Superman Returns
Superman Returns is a 2006 American superhero film directed by Bryan Singer and written by Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris based on the DC Comics character Superman. It is the sixth and final installment in the original Superman film series and serves as a homage sequel to Superman and Superman II, while ignoring the events of Superman III, Supergirl, and . The film stars Brandon Routh as Clark Kent/Superman, Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane, Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor, with James Marsden, Frank Langella, and Parker Posey. The film tells the story of the title character returning to Earth after a five-year absence. He finds that his love interest Lois Lane has moved on with her life, and that his archenemy Lex Luthor is plotting a scheme to kill Superman and reshape North America.
After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Superman on screen following the critical and financial failure of The Quest for Peace, Warner Bros. Pictures hired Bryan Singer to direct and develop Superman Returns in July 2004. The majority of principal photography took place at Fox Studios Australia, Sydney, while the visual effects sequences were created by a number of studios, including Sony Pictures Imageworks, Rhythm & Hues, Framestore, Rising Sun Pictures, and The Orphanage; filming began in March 2005 and ended in November.
Upon release, the film received generally positive reviews from critics, who complimented its visual effects, story, musical score, and the performances of Routh and Spacey. However, it received criticism focusing on its runtime and lack of action sequences. Despite its critical reception, Warner Bros. was disappointed with the worldwide box office return of the film, cancelling a sequel planned for 2009 as a result. The Superman film series was completely rebooted in 2013 with Man of Steel, directed by Zack Snyder, starring Henry Cavill as Superman, and launching the DC Extended Universe. Routh later reprised his role as Superman in the 2019 Arrowverse crossover "Crisis on Infinite Earths".
Plot
Five years ago, Superman abandoned his adopted home of Earth to investigate what astronomers believed to be an intact Krypton in outer space. His past love, journalist Lois Lane, wins the Pulitzer Prize with a scathing article, "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman". Lois is now engaged to Richard White, the nephew of Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, and has a young son, Jason. In Superman’s absence, notorious criminal mastermind Lex Luthor secures an early release from prison and seduces an elderly heiress, inheriting her fortune to fund his next scheme.Superman returns to Earth, crash-landing at the Kent farm just as he did as a child. He reveals to his adoptive mother Martha Kent that he left hoping to find his homeworld and others like him, to no avail. Returning to Metropolis in his human identity as Clark Kent, he is shocked to discover the consequences of his disappearance. When a nationwide power outage causes a space shuttle to ignite its boosters prematurely before its scheduled launch, Clark reemerges as Superman, detaching the shuttle so it can continue to space, while saving the stricken Shuttle Carrier Aircraft from crashing. This leads to a resurgence of media attention regarding Superman's return. The accident was secretly triggered by Luthor using Kryptonian technology stolen from Superman’s Fortress of Solitude.
While his moll Kitty distracts Superman, Luthor steals a sample of kryptonite from a museum. Lois tracks the hypocenter of the power outage to Luthor’s mansion, and she and Jason explore his yacht, where Luthor holds them captive as the yacht departs. He reveals his plan: harnessing the Kryptonian crystal technology Superman used to create his Fortress of Solitude, Luthor will create a new land mass, flooding the continental United States and killing billions, leaving him the owner of a valuable new continent. Placing a Kryptonian crystal inside a shell of refined kryptonite, Luthor triggers the new land growth by launching it into the sea.
Lois uses a fax machine to send the yacht’s location to the Daily Planet headquarters, catching the attention of Clark and Richard. She is discovered by one of Luthor's henchmen, who attacks her, causing Jason's latent superpowers to emerge as he crushes the henchman with a piano—revealing that Jason is Superman's biological son. Realizing this, Luthor and his thugs escape by helicopter as the landmass’ seismic effects reach Metropolis. While Superman contains the damage in the city, Richard pilots a floatplane to the yacht and frees Lois and Jason, but they become trapped when the yacht is split by the growing rock formations, knocking Lois unconscious and sinking the yacht. Superman rescues them to the safety of Richard's plane.
Superman confronts Luthor on the landmass, but the crystal’s kryptonite shell has infused the rock formations with kryptonite, making the land toxic to Superman. A weakened Superman is beaten by Luthor and his thugs and tries to flee, but Luthor stabs him with a kryptonite shard, leaving him to drown. Regaining consciousness in the escaping plane, Lois realizes that Superman is in danger from the kryptonite, and convinces Richard to fly back to help him. Jason spots Superman in the water and Lois and Richard get him into the plane, where Lois removes the shard. Recovering, Superman flies high into the atmosphere to regain his strength by exposure to sunlight. Using his heat vision, he tunnels deep under the new land mass and, with the last of his strength, carries it off into space.
