "I decided if ''Superman'' is a success, they're going to do a sequel. If it ain't a success, a [[cliffhanger]] ain't gonna bring them to see ''Superman II''."<ref name="Hughes" />

=== Effects ===
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}
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''Superman'' contains large-scale [[visual effects]] sequences. The [[Golden Gate Bridge]] [[scale model]] stood {{convert|70|ft|round=5}} long and {{convert|20|ft|0}} high. Other miniatures included the Krypton Council Dome and the [[Hoover Dam]]. [[Slow motion]] was used to simulate the vast amount of water for the Hoover Dam destruction. The [[Fortress of Solitude]] was a combination of a full-scale set and [[matte painting]]s. The car crashes on the Golden Gate Bridge were a mixture of models and stunt drivers on a disused [[runway]]. [[Superboy (Kal-El)|Young Clark Kent]]'s long-distance [[Punt (gridiron football)|football punt]] was executed with a wooden football loaded into an [[air blaster]] placed in the ground. The Superman costume was to be a much darker blue, but the use of [[chroma key|blue screen]] made it [[Transparency and translucency|transparent]].<ref name="magic">The Magic Behind The Cape, 2001, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref>

As detailed in the ''Superman: The Movie'' DVD special effects documentary "The Magic Behind The Cape", presented by optical effects supervisor [[Roy Field]], in the end, three techniques were used to achieve the flying effects.

For landings and take-offs, wire flying-riggings were devised and used. On location, these were suspended from tower cranes, whereas in the studio elaborate rigs were suspended from the studio ceilings. Some of the wire-flying work was quite audacious—the penultimate shot where Superman flies out of the prison yard, for example. Although stuntmen were used, Reeve did much of the work himself, and was suspended as high as {{convert|50|ft|round=5}} in the air. Counterweights and pulleys were typically used to achieve flying movement, rather than electronic or motorized devices. The thin wires used to suspend Reeve were typically removed from the film in post-production using [[rotoscope]] techniques, although this was not necessary in all shots (in certain lighting conditions or when Superman is distant in the frame, the wires were more or less imperceptible).<ref name="Effects">{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2018 |title=40 Years Ago, a Man Did Fly... SUPERMAN |url=https://www.vfxvoice.com/40-years-ago-a-man-did-fly-superman/|url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230711113639/https://www.vfxvoice.com/40-years-ago-a-man-did-fly-superman/ |archive-date=July 11, 2023 |access-date=April 18, 2024}}</ref>

For stationary shots where Superman is seen flying toward or away from the camera, blue screen matte techniques were used. Reeve would be photographed suspended against a blue screen. While a special device made his cape flap to give the illusion of movement, the actor himself would remain stationary (save for banking his body). Instead, the camera would use a mixture of long zoom-ins and zoom-outs and dolly in/dolly outs to cause him to become larger or smaller in the frame. The blue background would then be photochemically removed and Reeve's isolated image would be inserted into a matted area of a background plate shot. The zoom-ins or zoom-outs would give the appearance of flying away or toward the contents of the background plate. The disparity in lighting and color between the matted image and the background plate, the occasional presence of black matte lines (where the [[Matte (filmmaking)|matte area]] and the matted image—in this case, Superman—do not exactly match up), and the slightly unconvincing impression of movement achieved through the use of zoom lenses is characteristic of these shots.

Where the shot is tracking with Superman as he flies (such as in the Superman and Lois Metropolis flying sequence), front projection was used. This involved photographing the actors suspended in front of a background image dimly projected from the front onto a special screen made by 3M that would reflect light back directly into a combined camera/projector. The result was a very clear and intense photographic reproduction of both the actors and the background plate, with far less image deterioration or lighting problems than occur with rear projection.

After several failed attempts to use a [[Motion control photography|motion control]] system for the flying scenes, which did not work because Reeve's movements could not be precisely repeated for automated multiple exposure,<ref>[https://www.google.no/books/edition/Lost_Illusions/HVygqYMVP2wC?hl=no&gbpv=1&dq=motion+control+inanimate+objects+Superman+Zoptic&pg=PA384&printsec=frontcover Lost Illusions: American Cinema in the Shadow of Watergate and Vietnam, 1970-1979]</ref> a technique was developed that combined the [[front projection effect]] with specially designed [[zoom lens]]es instead.<ref name="magic" /> The illusion of movement was created by zooming in on Reeve while making the front projected image appear to recede. For scenes where Superman interacts with other people or objects while in flight, Reeve and actors were put in a variety of rigging equipment with careful lighting and photography.<ref name="magic" /> This also led to the creation of the [[Zoptic]] system.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Nicholas Leahy |date=April 1982 |title=How Superman flies |work=[[Starburst (magazine)|Starburst]] |pages=16–19}}</ref>

The highly reflective costumes worn by the Kryptonians are made of the same 3M material used for the front projection screens and were the result of an accident during Superman flying tests. "We noticed the material lit up on its own", Donner explained. "We tore the material into tiny pieces and glued it on the costumes, designing a front projection effect for each camera. There was a little light on each camera, and it would project into a mirror, bounce out in front of the lens, hit the costume, [and] millions of little glass beads would light up and bring the image back into the camera."<ref name="Hughes" />

A tornado sequence, which was cut from the final product, was made by using fans for moving the air inside a round tank with [[dry ice]] in it, most of it filmed with 120 frames per second.<ref name="Effects"/>

The [[Clio Award]]-winning opening titles were made with traditional optical animation using an innovative technique that combined a [[motion control]] camera with [[slit-scan photography]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Landekic |first=Lola |title=Superman (1978) |url=https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/superman/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231218154019/https://www.artofthetitle.com/title/superman/ |archive-date=December 18, 2023 |access-date=December 18, 2023 |website=Art of the Title}}</ref>

=== Music ===
{{Main|Superman music#Superman}}

[[Jerry Goldsmith]], who scored Donner's ''[[The Omen]]'', was originally set to compose ''Superman''. Portions of Jerry Goldsmith's work from ''[[Planet of the Apes (1968 film)|Planet of the Apes]]'' were used in ''Superman''<nowiki/>'s teaser trailer. He dropped out over scheduling conflicts, and [[John Williams]] was hired. Williams conducted the [[London Symphony Orchestra]] to record the soundtrack.<ref>[http://lso.co.uk/page/3151/LSO-and-Film-Music London Symphony Orchestra and Film Music] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110930173905/http://lso.co.uk/page/3151/LSO-and-Film-Music |date=September 30, 2011 }} LSO. Retrieved June 30, 2011</ref> The music was one of the last pieces to come into place. Williams' "Theme from Superman (Main Title)" was released as a single, reaching number 81 on the U.S. ''[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]'' [[Billboard Hot 100|Hot 100]] and number 69 on the ''[[Cash Box Top 100 Pop Singles|Cash Box]]'' chart.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Cash Box Top 100 Singles, February 10, 1979 |url=http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19790210.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150214184656/http://tropicalglen.com/Archives/70s_files/19790210.html |archive-date=February 14, 2015 |access-date=February 17, 2019}}</ref> Williams liked that the film did not take itself too seriously, and that it had a theatrical camp feel to it.<ref name="Ilya">Ilya Salkind, [[Pierre Spengler]], DVD [[audio commentary]], 2006, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref>

