The Fantastic Four (1994 Film)

The Fantastic Four is the 1994 live-action feature film based on the Marvel Comics title of the same name.

The film runs through the origin story of the team in which Reed Richards (Alex Hyde-White), Sue Storm (Rebecca Staab), Ben Grimm (Michael Bailey Smith) and Johnny Storm (Jay Underwood) embark on a space mission. Unknown to them, a key component of their spacecraft, a diamond that makes the cosmic radiations shields operate, has been replaced with a cheap replica by a villain called The Jeweler (Ian Trigger). Exposed to radiation they are transformed into the titular heroes. The film also stars Joseph Culp as Doctor Doom and Kat Green as Alicia Master.

Oley Sassone directed the movie from a script by Craig J. Nevius and Kevin Rock.

The film is a notorious case of early Marvel adaptation. It is produced by Constanin Film whose held the film rights to the property on a "use it or lose it" basis, meaning if the didn't produce a movie, the rights would expired. Under the pressure of a ticking clock, the production company rushed this ultra-low-budget through a breakneck three week shoot, with a plan to release it under Roger Corman's New Horizons Pictures.

A January 1994 premiere screening had been scheduled to kick off the release, but that was suddenly cancelled. The film was suppressed by Constanin, having successfully retained the rights, so that they could later produce a franchise of big-budget feature films with 20th Century Fox.

The film was never officially released but has been widely available through bootleg video sales and via various online sources.