Escaping with Luthor in the helicopter, Kitty discards the remaining crystals; they run out of fuel, and are stranded on an uncharted island. Complications from kryptonite exposure send Superman into a coma, and doctors are unable to revive him. After Lois visits him in the hospital, whispering to him while glancing at Jason, hospital staff discover his room empty. Now aware he has a son, Superman visits the sleeping Jason and repeats the words of his own father. Lois starts writing another article, titled "Why the World Needs Superman", and Superman reassures her that he is back for good.
Cast
- Brandon Routh as Clark Kent / Superman: The Kryptonian superhero who disguises himself as a journalist. Director Singer believed only an unknown actor would be suitable for the part. Routh was chosen from thousands of candidates interviewed at casting calls in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia. He had coincidentally auditioned for Clark Kent in the television series Smallville, but lost to Tom Welling. Routh had also met director Joseph "McG" Nichol for the role during pre-production of . Dana Reeve, wife of Christopher Reeve, believed Routh's physical resemblance to her late husband was striking. To obtain the muscular physique to play Superman convincingly, Routh underwent a strict bodybuilding exercise regimen. Prior to Routh's casting, Singer had X2 actor Daniel Cudmore audition.
- Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane: A reporter who works with Clark Kent at the Daily Planet, and former lover of Superman. Spacey recommended Singer to cast Bosworth in the role because she co-starred with Spacey in Beyond the Sea as Sandra Dee. Claire Danes and Keri Russell were reportedly considered for the role. Amy Adams, who would later be cast as Lois Lane in the 2013 reboot Man of Steel, confirmed in an interview that she had also auditioned for Lois in 2005. Adams had previously auditioned for Lois in 2003 when Brett Ratner was planning to direct Superman: Flyby. Bosworth studied Katharine Hepburn's acting for inspiration, particularly in The Philadelphia Story and Guess Who's Coming to Dinner, as well as Julia Roberts in Erin Brockovich.
- James Marsden as Richard White: The nephew of the Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White and fiancé to Lois Lane. Marsden said Richard acts as an emotional challenge for Superman, since the hero comes back to find that "Lois Lane picks somebody who's very Supermanesque".
- Frank Langella as Perry White: The editor of the Daily Planet. Hugh Laurie was originally attached to the role.
- Eva Marie Saint as Martha Kent: Clark Kent's adoptive mother.
- Parker Posey as Kitty Kowalski: Lex Luthor's henchwoman. She served as a prison nurse and would give Lex his examinations. The character is based on Eve Teschmacher from the 1978 film, portrayed by Valerie Perrine. Posey was the only actress considered for the role.
- Kal Penn as Stanford: One of Luthor's henchmen.
- Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen: a photographer at the Daily Planet and a friend of Clark.
- Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor: A sociopath armed with vast resources and an extensive knowledge of science who is Superman's nemesis. Because of his Oscar-winning performance in Singer's film The Usual Suspects, and friendship with the director, Spacey was the only actor considered for Luthor. The writers specifically had Spacey in mind for the part when writing the script. Spacey's version of Luthor has the same comically exaggerated vanity and pompous arrogance of the earlier Gene Hackman version, as well as the same strong interest in real estate, but Spacey's version is far less campy and more serious. Spacey later said that director Singer told him to play the character as "darker and more bitter" compared to Hackman and not to use the earlier portrayal as an inspiration.
Peta Wilson appears as NASA spokeswoman Bobbie-Faye. Jack Larson, who portrayed Jimmy Olsen in the 1950s television series Adventures of Superman, makes a cameo appearance as a bartender. Noel Neill—who portrayed Lois Lane in the television series and the film serials Superman and Atom Man vs. Superman —appears as Luthor's elderly wife Gertrude Vanderworth. Richard Branson cameos as the engineer aboard the space shuttle. Another of Luthor's henchmen is played by Australian Rugby League footballer Ian Roberts.