Kidder was supposed to sing "Can You Read My Mind?", the lyrics to which were written by [[Leslie Bricusse]], but Donner disliked it and changed it to a composition accompanied by a voiceover.<ref name="comment" /> [[Maureen McGovern]] eventually recorded the single, "Can You Read My Mind?" in 1979, although the song did not appear on the film soundtrack. It became a mid-chart hit on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] that year (number 52), spending three weeks at number five on the U.S. [[Adult Contemporary (chart)|Adult Contemporary chart]], as well as making lesser appearances on the corresponding [[Canadian Singles Chart|Canadian charts]]. It was also a very minor hit on the U.S. [[Hot Country Songs|Country chart]], reaching number 93. Both Williams' and McGovern's singles contained theme music from the score. The score earned John Williams an Academy Award nomination, but he lost to [[Giorgio Moroder]]'s score for ''[[Midnight Express (film)|Midnight Express]]''.<ref>[http://awardsdatabase.oscars.org/ampas_awards/DisplayMain.jsp?curTime=1448874611974 "51st Academy Awards – Music (Original Score)"]{{dead link|date=September 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Retrieved November 30, 2015</ref>

The soundtrack was originally released as a 2-LP set in December 1978, and the same recording was issued on CD for the first time in 1987 (with the tracks "Growing Up" and "Lex Luthor's Lair" omitted to fit the recording onto one disc).

A re-recording of the score, conducted by [[John Debney]] and performed by the [[Royal Scottish National Orchestra]], was released by [[Varèse Sarabande|Varese Sarabande]] records in 1998. In 2000, an expanded edition of the original score was released on a 2-CD set by [[Rhino Entertainment|Rhino Records]].

In February 2008, ''[[Film Score Monthly]]'' released an 8-CD boxed set titled ''Superman: The Music'', including a newly restored complete score on the first two discs, as well as alternates and source cues on disc 8. As part of the film's 40th anniversary in February 2019, La-La Land Records released the fully expanded restoration of Williams' score on a 3-disc set, including the previously issued alternates and source music.<ref>{{Cite web |title=SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE – 40th ANNIV. REMASTERED LIMITED EDITION (3-CD SET) |url=https://lalalandrecords.com/superman-the-movie-40th-anniv-remastered-limited-edition-3-cd-set/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200716052736/https://lalalandrecords.com/superman-the-movie-40th-anniv-remastered-limited-edition-3-cd-set/ |archive-date=July 16, 2020 |access-date=July 4, 2020 |website=La-La Land Records |language=en}}</ref>

== Themes ==
{{See also|Christ figure}}
{{quote box
| quote="You will travel far, my little Kal-El. But we will never leave you, even in the face of our deaths. The richness of our lives shall be yours. All that I have, all that I've learned, everything I feel—all this and more I bequeath you, my son. You will carry me inside you all the days of your life. You will make my strength your own, and see my life through your eyes, as your life will be seen through mine. The son becomes the father and the father the son. This is all I, all I can send you, Kal-El."
| source = &nbsp;– Jor-El
| align = right
| width = 30em
}}

''Superman'' is divided into three basic sections, each having a distinct theme and visual style. The first segment, set on Krypton, is meant to be typical of [[science fiction films]] and lays the groundwork for an analogy that emerges in the relationship between Jor-El and Kal-El. The second segment, set in Smallville, is reminiscent of 1950s films, and its small-town atmosphere is meant to evoke a [[Norman Rockwell]] painting. The third (and largest) segment, set mostly in Metropolis, is an attempt to present the superhero story with as much realism as possible (what Donner called "[[Verisimilitude (fiction)|verisimilitude]]"), relying on traditional cinematic drama and using only subtle humor instead of a [[camp (style)|campy]] approach.<ref name="comment">Richard Donner, [[Tom Mankiewicz]], DVD [[audio commentary]], 2001, [[Warner Home Video]]</ref>

In each of the three acts, the mythic status of Superman is enhanced by events that recall the hero's journey (or [[monomyth]]) as described by [[Joseph Campbell]]. Each act has a discernible cycle of "call" and journey. The journey is from Krypton to Earth in the first act, from Smallville to the Fortress of Solitude in the second act, and then from Metropolis to the whole world in the third act.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Stucky |first=Mark |year=2006 |title=The Superhero's Mythic Journey: Death and the Heroic Cycle in Superman |url=http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol10No2/Stucky_Superman.htm |url-status=dead |journal=Journal of Religion and Film |volume=10 |issue=2 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130618040335/http://www.unomaha.edu/jrf/Vol10No2/Stucky_Superman.htm |archive-date=June 18, 2013 |access-date=May 10, 2013}}</ref>

Many have noted the examples of apparent Christian symbolism. Donner, [[Tom Mankiewicz]] and Ilya Salkind have commented on the use of [[religious perspectives on Jesus|Christian references]] to discuss the themes of ''Superman''.<ref name="comment" /><ref name="Ilya" /> Mankiewicz deliberately fostered analogies with Jor-El ([[El (god)|God]]) and [[Superman|Kal-El]] (Jesus).<ref name="Dick" /> Donner is somewhat skeptical of Mankiewicz's actions, joking "I got enough [[death threat]]s because of that."<ref name="comment" />

Several concepts and items of imagery have been used in [[Bible|Biblical]] comparisons. Jor-El casts out [[General Zod]] from Krypton, a parallel to [[War in Heaven|the casting out]] of [[Satan]] from [[Heaven]].<ref name="comment" /> The [[spacecraft]] that brings Kal-El to Earth is in the form of a star ([[Star of Bethlehem]]). Kal-El comes to [[Ma and Pa Kent|Jonathan and Martha Kent]], who are unable to have children. [[Martha Kent]] states, "All these years how we've prayed and prayed that the good Lord would see fit to give us a child", which was compared to [[Mary (mother of Jesus)|the Virgin Mary]].<ref name="comment" />

Mirroring Biblical accounts of Jesus, Clark travels into the wilderness to find out who he is and what he has to do. Jor-El says, "Live as one of them, Kal-El, to discover where your strength and power are needed. But always hold in your heart the pride of your special heritage. They can be a great people, Kal-El, and they wish to be. They only lack [[Light of the World|the light to show the way]]. For this reason above all, their capacity for good, I have sent them you, my only son."<ref name="comment" /> The theme resembles the Biblical account of God sending his only son Jesus to Earth in hope for the good of mankind. More were seen when Donner was able to complete ''[[Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut]]'', featuring [[Crucifixion of Jesus|the fall]], [[Resurrection of Jesus|resurrection]] and his [[Harrowing of Hell|battle with evil]]. Another vision was that of ''[[The Creation of Adam]]''.<ref name="comment" />

