In 1978 Richard Donner made Superman one of the most important heroes in the film industry, in what is considered a classic today.
The year 1978 represented a watershed for DC comics and cinema worldwide. For more than 40 years the director Richard Donner made us believe that a man can fly, and brought new generations closer to the story of the first superhero in comic book history: Superman.
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With the framework of the 40 years of the debut of Superman in the pages of Action Comics #1, the next step for the expansion of the Man of Steel universe, after conquering publications and other media such as television, was his first feature film, which over time has turned it into a true classic.
But the arrival of Superman on the big screen was quite a process, which marked a milestone both for the history of DC Comics and for the film industry, which began to see the stories emanating from the pages of the comics more seriously. comics.
Preparing the arrival of Superman to the cinema
It all started when the producer Ilya salkind (of Mexican origin) had the idea of bringing Superman to the big screen in 1973, for which he entered into arduous negotiations with DC comics so that in 1974 he obtained the film rights of the character, teaming up with his father, Alexander Salkind.
Mario Puzothe man who won two Oscars for best screenplay thanks to the first two Godfather films, was tasked with leading the team of writers who would put together the plot that would mark the Man of Steel’s debut in a feature film.
Richard Donner’s vision
salkind the search for the director of the film began, and after the refusals of men like Steven Spielberg (who had hits with Jaws) and george Luke (who was directing Star Wars), the chosen one was Richard Donnerwho earned the respect of Hollywood with the horror film The Omen (The Prophecy).
Before the tape Richard Donnerin 1948, a series of 15 chapters of 16 minutes each was produced, which were projected in the cinemas of the time.
The idea of DC comics was for an already established actor to play Clark Kent / Supermanfor which reason an attempt was made to hire actors of the stature of Clint Eastwood, Dustin hoffmann, To the pacinoand even Muhammad Ali (Yes, the same one Superman fought in the comics.)
the chosen of Donner it was Christopher ReeveAlthough the filmmaker was not convinced at the beginning of the actor’s musculature, who began to work on his physique with david prowse, the interpreter (on screen) of Darth Vader.
Other names that joined the cast were Gene hackmann, Margot Kidder, Mark McClure Y Marlon Brandonwho received more than three million dollars for his interpretation of Jor El, the father of Kal El, who appeared on stage only five minutes.
To compose the film’s score, Donner initially sought out Jerry goldsmithwith whom he worked in The Omenbut due to scheduling conflicts, the filmmaker signed John williamswho led the Orchestra symphony of London to compose the score, added to the fact that the main theme of Superman is one of the most recognized in the history of cinema.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QmHhIDURdVA
Lights Camera action
In the month of March 1977, at the Pinewood studios in England, filming began, which took 19 months, since along with Superman, it was decided to film Superman II, but constant delays and the impending release date forced Donner to temporarily suspend filming on the sequel and focus on the first Superman film.
The first trailer for the film was screened during Star Wars screenings, without showing the edited footage, but the producers raised high expectations.
In October 1978, after 19 months of filming, added to the special effects work, the filming of the tape came to an end, to give rise to the editing work, which lasted up to two months to deliver a tape to the public. memorable.
From the sets to the box office
On December 10, 1978, at the Uptown Theater of washington DC held the world premiere of Superman, and three days later, in the presence of Queen Elizabeth I of England, Europe received the first screening of the feature film from Iron Man.
On December 15, 1978, theaters in the United States started with the screenings of Superman, a film that became an irrefutable success for DC. comics Y Warner Bros.
Superman’s marks
The opening day became a milestone for the film industry, achieving earnings of more than two million dollars on its first day. On its first weekend on the billboard Superman grossed more than $7 million, making it the most successful opening in the history of Warner Bros.
Internationally, the first film of the Iron Man grossed $166 million, for a total of $300 million, making Superman in the second highest grossing film of 1978, only behind Grease, which was released in the summer of that year.
At the 1979 Oscars, Superman was nominated for three statuettes (Best Editing, Best Score, and Best Sound Editing). John williams won the Grammy for best soundtrack of that year.
The success of Superman gave rise to Superman IItape that was at risk of not arriving if the first part had not been a box office success.
Superman II hit theaters in 1980, and in 2006 Warner bros premiere Superman II, The director’s cutwith the cut of Richard Donner. In the process of producing the sequel Richard Lester filming ended as Alexander Salkynd fired Richard Donner.
You can also read: Christopher Reeve wanted Tom Welling to play Superman
Source: DC Comics
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Action Comics #1 brought Superman to the world, sparking the idea of the superhero in many ways, and creating the comic book industry as we know it.
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