Development
Director, screenwriter and producer Bryan Singer conceived the storyline of "Superman returning to Earth after a five-year absence" during the filming of X2. He presented the idea to X-Men and X2 producer Lauren Shuler Donner and her husband Richard Donner, director of Superman. Donner greeted Singer's idea with positive feedback. In March 2004, Warner Bros. Pictures was commencing pre-production on Superman: Flyby, which had a target theatrical release date of June 2006. McG was signed to direct with a script by J. J. Abrams, but dropped out in June 2004. That same month, Singer was approached by Warner Bros. to pitch his idea for Superman Returns, as he was preparing to leave for Hawaii on a short vacation with his X2 writers Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris. While in Hawaii, Singer, Dougherty and Harris began to outline the film treatment. In July 2004, Singer signed on to direct and develop Superman Returns.Although he was not a comic book fan, Singer was most impressed with Donner's 1978 film, citing it as an influence of his, Dougherty and Harris's writing. With Singer's hiring, he dropped out of and also had the Logan's Run remake pushed back. Superman Returns was financed 50/50 between Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures, and pre-production began in November 2004. By February 2005, Dougherty and Harris had written six drafts of the script. Early versions of the script contained references to the September 11 attacks before they were removed.
Production
Warner Bros. Pictures considered shooting Superman Returns at Warner Roadshow Studios in the Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia. After filming, this could have been used as an attraction for the adjoining Warner Bros. Movie World theme park, but the idea was scrapped for being too expensive. Set construction started in January 2005 at Fox Studios Australia for the film's 60 setpieces, while the start date was pushed back for two weeks. In an attempt to avoid public attention, Superman Returns carried the fake working title of Red Sun during filming. Starting in late March 2005, principal photography lasted until November. Filming of Superman Returns in New South Wales constituted hiring thousands of local workers, generating over $100 million into the local economy. 80% of filming took place at Fox Studios Australia, occupying all nine sound stages. Scenes set in Smallville were shot at Tamworth, while the Australian Museum doubled for the Metropolis Museum of Natural History.Design and effects
Superman Returns was shot using Panavision's Genesis digital camera. Production designer Guy Hendrix Dyas was influenced by Frank Lloyd Wright's Johnson Wax Headquarters for the design of the Daily Planet. ESC Entertainment was originally set to design the visual effects sequences, but Warner Bros. replaced them with the hiring of Mark Stetson from Sony Pictures Imageworks as the visual effects supervisor. A total of 1,400 visual effects shots were created. The script required a scene of Superman safely delivering a Boeing 777 in a baseball park where computer-generated imagery was used as it would have been impossible to assemble the number of extras for the shots. A second unit crew traveled to Dodger Stadium to photograph elements that were composited into the final images. The scenes of Metropolis was actually a modified version of the skyline of Manhattan. Using footage from the original Superman film as a reference point, Marlon Brando was re-created by Rhythm & Hues using CGI. The opening credits for Superman Returns are presented in an intended recreation of the style used for Superman, again to the accompaniment of John Williams's theme music.Music
Singer hired regular collaborator John Ottman as editor and film score composer months before the script was written. Ottman said in past interviews that John Williams, who composed the 1978 film, had influenced his decision to become a musician. He was both cautious and enthusiastic to work on Superman Returns. "Bryan said he wouldn't even greenlight the movie if he couldn't use the John Williams music." Ottman continued, "it was important for me to preserve the Williams theme right down to every single note for the opening titles." Ottman referred to his work on Superman Returns as a homage to, not a ripoff of, Williams.Budget
Originally budgeted at $184.5 million, Warner Bros. placed the final production cost at $223 million, coming down to $204 million after factoring in tax rebates and incentives. Taking into account the development costs since the early 1990s, total expenditure is estimated to be around $263 million, with up to a further $100 million spent on worldwide marketing.Release
Marketing
Warner Bros. promoted Superman Returns at 2005 San Diego Comic-Con International. Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris came up with the idea of publishing a prequel limited series, spanning four comic book issues. The stories were written by Jimmy Palmiotti, Marc Andreyko, and Justin Gray, with artwork by Karl Kerschl and Matt Haley. During production, a series of "video diaries" on the Internet were released at , showing behind-the-scenes work being done. After 27 installments, the video diaries stopped for a while shortly before the teaser trailer debuted on November 17, 2005. The main theatrical trailer premiered online on May 2, 2006. The trailer appeared in theaters on May 5, with prints of ', while the international trailer came with The Da Vinci Code and '. DC Comics published a comics adaptation by artist Matt Haley and writer Martin Pasko, Marv Wolfman wrote a novelization, and Electronic Arts developed a video game based on both the movie and the comics.The estimated cost of marketing Superman Returns in the United States was $45.5 million, the second-highest of the year behind Disney's $53.5 million campaign for Cars. Warner Bros. made tie-in deals with General Mills, Burger King, Duracell, Pepsi, Doritos, Papa John's Pizza, 7-Eleven and Colgate. The film was also advertised with Red Bull Racing Formula One cars at the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. David Coulthard managed to get the team's first top three finish that day; on the podium, he wore a Superman cape in celebration of his achievement. NASCAR Sprint Cup champion Jeff Gordon also sported the "Man of Steel" look by promoting the movie on his #24 Chevrolet Monte Carlo in the 2006 Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway. Troy Bayliss appeared in promotional "Superman" leathers and sported a cape on the podium following a win and a 2nd place at the 2006 Brands Hatch Superbike World Championship round on his way to winning that year's championship. The National Geographic Channel released The Science of Superman on June 29, 2006: a television special that studied popular science analogies with the Superman mythos. Singer admitted at 2006 Comic-Con International that he was dissatisfied with the marketing and promotion. "A lot of people did their job, and a lot didn't".