The Christian imagery in the Reeve films has provoked comment on the Jewish origins of Superman. Rabbi [[Simcha Weinstein]]'s book ''[[Up, Up and Oy Vey]]: How Jewish History, Culture and Values Shaped the Comic Book Superhero'', says that Superman is both a pillar of society and one whose cape conceals a "nebbish", saying "He's a bumbling, nebbish Jewish stereotype. He's [[Woody Allen]]."<ref name="neb">{{Cite news |last=Michael Elkin |date=July 6, 2006 |title=Super ... Mensch? |url=http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/10036 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081013013543/http://www.jewishexponent.com/article/10036/ |archive-date=October 13, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |work=[[The Jewish Exponent]]}}</ref><ref name="Allen">{{Cite news |date=June 20, 2006 |title=Clark Kent&nbsp;– Superman is 'Jewish' |url=http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/superman%20is%20jewish_1000359 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20081224093031/http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/mndwebpages/superman%20is%20jewish_1000359 |archive-date=December 24, 2008 |access-date=November 1, 2008 |work=Contact Music}}</ref> Ironically, it is also in the Reeve films that Clark Kent's persona has the greatest resemblance to Woody Allen, though his conscious model was [[Cary Grant]]'s character in ''[[Bringing Up Baby]]''. This same theme is pursued about 1940s superheroes generally in ''Disguised as Clark Kent: Jews, Comics, and the Creation of the Superhero'' by [[Danny Fingeroth]].<ref name="neb" /><ref name="Allen" />

In the scene where Lois Lane interviews Superman on the balcony, Superman replies, "I never lie." Salkind felt this was an important point in the film, since Superman, living under his [[secret identity]] as Clark Kent, is "telling the biggest lie of all time". [[Relationship of Clark Kent and Lois Lane|His romance with Lois]] also leads him to contradict Jor-El's orders to avoid [[alternate history|altering human history]], [[time travel]]ing to save her from dying. Superman instead takes the advice of Jonathan Kent, his father on Earth.<ref name="Ilya" />

== Release ==

''Superman'' was originally scheduled to be released in June 1978, the 40th anniversary of ''[[Action Comics 1]]'', which first introduced Superman, but the problems during filming pushed the film back by six months. Editor [[Stuart Baird]] reflected, "Filming was finished in October 1978 and it is a miracle we had the film released two months later. Big-budgeted films today tend to take six to eight months."<ref name="legend" /> Donner, for his part, wished that he had "had another six months; I would have perfected a lot of things. But at some point, you've gotta turn the picture over."<ref name="cine" />

[[Warner Bros. Pictures]] spent $6–7&nbsp;million on marketing the film.<ref name="market">{{Cite news |last=Ivor Davis |date=December 11, 1978 |title=Marketing of Superman |url=https://archive.macleans.ca/issue/19781211#!&pid=46 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20181002102343/https://archive.macleans.ca/issue/19781211#!&pid=46 |archive-date=October 2, 2018 |access-date=October 2, 2018 |work=[[Maclean's]] |pages=22–26}}</ref> ''Superman'' premiered at the [[Uptown Theater (Washington, D.C.)|Uptown Theater]] in Washington, D.C., on December 10, 1978,<ref>{{Cite web |last=Henderson |first=Cydney |date=August 9, 2018 |title='Superman' actress Margot Kidder's death is ruled a suicide |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/08/08/superman-actress-margot-kidder-death-suicide/942170002/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180809011839/https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/people/2018/08/08/superman-actress-margot-kidder-death-suicide/942170002/ |archive-date=August 9, 2018 |access-date=December 9, 2018 |website=USA Today}}</ref>{{failed verification|date=September 2022}} with director Richard Donner and several cast members in attendance. Three days later, on December 13, it had a European Royal Charity Premiere at the [[Empire, Leicester Square]] in London, with [[HM Queen Elizabeth II|Queen Elizabeth II]] and [[Prince Andrew]] in attendance.<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]]|title=Theatres, Cinemas, Art Galleries|date=13 December 1978|page=31}}</ref>

== Reception ==

=== Box office ===
''Superman'' set a new all-time U.S. industry record for business during a pre-Christmas week with $12&nbsp;million, and set new records for Warner Bros. for their best opening day ($2.8&nbsp;million) and three-day weekend ($7.5&nbsp;million).<ref>{{Cite news |date=December 26, 1978 |title='Superman' gross leaps over $12 mil in a single week |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |page=1}}</ref> For the week of December 22–28, it set an all-time U.S. weekly record of $18.5&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 2, 1979 |title=WB shatters industry marks with $29 mil 7-day boxoffice |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |page=1}}</ref> It also set a record single day gross for Warner Bros. with a gross of $3.8&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=December 31, 1980 |title='Any Which' In New Single Day WB High |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=3}}</ref> In its third weekend it grossed $13.1&nbsp;million for the four-day holiday weekend setting a record 18-day gross of $43.7&nbsp;million.<ref>{{Cite news |date=January 3, 1979 |title='Superman' adds more records to his collection |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Daily Variety]] |page=1}}</ref>

Approximately 120 million people saw Superman in the opening theatrical run in 1978.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jerome |first=Richard |title=Life: Superman, The Comics, The Films, The Cape |date=2023 |publisher=Dotdash Meredith Premium Publishing |location=New York, NY |page=50 |chapter=Chapter 2: Big-Screen Superhero}}</ref> Including re-releases, it went on to gross $134.5&nbsp;million in the United States and Canada, and $166&nbsp;million internationally, totaling $300.5&nbsp;million worldwide.<ref name="BOM" /> ''Superman'' was the second [[1978 in film|highest-grossing film of 1978 in North America]]. It was also [[Warner Bros.]]'s most successful film at the time.<ref name="legend" />

=== Critical response ===
''Superman'' received mostly positive reviews from critics. According to [[Rotten Tomatoes]], {{RT data|score}} of {{RT data|count}} critics gave ''Superman'' a positive consensus, with an average rating of 8.1. The website's critical consensus reads, "''Superman'' deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon."<ref>{{Cite web |title=Superman: The Movie (1978) |url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/superman_the_movie |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140115161049/http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/superman_the_movie/ |archive-date=January 15, 2014 |access-date={{RT data|access date}} |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]] |publisher=[[Fandango Media|Fandango]]}}{{RT data|edit}}</ref> [[Metacritic]] assigned the film a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 21 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".<ref>{{Cite web |title=Superman Reviews |url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/superman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100902165801/http://www.metacritic.com/movie/superman |archive-date=September 2, 2010 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |publisher=[[Metacritic]]}}</ref> The film was widely regarded as one of the top ten films of 1978.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The Greatest Films of 1978 |url=http://www.filmsite.org/1978.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051210070316/http://www.filmsite.org/1978.html |archive-date=December 10, 2005 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |publisher=Filmsite.org}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The 10 Best Movies of 1978 |url=http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1978/14955431 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100701173433/http://www.film.com/features/story/10-best-movies-of-1978/14955431 |archive-date=July 1, 2010 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |publisher=Film.com}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=The Best Movies of 1978 by Rank |url=http://www.films101.com/y1978r.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160322213531/http://www.films101.com/y1978r.htm |archive-date=March 22, 2016 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |publisher=Films101.com}}</ref> ''Superman'' creators [[Jerry Siegel]] and [[Joe Shuster]], in tears, thanked Donner<ref>{{Cite web |last=Godfrey |first=Alex |date=June 7, 2021 |title=Taking Flight: Director Richard Donner Reflects On The Bulletproof Legacy Of 1978's Superman |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/taking-flight-director-richard-donner-reflects-on-the-bulletproof-legacy-of-1978-superman/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312033540/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/taking-flight-director-richard-donner-reflects-on-the-bulletproof-legacy-of-1978-superman/ |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |access-date=March 12, 2024 |website=Empire}}</ref> and gave a positive reaction.<ref name="saga" /> Shuster was "delighted to see Superman on the screen. I got chills. Chris Reeve has just the right touch of humor. He really is Superman."<ref name="Kroll" /> Siegel beamed, "It's exactly as I imagined it."<ref>{{Cite book |last=Jerome |first=Richard |url=https://www.life.com/arts-entertainment/superman-the-first-and-foremost-superhero/ |title=Life: Superman, The Comics, The Films, The Cape |date=2023 |publisher=Dotdash Meredith Premium Publishing |location=New York, NY |page=60 |chapter=Chapter 2: Big-Screen Superhero |access-date=March 12, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240312161805/https://www.life.com/arts-entertainment/superman-the-first-and-foremost-superhero/ |archive-date=March 12, 2024 |url-status=live}}</ref>

