The classic Christopher Reeve Superman films are coming to 4K for the first time, including the hard-to-find Donner cut of Superman II. Watch for it in stores this April.
Superman (sometimes known as Superman: The Movie) is the 1978 feature film adaptation of the classic DC Comics character.
Richard Donner directed the film which proved to be a star-making turn from leading man Reeve. The script, written by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Lesli Newman and Robert Benton, covers the origins of Superman starting from Krypton. Marlon Brando plays Jor-El who sends his son to Earth to save him from a dying Krypton. There he's discovered by Jonathan and Martha Kent (Glen Ford and Phylis Thaxter) and is raised as Clark Kent. When he comes of age he travels to Metropolis where he meets Lois Lan (Margot Kidder) and goes public as Superman for the first time. The villain here is Lex Luthor (played by Gene Hackman).
The movie was a critical and box office success which spawned three sequels and is fondly remembered by fans.
Superman II is the 1980 sequel .
Reeve returns to the role that made him a cinematic icon. Torn between his responsibilities as a hero and his love for Lois Lane (Kidder), Clark contemplates undergoing a process that will allow him to shed his superpowers and become a normal human, capable of having a relationship. His timing couldn't be worse, with his father's nemesis General Zod (Terrance Stamp) escaping his Phantom Zone prison and arriving on Earth where he plans to rule as a God. The movie sees Sarah Douglas and Jack O'Halloran joining the returning cast Hackman, Ned Beatty, Jackie Cooper, Marc McClure and Valerie Perrine.
Richard Donner, who directed the original, helmed the bulk of the movie, but clashed with the film's producers over budgetary concerns. The producers paused production and dismissed Donner, replacing him with Richard Lester, who had served as an associate producer and second unit director on the film already.
The resulting film was well-received by critics and fans enjoyed the increased stakes of having Superman battle physical villains. Decades later a restored version called Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut was released on the home entertainment market.
Superman III is the 1983 adaptation.
It is the third film to feature Reeve as the man of steel. The film also co-starred Richard Pryor as a computer savant who is forced to do the bidding of the film's villain. Richard Vaughn plays the villain as a sort of stand in for Lex Luthor. Annette O'Toole joins the cast as Lana Lang. Returning from previous installments are Cooper, McClure and Kidder.
Campier than the previous two movies, Superman III was generally frowned upon by fans and critics alike.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is the 1987 sequel.
In this one Superman (Reeve) decides to rid the world of nuclear weapons. At the same time Lex Luthor (Hackman) escapes imprisonment and sets about trying to clone Superman, who inadvertently aids the process which results in the new villain, Nuclear Man (Mark Pillow). Also returning to the cast are Cooper, McClure and Kidder. New cast members include Cryer (who would play Luthor decades later on Supergirl) as Lenny Luthor and Mariel Hemmingway.
The movie was directed by Sidney J. Furie from a script by Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal.
Hampered by budget constraints typical for the new producers at Cannon Films, the movie was a critical bomb and a box office dud, spelling the end for the Superman movie series, until Bryan Singer's revival in 2006.