Box office
Bryan Singer convinced Warner Bros. not to experiment with test screenings. In addition, Singer removed 15 minutes of footage from Superman Returns after showing it to some of his "trusted associates". The final theatrical time length ran at 154 minutes. Warner Bros. originally slated the movie for release on Friday, June 30, but moved it up to Wednesday, June 28. Superman Returns was released on June 28, 2006 in the United States and Canada in 4,065 theaters. The film ranked at the top in its opening weekend, grossing $52.5 million.Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience was released simultaneously in 111 IMAX-format theatres worldwide, which included 20 minutes of converted 3D film material. It was the first Hollywood full-length live-action film to be released in this combined format. One of the key scenes Singer took out was "the Return to Krypton sequence". Ten million dollars was spent on this sequence alone, but it was deleted. Singer noted that it could not be released as part of a DVD featurette because it was converted to IMAX 3D. He hoped it could have appeared in an IMAX reissue. The film's second-week gross rapidly declined from the first week, due to the presence of and The Devil Wears Prada. Superman Returns went on to gross $200,081,192 in North America and $191 million internationally, earning $391,081,192 worldwide. Domestically, the film was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2006. In worldwide totals, Superman Returns was ninth-highest.
Critical reception
On Rotten Tomatoes, Superman Returns has an approval rating of 75% based on 260 reviews, with an average rating of 7/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Bryan Singer's reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B+" on an A+ to F scale.Richard Corliss of Time praised Superman Returns, calling it one of the best superhero films. He was mostly impressed with Singer's direction and the storyline. Joe Morgenstern from The Wall Street Journal also gave a positive review, but observed Routh's and Bosworth's acting was "somewhat dead or super average. Nothing special." Morgenstern believed Lex Luthor's characterization was "well written by the writers and well played by Kevin Spacey". He also praised Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography and Guy Hendrix Dyas's production design.
Peter Travers, writing in Rolling Stone, felt the film "perfectly updates Superman for the modern audience". J. Hoberman of The Village Voice called it "surprisingly well made. It's a summer blockbuster filled with mythology and sensitivity." James Berardinelli reacted positively to the movie, comparing it favorably with Richard Donner's 1978 film. He felt Spacey was better than Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, describing him as "more cruel and less flippant" than Hackman. "There are no miscasts to be found in the supporting cast, either," Berardinelli said. "Superman Returns is near the top, if not at the top of the superhero movie pile. It offers nearly everything: romance, action, humor, and plenty of goose bumps."
However, Roger Ebert argued the film was a "glum, lackluster movie in which even the big effects sequences seem dutiful instead of exhilarating." He also felt that "Brandon Routh lacks charisma as Superman", surmising that he "may have been cast because he looks a little like Reeve". Mick LaSalle of the San Francisco Chronicle felt that Warner Bros. should have rebooted the series along the lines of Batman Begins. He also felt Bosworth, at 22 years old, was too young to portray Lois Lane, and the climax did not "match the potential of the tiring 154-minute-long film".