[[Roger Ebert]] gave the film four out of four stars. Although describing the Krypton scenes as "ponderous" ("Brando was allegedly paid $3 million for his role, or, judging by his dialogue, $500,000 a cliché"), Ebert wrote that "''Superman'' is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects, and – you know what else? Wit". He praised Reeve, stating that he "sells the role; wrong casting here would have sunk everything", and concluded that the film "works so well because of its wit and its special effects".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |date=December 15, 1978 |title=Superman |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200925005949/https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/superman |archive-date=September 25, 2020 |access-date=September 5, 2020 |work=Chicago Sun-Times |via=[[RogerEbert.com]]}}</ref> Ebert placed the film on his ten best list of 1978.<ref>{{Cite news |title=Ebert's 10 Best Lists: 1967–present |url=http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20041215/COMMENTARY/41215001/1023 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060908200137/http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=%2F20041215%2FCOMMENTARY%2F41215001%2F1023 |archive-date=September 8, 2006 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |work=Chicago Sun-Times}}</ref> He would later go on to place it on his "Great Movies" list.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Ebert |first=Roger |author-link=Roger Ebert |date=November 4, 2010 |title=Great Movies: Superman |url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-superman-1978 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130417100255/http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-superman-1978 |archive-date=April 17, 2013 |access-date=November 6, 2010 |work=RogerEbert.com}}</ref> [[Gene Siskel]] of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' gave the film three stars out of four, calling it "a delightful mess. Good performances. Sloppy editing. Cheap nonflying special effects. Funny dialog. In sum, ''Superman'' is the kind of picture critics tear apart, but still say, 'You ought to see it.{{' "}}<ref>{{Cite news |last=Siskel |first=Gene |date=December 15, 1978 |title=Too many cooks spoil the froth: Sloppy 'Superman' is a fun but fumbling film |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43707803/gene-siskel-movie-reviewsuperman/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080245/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43707803/gene-siskel-movie-reviewsuperman/ |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |work=[[Chicago Tribune]] |at=Section 6, pp. [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/43707816/gene-siskel-movie-reviewsuperman/ 1–2] |via=[[Newspapers.com]]}} {{Open access}}</ref>

James Harwood of ''[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]'' called the film "a wonderful, chuckling, preposterously exciting fantasy", and he further added: "As both the wholesome man of steel and his bumbling secret identity Clark Kent, Reeve is excellent. As newswoman Lois Lane, Kidder plays perfectly off both of his personalities and her initial double-entendre interview with Superman is wickedly coy, dancing round the obvious question any red-blooded girl might ask herself about such a magnificent prospect."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Harwood |first=James |date=December 13, 1978 |title=Film Reviews: Superman |url=https://variety.com/1978/film/reviews/superman-1200424325/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210226224633/https://variety.com/1978/film/reviews/superman-1200424325/ |archive-date=February 26, 2021 |access-date=April 6, 2021 |magazine=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |page=13}}</ref> [[Vincent Canby]] of ''[[The New York Times]]'' wrote in a mixed review, "The Superman comic strip has been carefully, elaborately, sometimes wittily blown up for the big-theater screen, which, though busy, often seems sort of empty." He did however praise the performance of Kidder, calling her "most charming".<ref>{{Cite news |last=Canby |first=Vincent |date=December 15, 1978 |title=Screen: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's a Movie |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/15/archives/screen-its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-a-movie.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210202224656/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/15/archives/screen-its-a-bird-its-a-plane-its-a-movie.html |archive-date=February 2, 2021 |access-date=April 6, 2021 |work=[[The New York Times]] |page=C15}}</ref> [[Charles Champlin]] of the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]'' called the film "a big letdown", praising Reeve as "the salvaging strength of the film" but referring to the matter of the villain as "an essential problem", finding that "even in a succession of wigs, Gene Hackman is not preposterous, funny or dementedly menacing, and what he's doing here is not evident."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Champlin |first=Charles |date=December 15, 1978 |title=Man of Steel, Feat of Clay |url=https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75216639/the-los-angeles-times/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080233/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/75216639/the-los-angeles-times/ |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |work=[[Los Angeles Times]] |at=Part IV, pp. 1, 18 |via=Newspapers.com}} {{Open access}}</ref> Gary Arnold of ''[[The Washington Post]]'' wrote in a positive review, "Despite a lull here and a lapse there, this superproduction turns out to be prodigiously inventive and enjoyable, doubly blessed by sophisticated illusionists behind the cameras and a brilliant new stellar personality in front of the cameras—Christopher Reeve, a young actor at once handsome and astute enough to rationalize the preposterous fancy of a comic-book superhero in the flesh." He felt that Kidder was "a good actress and a phenomenal screamer, but she looks a little exhausted."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Arnold |first=Gary |date=December 15, 1978 |title=Look! Up on the Screen! |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/12/15/look-up-on-the-screen-its-superman-a-classy-cliffhanger/203141ca-4ac8-4fad-9528-8b2313a14e4b/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220309172554/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/12/15/look-up-on-the-screen-its-superman-a-classy-cliffhanger/203141ca-4ac8-4fad-9528-8b2313a14e4b/ |archive-date=March 9, 2022 |newspaper=The Washington Post |page=E1}}</ref>

Writing in a retrospective review, [[James Berardinelli]] believed "there's no doubt that it's a flawed movie, but it's one of the most wonderfully entertaining flawed movies made during the 1970s. It's exactly what comic book fans hoped it would be. Perhaps most heartening of all, however, is the message at the end of the credits announcing the impending arrival of ''[[Superman II]]''."<ref>{{Cite web |last=Berardinelli |first=James |title=Superman |url=http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/s/superman.html |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200328172532/http://preview.reelviews.net/movies/s/superman.html |archive-date=March 28, 2020 |access-date=July 14, 2017 |website=ReelViews}}</ref> [[Harry Knowles]] is a longtime fan of the film, but was critical of elements that did not represent the Superman stories as seen in the comics.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Knowles |first=Harry |date=September 28, 2002 |title=Harry talks with JJ Abrams for a Couple of Hours about ''Superman'' |url=http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/13404 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210125083333/http://legacy.aintitcool.com/node/13404 |archive-date=January 25, 2021 |access-date=July 14, 2017 |work=[[Ain't It Cool News]]}}</ref> [[Neal Gabler]] similarly felt that the film focused too much on shallow comedy. He also argued that the film should have adhered more to the spirit of Mario Puzo's original script, and referred to the first three Superman films collectively as "simply puffed-up TV episodes."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Hagen |first=Dan |date=January 1988 |title=Neal Gabler |work=[[Comics Interview]] |publisher=[[Fictioneer Books]] |pages=61–63 |issue=54}}</ref> After Kidder's [[Margot Kidder#Death|death in 2018]], Sonia Saraiya of ''[[Vanity Fair (magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'' retrospectively praised her ability to balance Lois's ditzy nature with her ambition and no-nonsense attitude, calling her a worthy [[Foil (fiction)|foil]] to Reeve and writing that "Kidder played a human woman who could believably both attract and deserve a man who is canonically perfect, with the physique of a Greek god and the moral compass of a saint."<ref>{{Cite magazine |last=Saraiya |first=Sonia |date=2018-05-14 |title=Why Margot Kidder Was the Definitive Lois Lane |url=https://www.vanityfair.com/hollywood/2018/05/margot-kidder-lois-lane-in-memoriam |access-date=2024-08-17 |magazine=Vanity Fair |language=en-US}}</ref>

=== Accolades ===
''Superman'' was nominated for three [[Academy Award]]s: [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]] ([[Stuart Baird]]), [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]] ([[John Williams]]) and [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]] ([[Gordon K. McCallum]], [[Graham V. Hartstone]], [[Nicolas Le Messurier]] and [[Roy Charman]])<ref name="Oscars1979">{{Cite web |title=The 51st Academy Awards (1979) Nominees and Winners |url=http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150402004111/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979 |archive-date=April 2, 2015 |access-date=October 6, 2011 |publisher=Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences}}</ref> and received a [[Special Achievement Academy Award]] for its [[visual effects]]. Donner publicly expressed disgust that [[production designer]] [[John Barry (production designer)|John Barry]] and [[cinematographer]] [[Geoffrey Unsworth]] had not been recognized by the [[Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences|Academy]].<ref name="Hughes" />

''Superman'' was also successful at the [[32nd British Academy Film Awards]]. Reeve won [[BAFTA Award for Best Newcomer|Best Newcomer]], while Hackman, Unsworth, Barry, and the [[sound design]]ers earned nominations.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Film in 1979 {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1979/film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429183314/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1979/film |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=awards.bafta.org}}</ref> The film won the [[Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 26, 2007 |title=1979 Hugo Awards |url=http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1979-hugo-awards/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100412033218/http://www.thehugoawards.org/hugo-history/1979-hugo-awards/ |archive-date=April 12, 2010 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=The Hugo Awards |language=en-US}}</ref> At the [[Saturn Award]]s, Kidder, Barry, [[John Williams]], and the [[visual effects]] department received awards, and the film won [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Past Saturn Award Recipients |url=http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?category=1&year=1978#b |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712204204/http://www.saturnawards.org/The-Saturn-Awards-Past-Winners.php?category=1&year=1978#b |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=saturnawards.org}}</ref> Reeve, Hackman, Donner, [[Valerie Perrine]], and [[costume designer]] [[Yvonne Blake]] were nominated for their work as well.{{citation needed|date=December 2015}} In addition, Williams was nominated at the [[36th Golden Globe Awards]] and won the [[Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Superman |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/superman |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712204201/https://www.goldenglobes.com/film/superman |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=goldenglobes.com}}</ref>

{|class="wikitable"
|-
! Organization
! Category
! Result
!Ref.
|-
| rowspan="4" | [[51st Academy Awards|Academy Awards]]
| [[Academy Award for Best Film Editing|Best Film Editing]]
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="4" |<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 5, 2014 |title=The 51st Academy Awards {{!}} 1979 |url=https://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20160815132139/http://www.oscars.org/oscars/ceremonies/1979 |archive-date=August 15, 2016 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=Oscars.org {{!}} Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Academy Award for Best Visual Effects|Best Visual Effects]] ([[Special Achievement Academy Award|Special Achievement]])
| {{Won}}
|-
| rowspan="6" | [[32nd British Academy Film Awards|British Academy Film Awards]]
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role|Best Actor in a Supporting Role]]
| {{Nom}}
| rowspan="6" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Film in 1979 {{!}} BAFTA Awards |url=http://awards.bafta.org/award/1979/film |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140429183314/http://awards.bafta.org/award/1979/film |archive-date=April 29, 2014 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=awards.bafta.org}}</ref>
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Cinematography|Best Cinematography]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Production Design|Best Production Design]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Best Sound|Best Sound]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Award for Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles|Most Promising Newcomer to Leading Film Roles]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[BAFTA Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award|Outstanding British Contribution to Cinema Award]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[36th Golden Globe Awards|Golden Globe Awards]]
| [[Golden Globe Award for Best Original Score|Best Original Score]]
| {{Nom}}
|<ref>{{Cite web |title=Winners & Nominees 1979 |url=https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1979 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180119120713/https://www.goldenglobes.com/winners-nominees/1979 |archive-date=January 19, 2018 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=goldenglobes.com |language=en}}</ref>
|-
| rowspan="8" | [[6th Saturn Awards|Saturn Awards]]
| [[Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film|Best Science Fiction Film]]
| {{Won}}
| rowspan="8" |<ref>{{Cite web |title=Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films, USA (1979) |url=http://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000004/1979/1/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210818220243/https://www.imdb.com/event/ev0000004/1979/1/ |archive-date=August 18, 2021 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |publisher=IMDb}}</ref>
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Director|Best Director]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actor|Best Actor]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Actress|Best Actress]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress|Best Supporting Actress]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Costume Design|Best Costume Design]]
| {{Nom}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Music|Best Music]]
| {{Won}}
|-
| [[Saturn Award for Best Special Effects|Best Special Effects]]
| {{Won}}
|}

== Television and home media ==
{{more citations needed section|date=February 2020}}

=== The extended TV version ===
While, by contract, Richard Donner had major editorial control over what was theatrically released, the Salkinds had editorial control on what was shown outside of theaters. This was the result of deals that had been made between the producers and the [[American Broadcasting Company|ABC]] television network prior to the film's release. Financially, the more footage that was restored for television, the more revenue that could be made for the broadcast (the producers charged by the minute for every bit of footage added back in). During production of the film, Alexander and Ilya Salkind found themselves in the position of having to sell more and more of their rights back to Warner Bros. in exchange for financial help,<ref>{{Cite web |title=ALEX AND ILYA SALKIND – IN INTERVIEW – BY HARLAN KENNEDY |url=https://www.americancinemapapers.com/files/SUPER_SALKINDS.htm |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210819210127/https://www.americancinemapapers.com/files/SUPER_SALKINDS.htm |archive-date=August 19, 2021 |access-date=July 26, 2021 |website=americancinemapapers.com}}</ref> which is why Warner Bros. had theatrical and home video distribution rights. By 1981, when the television rights reverted to the Salkinds, the producers had already prepared a 3-hour-and-8-minute version that actually had been the first version of the film visually locked down prior to being re-edited for theatrical release. This extended cut, which would be used for worldwide television distribution, reincorporated some 45 minutes of footage and music deleted from the theatrical cut. Networks and stations could then re-edit their own version at their discretion. This edit is commonly known as the "Salkind International Television Cut".