Other commentary
On May 3, 2009, almost three years after the debut of Superman Returns, the Academy Award-winning filmmaker and screenwriter Quentin Tarantino declared his appreciation for Bryan Singer's directorial work on Superman Returns and that he would write a 20-page review about Superman Returns.On January 9, 2012, more than five years after the movie was released, the independent film community daily news site IndieWire released a two-part video essay that probes the melancholic nature of Superman Returns. Produced by Matt Zoller Seitz and Ken Cancelosi, the critique was inspired by a review that Seitz wrote for the New York Press in 2006, in which he stated that "From the moment its hero returns to the sky to rescue Lois Lane from a plummeting jet, Superman Returns flirts with greatness."
In 2013, Singer stated that Superman Returns was made for "Perhaps more of a female audience. It wasn't what it needed to be, I guess." Singer stated that he would have cut about the first quarter off of the film and started it with "the jet disaster sequence or something. I could have grabbed the audience a little more quickly. I don't know what would have helped. Probably nothing. If I could go again, I would do an origin. I would reboot it."
Empire ranked the movie 496 on its "The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time" list, stating, "It may have been a slighter return than some people had hoped for, but Singer's vision of the Man of Steel is an heroic effort. Plenty of spectacle and a lot of heart helps Kal-El soar."
Accolades
Superman Returns was nominated for both the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects and BAFTA Award for Best Special Visual Effects, but lost to . The film was successful at the 33rd Saturn Awards, winning Best Fantasy Film, and categories for Direction, Best Actor, Writing and Music. Kate Bosworth, Tristan Lake Leabu, James Marsden, Parker Posey, and the visual effects department were nominated for categories. However, Bosworth was also nominated a Razzie Award for Worst Supporting Actress.| Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Actor | Brandon Routh | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Actress | Kate Bosworth | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Supporting Actor | James Marsden | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Young Actor | Tristan Lake Leabu | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Score | John Ottman | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Visual Effects | Superman Returns | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Screenplay | Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Director | Bryan Singer | |
| 2007 | Saturn Awards | Best Fantasy Film | Superman Returns |
Home media
Superman Returns debuted on DVD on November 28, 2006 in two versions, one with a single disc, and a double-disc edition which featured over three hours of behind-the-scenes features. That same day, a 14-disc DVD box set titled Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition was released, containing special editions of all five Superman films, as well as the documentary . It debuted at the top spot of the DVD charts, and also generated $13 million in rentals during its first week.The film was also released in both high-definition formats, HD DVD, which featured both standard and high definitions on the same disc, and Blu-ray. It was the best-selling title on both formats in 2006, and was among the best-sellers of both formats of 2007.
Legacy
Cancelled sequel
In February 2006, four months before the release of Superman Returns, Warner Bros. announced a mid-2009 theatrical release date for a sequel, with Bryan Singer reprising his directing duties. Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth, Kevin Spacey, Sam Huntington, Frank Langella, and Tristan Lake Leabu were to reprise their roles. Due to his commitment, Singer dropped out of directing a remake of Logan's Run and an adaptation of The Mayor of Castro Street. Writer Michael Dougherty wanted the sequel to be "action packed", featuring "other Kryptonians" with Brainiac and Bizarro also considered for primary villains. The "New Krypton" landmass floating in space at the end of Superman Returns would have served as a plot device. Although Superman Returns received mostly positive reviews, Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures were disappointed by the film's box office return. Warner Bros. President Alan F. Horn explained that Superman Returns was a very successful film, but that it "should have done $500 million worldwide. We should have had perhaps a little more action to satisfy the young male crowd." Singer reacted incredulously to the studio complaints, saying, "That movie made $400 million! I don’t know what constitutes under-performing these days..." $175 million was the maximum budget Warner Bros. was projecting for the sequel, as Superman Returns cost $204 million.Filming for the Superman Returns sequel was to start in mid-2007, before Singer halted development in favor of Valkyrie. Filming was then pushed to March 2008, but writers Dougherty and Dan Harris left in favor of other career opportunities. The 2007–2008 Writers Guild of America strike pushed the release date to 2010. Singer still listed the sequel as a priority in March 2008, saying that the film was in early development. Routh expected filming to begin in early 2009. Paul Levitz, president of DC Comics, expected Routh to reprise the title role from Superman Returns before his contract for a sequel expired in 2009. However, with Warner Bros. deciding to reboot the film series, Singer dropped out in favor of directing Jack the Giant Slayer. In August 2008, Warner Bros. President of Production Jeff Robinov reflected, "Superman Returns didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to. It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. Now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all."