ABC aired the broadcast television debut of ''Superman'' over two nights in February 1982, with a majority of the unused footage. The 182-minute network cut (which was slightly cut down for content) was repeated in November of that same year, this time in its entirety in one evening. ABC presented the original theatrical version of the film for the two remaining broadcasts.

When the TV rights reverted to [[Warner Bros.]] in 1985, [[CBS]] aired the film one last time on network television in its theatrical version. When the movie entered the [[Broadcast syndication|syndication]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Monday, May 14th. 7:00–10:00&nbsp;pm- WPIX New York airs the theatrical version of 'Superman The Movie' |url=http://www.supermanii.com/siiweb/sii%20behind-the-scenes/SMT_194.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205082009/http://www.supermanii.com/siiweb/sii%20behind-the-scenes/SMT_194.html |archive-date=February 5, 2011 |access-date=November 30, 2010 |publisher=Supermanii.com}}</ref> market in 1988 (following a play-out run on pay cable<ref name="The Salkind International Cut">[https://web.archive.org/web/20200807155329/http://www.capedwonder.com/newwebsite/pages/si-ii.htm The Salkind International Cut at CapedWonder.com]</ref><ref>{{Cite web |title=HBO premieres the theatrical version of 'Superman The Movie'. Sunday, October 12th.- 7:00–9:30&nbsp;pm. Thursday, October 16th.- 7:30–10:00&nbsp;pm. Monday, October 20th.- 9:00–11:30&nbsp;pm. Saturday, October 25th.- 3:30–6:00&nbsp;pm. Wednesday, October 29th. – 11:30 p.m-2:00 a.m |url=http://www.supermanii.com/siiweb/sii%20behind-the-scenes/SMT_157.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110205081634/http://www.supermanii.com/siiweb/sii%20behind-the-scenes/SMT_157.html |archive-date=February 5, 2011 |access-date=March 11, 2011 |publisher=Supermanii.com}}</ref>) TV stations were offered the extended cut or the theatrical cut. The stations that showed the extended cut<ref name="The Salkind International Cut" /> edited the second half to add more advertising time and "previously on{{nbsp}}..." cutback scenes just as ABC had done in 1982.

In 1994 (following a pay-cable reissue and its obligatory run on [[USA Network]]), [[Warner Bros. Television]] syndicated the full 188-minute international television version, most famously on Los Angeles station [[KCOP]]. The most notable additions unseen on U.S. television were two additional scenes never seen before, in addition to what had been previously reinstated.<ref name="DVD">{{Cite news |last=Freiman |first=Barry |date=January 2006 |title=Special Edition Superman DVDs on the Way |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-salkind-SE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107052950/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-salkind-SE |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=September 8, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> This version also surfaced outside of Los Angeles. For example, [[WJLA-TV|WJLA]] Channel 7, an ABC affiliate in Washington, D.C., aired the extended cut in July 1994. Because its first known airing was on the aforementioned KCOP, it is also known in fan circles as the "KCOP Version".

There were various extended TV versions each broadcast in various countries. Most of these are in [[pan and scan]], as they were made in the 1980s, when films were not letterboxed to preserve the theatrical aspect ratio on old TVs.

Until 2017, it was thought the quality of the extended network TV version was inferior to any theatrical or previous home video release because it was mastered in [[16mm]] (using the "[[film chain system]]") and a [[Monophonic sound|mono]] sound mix done, as by the time the extended cut was prepared in 1981, stereo was not available in television broadcasts (16&nbsp;mm television prints were, in fact, made and mastered on NTSC Standard Definition video for the initial ABC network broadcasts). However, during an inventory of the Warner Bros. library, an [[interpositive|IP master]] of the full 188-minute television version was discovered. This eighteen-reel master was not marked with an aspect ratio, but the print was inspected and, as it turned out, was in the proper 2.35:1 [[Panavision]] ratio. This was the source of the [[Warner Archive Collection]] Blu-Ray release of what would officially be called the "Superman: The Movie Extended Cut", issued on October 3, 2017.<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 19, 2017 |title=The Three-Hour Extended Cut of Superman: The Movie Is Finally Getting a Home Release |url=https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-three-hour-extended-cut-of-superman-the-movie-is-f-1818543643 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170919205409/https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-three-hour-extended-cut-of-superman-the-movie-is-f-1818543643 |archive-date=September 19, 2017 |access-date=September 19, 2017 |website=gizmodo.com}}</ref> The video release was visually restored by WB's imaging department, and, other than the opening and end credits (which are in true stereo), the film is presented in an enhanced version of the mono TV sound mix. This particular release also includes another version discussed below.

Richard Donner was critical of this extended cut of the film. He called this version of the film "terrible," saying it "was nothing more than an assembly." He said he cut the bad material out of the movie and that the producers and Warner Bros. added it back in just "to make a buck."<ref>{{Cite podcast |url=https://spocklight.podbean.com/e/supplemental-6-interview-with-richard-donner/ |title=Supplemental 6: Interview with Richard Donner |website=Spocklight The Audio Podcast |publisher=PodBean |host=Spocklight: A Star Trek Podcast |date=December 5, 2017 |time=56:25 |access-date=April 23, 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210423003636/https://spocklight.podbean.com/e/supplemental-6-interview-with-richard-donner/ |archive-date=April 23, 2021 |url-status=live}}</ref>

=== Other editions ===
When Michael Thau and [[Warner Home Video]] started working on a [[film restoration]] in 2000, only eight minutes of the added footage that had been used in the TV cut could be considered restored into a version that director Richard Donner called his preferred version of the film. Thau determined that some of the extra footage could not be added because of poor visual effects. Thau felt "the pace of the film's storyline would be adversely affected [and there were] timing problems matching [footage] with John Williams' musical score, etc… The cut of the movie shown on KCOP was put together to make the movie longer when shown on TV as the Television Station paid per minute to air the movie. The "[[Special Edition]]" cut is designed for the best viewing experience in the true spirit of movie making."<ref name="paid per minute">{{Cite web |title=Superman 'Special Edition' Interview |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-michael-thau1 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100107052937/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-michael-thau1 |archive-date=January 7, 2010 |access-date=July 14, 2017 |website=Superman Homepage}}</ref> There was a special test screening of the Special Edition in 2001 in [[San Antonio|San Antonio, Texas]], on March 23 with plans for a possible wider theatrical release later that year, which did not occur.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Jim Bowers |date=March 29, 2001 |title=Superman San Antonio Report |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2001-news/2001-news-movie.php?topic=2001-news-movie/0329 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330070609/https://www.supermanhomepage.com/news/2001-news/2001-news-movie.php?topic=2001-news-movie%2F0329 |archive-date=March 30, 2019 |access-date=April 20, 2009 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> In May 2001, Warner Home Video released the special edition on DVD.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2001 |title=Superman: The Movie (1978) |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000059Z8J |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210316075759/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000059Z8J |archive-date=March 16, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> Director Donner also assisted, working slightly over a year on the project. The release included [[making-of]] documentaries directed by Thau and eight minutes of restored footage.<ref name="plot">{{Cite news |last=Freiman |first=Barry |date=December 2006 |title=Interview with Michael Thau |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-michael-thau2 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527170325/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-michael-thau2 |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2017 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref>

Thau explained, "I worked on ''[[Ladyhawke (film)|Ladyhawke]]'' and that's how I really met Dick [Donner] and [[Tom Mankiewicz]]. I used to hear those wonderful stories in the cutting room that Tom and Dick and [[Stuart Baird|Stuart]] would tell about ''Superman'' and that's how I kind of got the ideas for the plots of 'Taking Flight' and 'Making Superman'".<ref name="plot" /> Donner commented, "There are a few shots where Chris [Reeve]'s costume looked green. We went in and cleaned that up, bringing the color back to where it should be."<ref name="ex">{{Cite news |last=Younis |first=Steve |date=March 27, 2001 |title=Exclusive Richard Donner Interview |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-richard-donner |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110604151336/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-richard-donner |archive-date=June 4, 2011 |access-date=July 14, 2017 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> Thau wanted to make the film shorter: "I wanted to take out the damn poem where Lois is reciting a poem ("Can You Read My Mind") when they're flying around. I also wanted to take out a lot of that car chase where it was just generic action... It was like a two-minute car chase. But Dick didn't want to take [that] out [or] the poem."<ref name="plot" /> It was followed by a [[box set]] release in the same month, containing "bare bones" editions of ''Superman II'', ''Superman III'', and ''Superman IV: The Quest for Peace''.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 2001 |title=The Complete Superman Collection |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000059Z8L |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080230/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000059Z8L |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> In November 2006, a four-disc special edition was released,<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2006 |title=Superman: The Movie (4-disc special edition) |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IJ79UW |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210128131839/http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IJ79UW |archive-date=January 28, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> followed by an [[HD DVD]] release<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2006 |title=Superman: The Movie (4-disc special edition HD DVD) |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I2JKEC |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080226/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000I2JKEC |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> and [[Blu-ray]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2006 |title=Superman: The Movie (Blu-ray) |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K4X5XA |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080217/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000K4X5XA |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> Also available (with other films) is the nine-disc "Christopher Reeve Superman Collection"<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2006 |title=The Christopher Reeve Superman Collection |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IJ79VQ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080226/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IJ79VQ |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref> and the 14-disc "Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition".<ref>{{Cite web |date=November 28, 2006 |title=Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition |url=https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J10ERE |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210505080228/https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000J10ERE |archive-date=May 5, 2021 |access-date=September 7, 2008 |website=Amazon}}</ref>

On November 6, 2018 (following year-long worldwide revival theatrical screenings to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the film's original release), Warner Bros. Home Entertainment released an [[Ultra HD Blu-ray]] of ''Superman'' presented in a new [[Dolby Vision]] transfer of the original theatrical version straight from the original camera negative, with its original [[70mm]]/six-track stereo mix rendered in 5.1 surround, in addition to the 2000 remix in [[Dolby Atmos]]. This new release also includes a standard Blu-ray Disc of the theatrical cut, plus select bonus features carried over from previous video releases.

== Legacy ==
In 2007, the [[Visual Effects Society]] listed ''Superman'' as the 44th-most influential use of visual effects of all time.<ref>{{Cite web |date=May 10, 2007 |title=The Visual Effects Society Unveils 50 Most Influential Visual Effects Films of All Time |url=http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/documents/ves50revelfin.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080625175321/http://www.visualeffectssociety.com/documents/ves50revelfin.pdf |archive-date=June 25, 2008 |access-date=September 1, 2008 |website=[[Visual Effects Society]]}}</ref> In 2008, ''[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]'' magazine named it the 174th-greatest film of all time on its list of 500.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time |url=http://www.empireonline.com/500/63.asp |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120120071940/http://www.empireonline.com/500/63.asp |archive-date=January 20, 2012 |access-date=September 29, 2008 |website=[[Empire (magazine)|Empire]]}}</ref> In 2009, ''[[Entertainment Weekly]]'' ranked Superman 3rd on their list of ''The All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture''.<ref>{{Cite magazine |title=''Entertainment Weekly's'' 20 All-Time Coolest Heroes in Pop Culture |url=http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20268279_18,00.html |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100819224331/http://www.ew.com/ew/gallery/0,,20268279_18,00.html |archive-date=August 19, 2010 |access-date=May 22, 2010 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]}}</ref>

With the film's success, it was immediately decided to finish ''[[Superman II]]''. Ilya and Alexander Salkind and [[Pierre Spengler]] did not ask Donner to return because Donner had criticized them during the film's publicity phase.<ref name="Ilya" /> Donner commented in January 1979, "I'd work with Spengler again, but only on my terms. As long as he has nothing to say as the producer, and is just liaison between Alexander Salkind and his money, that's fine. If they don't want it on those terms, then they need to go out and find another director, it sure as shit ain't gonna be me."<ref name="cine" /> Kidder, who portrayed Lois Lane, was dissatisfied by the producers' decision,<ref name="legend" /> and also criticized the Salkinds during publicity. Kidder said that as a result, she was only given a [[cameo appearance]] for ''Superman III'', and not a main supporting role.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Barry Freiman |date=February 8, 2005 |title=One-on-One with Margot Kidder |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-expo-kidder |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527170508/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-expo-kidder |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=September 9, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> [[Jack O'Halloran]], who portrayed [[Non (DC Comics)|Non]], stated, "It was great to work with Donner. Richard Lester was as big an asshole as the Salkinds."<ref>{{Cite news |last=Steve Younis |date=October 25, 2001 |title=Exclusive Jack O'Halloran Interview |url=http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-jack-ohalloran |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110527170225/http://www.supermanhomepage.com/movies/movies.php?topic=interview-jack-ohalloran |archive-date=May 27, 2011 |access-date=September 10, 2008 |work=Superman Homepage}}</ref> Two more films, ''[[Superman III]]'' (1983) and ''[[Superman IV: The Quest for Peace]]'' (1987), were produced. Donner's vision for ''Superman II'' was eventually realized nearly three decades later, when he supervised the editing of ''[[Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut]]'', which was released in 2006.<ref name="look" /> In the same year, Donner and writer [[Geoff Johns]] wrote "[[Last Son (comics)|Last Son]]", a comic book story arc in Action Comics featuring Superman.<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 9, 2012 |title=SUPERMAN: LAST SON |url=https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/action-comics-1938/superman-last-son-0 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210712204210/https://www.dccomics.com/graphic-novels/action-comics-1938/superman-last-son-0 |archive-date=July 12, 2021 |access-date=July 12, 2021 |website=DC |language=en}}</ref> Unused footage of Marlon Brando as Jor-El, discovered during the restoration of ''Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut'', was used in ''[[Superman Returns]]'' (2006).<ref name="look" />

Because ''Superman'' went into production prior to the releases of ''[[Star Wars (film)|Star Wars]]'' (May 1977) and ''[[Close Encounters of the Third Kind]]'' (November 1977), some observers credit the three films collectively for launching the reemergence of a large market for [[science fiction film]]s
[[List of science fiction films of the 1980s|in the 1980s]]. This is certainly the view of ''Superman'' producer Ilya Salkind and some who have interviewed him,<ref name="Ilya" /><ref name="one" /> as well as of film production assistant Brad Lohan.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Brad Lohan |title=What If 'Star Wars' Had Never Been Made? |url=http://www.entertainmentbuff.com/culture/what-if-star-wars-had-never-been-made/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110710193902/http://www.entertainmentbuff.com/culture/what-if-star-wars-had-never-been-made/ |archive-date=July 10, 2011 |access-date=January 26, 2011 |publisher=Entertainment Buff}}</ref> Other observers of film history tend to credit the resurgence of science fiction films simply to the Lucas and Spielberg productions, and see ''Superman'' as the first of the new cycle of films launched by the first two.<ref>{{Cite book |last1=Drate |first1=Spencer |title=VFX Artistry: A Visual Tour of How the Studios Create Their Magic |last2=Judith Salavetz |publisher=Focal Press |year=2009 |isbn=978-0-240-81162-8 |page=164}}</ref> Ilya Salkind denies any connection between ''Superman''—which began filming in March 1977—and the other films, stating that "I did not know about '<nowiki/>''Star Wars''<nowiki/>'; '<nowiki/>''Star Wars''<nowiki/>' did not know about '<nowiki/>''Superman''<nowiki/>'; '<nowiki/>''Close Encounters''<nowiki/>' did not know about '''Superman''.' It really was completely independent—nobody knew anything about anybody."<ref name="one" /> ''Superman'' also established the [[superhero film]] genre as viable outside the production of low-budget Saturday matinee serials. Director [[Christopher Nolan]] cited Richard Donner's vision and scope of ''Superman'' when [[Pitch (filmmaking)|pitching]] the concept for ''[[Batman Begins]]'' to Warner Bros. in 2002.<ref name="journeybegins">''The Fire Rises: The Creation and Impact of the Dark Knight Trilogy'' [Blu-ray, 2013]</ref> The film's influence can also be seen in films of the genre including the [[X-Men (film series)|''X-Men'' films]], [[Sam Raimi]]'s ''[[Spider-Man (2002 film)|Spider-Man]]'' (2002), and [[Patty Jenkins]]' ''[[Wonder Woman (2017 film)|Wonder Woman]]'' (2017).<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/richard-donner-and-the-importance-of-superman-the-movie/ | title=Richard Donner and the Importance of Superman: The Movie | date=December 17, 2018 }}</ref>

In 2021, DC Comics revived the [[Fictional universe|continuity]] of the 1978 film with their ''[[Superman '78]]'' comic book series, emulating the look of the Christopher Reeve films. The series picks up where the first two films left off, thereby acting as a direct sequel.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Rolph |first=Ben |date=June 2, 2021 |title=Brainiac Arrives in Superman '78 First Look Preview |url=https://screenrant.com/superman-78-cover-brainiac-christopher-reeve-lex-luthor/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210604144523/https://screenrant.com/superman-78-cover-brainiac-christopher-reeve-lex-luthor/ |archive-date=June 4, 2021 |access-date=June 4, 2021 |website=[[Screen Rant]]}}</ref>

After the first screening of the [[DC Extended Universe]] (DCEU) film ''[[The Flash (film)|The Flash]]'' (2023) to the attendees of the [[National Association of Theatre Owners|Cinemacon]] 2023, director [[Andy Muschietti]] and producer [[Barbara Muschietti]] revealed that a [[cameo appearance]] of Brando's Jor-El from ''Superman'' was considered for the film, but was left in the "cutting floor room" due to not fitting in the story.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Casey |first=Dan |date=April 25, 2023 |title=The Flash Almost Included Lynda Carter, Grant Gustin, and Other Cameos |url=https://nerdist.com/article/the-flash-final-cameos-no-lynda-carter-grant-gustin-cesar-romero-marlon-brando/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230426061530/https://nerdist.com/article/the-flash-final-cameos-no-lynda-carter-grant-gustin-cesar-romero-marlon-brando/ |archive-date=April 26, 2023 |access-date=April 28, 2023 |website=[[Nerdist]]}}</ref>

The film inspired [[The Kinks]]' 1979 song "[[(Wish I Could Fly Like) Superman]]", when the band's main songwriter, [[Ray Davies]], watched the film in late 1978.<ref name="story">{{Cite book |last=Hasted, N. |url=https://archive.org/details/storyofkinksyour0000hast |title=You Really Got Me: The Story of The Kinks |publisher=Omnibus Press |year=2011 |isbn=978-1-84938-660-9 |url-access=registration}}</ref>

The film is recognized by [[American Film Institute]] in these lists:
* 2003: [[AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains]]:
** [[Superman]] (Clark Kent) – #26 Hero<ref>{{Cite web |title=AFI's 100 Years...100 Heroes & Villains |url=http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140328082215/http://www.afi.com/Docs/100Years/handv100.pdf |archive-date=March 28, 2014 |access-date=August 14, 2016 |publisher=[[American Film Institute]]}}</ref>

In December 2017, the film was selected for preservation by the United States [[Library of Congress]] [[National Film Registry]], for being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{Cite web |date=December 13, 2017 |title='Titanic,' 'The Goonies,' 'Field of Dreams,' 'Memento' Added to National Film Registry |url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/the-goonies-titanic-field-of-dreams-die-hard-national-film-registry-1202638298/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171213101146/http://variety.com/2017/film/news/the-goonies-titanic-field-of-dreams-die-hard-national-film-registry-1202638298/ |archive-date=December 13, 2017 |access-date=December 13, 2017 |website=Variety}}</ref>

== Notes ==
{{Reflist |group="nb"}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

=== Cited works ===
* {{Cite book |last=Andersen |first=Christopher |author-link=Christopher Andersen |title=Somewhere in Heaven: The Remarkable Love Story of Dana and Christopher Reeve |publisher=Hyperion |year=2008}}

== Bibliography ==
* {{Cite book |author=[[David Michael Petrou]] |title=The Making of Superman the Movie |publisher=Warner Books |year=1978 |isbn=0446825654}}
* {{Cite book |author=Gary Bettinson |title=Superman: The Movie, The 40th Anniversary Interviews |publisher=Intellect Books |year=2018 |isbn=9781783209590}}

== External links ==
{{Wikiquote|Superman (1978 film)}}
* {{Official website}}
* {{IMDb title}}
* {{Rotten Tomatoes}}
* {{Metacritic film}}
* {{TCMDb title}}
* {{AFI film}}

{{Christopher Reeve's/Brandon Routh's Superman}}
{{DC Comics films}}
{{Richard Donner}}
{{Mario Puzo}}
{{Navboxes
|title = Awards for ''Superman''
|list1 =
{{Academy Award Best Visual Effects}}
{{Grammy Award for Best Score Soundtrack for Visual Media}}
{{Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation}}
{{Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film}}
}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|1970s|Film|United States|Speculative fiction|Comics}}

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