Superman Returns (2006)

**Superman Returns (2006)** is .

## Plot

The movie opens with a very brief summary of the origin story that reads, "On the doomed planet Krypton, a wise scientist placed his infant son into a spacecraft and launched him to Earth. Raised by a kind farmer and his wife, the boy grew up to become our greatest protector...Superman". During the beginning, we see the city where Kal-El was born (including the famous white dome that housed the trial of General Zod, Ursa, and Non), then as to replicate the lift-off, other cities can be seen on the night side. Rao, a red supergiant star instead of a red giant becomes a type II supernova, destroying Krypton completely and then finally the planet's destruction by a supernova of its red supergiant sun which The destruction of Krypton is seen before the opening credits after The planet is destroyed when the red supergiant Rao becomes a supernova.

After The-Opening Credits, Superman has been missing for five years, since traveling to the location where astronomers believed they had discovered the remains of Krypton. During his absence, Superman's nemesis Lex Luthor was released from prison and married a rich widow to obtain her fortune upon her death. Superman, having failed in his quest to find surviving Kryptonians, returns to Earth and, as Clark Kent, resumes his job at the *Daily Planet* in Metropolis. He subsequently learns that Lois Lane has won the Pulitzer Prize for her article "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman." Meanwhile, Luthor travels to the Fortress of Solitude and steals Kryptonian crystals, which he uses for an experiment that causes a power outage on the East Coast. The power loss interferes with the flight test of a space shuttle to be launched into space from its piggy-back mounting on an airliner, occupied by Lois Lane, who is covering the story. Clark flies into action as Superman and stops the plane from crashing onto a baseball stadium.

The world rejoices at Superman's return, but he has difficulty coping with Lois' fiancé, Richard White, nephew of *Daily Planet* editor-in-chief Perry White, and their 5-year-old son, Jason. With Superman distracted by an out-of-control vehicle (a diversion involving Luthor's henchwoman, Kitty Kowalski), Luthor steals Kryptonite from the Metropolis Museum of Natural History. Perry then assigns Lois to interview Superman while Clark investigates the blackout. Lois and Jason inadvertently board Luthor's yacht and are captured after Lois decides to hold interest in the blackout story, which she connects to Luthor's experiment. He reveals to them his grand scheme of using one of the stolen Kryptonian crystals, which he has combined with the Kryptonite, to grow a new continental landmass in the Northern Atlantic Ocean that will cause sea levels to rise drastically, killing billions of people.

Seeing Jason seemingly have a slight reaction to Kryptonite, Luthor asks who Jason's father really is; Lois asserts that the father is Richard. The crystal begins to create Luthor's new landmass, while Lois attempts to escape but is attacked by a henchman. Jason throws a piano at the henchman, killing him and showing that he is actually Superman's son. Meanwhile, Superman is attempting to minimize the destruction in Metropolis caused by the new landmass' growth when Richard arrives in a sea plane to rescue Lois and Jason. Superman soon arrives to help and then flies off to find Luthor.

Meeting Luthor, Superman discovers the landmass is filled with Kryptonite, which weakens him to the point that Luthor and his henchmen are able to brutalize and torture him. Superman is stabbed by Luthor with a shard of Kryptonite and falls into the ocean. Lois makes Richard turn back to rescue Superman, whereupon she removes the Kryptonite from his back. Superman, after regaining his strength from the sun, lifts the landmass after putting layers of earth between him and the Kryptonite. Luthor and Kitty escape in their helicopter; Kitty, unwilling to let billions of people die, tosses away the crystals that Lex stole from the Fortress of Solitude. She and Luthor are stranded on a desert island when their helicopter runs out of fuel. Superman pushes the landmass into space with the crystals trapped on the landmass, but is weakened by the Kryptonite and crashes back to Earth. Doctors remove more Kryptonite from Superman's wound, but after it is removed they cannot penetrate his skin with their surgical tools. While Superman remains in a coma, Lois and Jason visit him at the hospital where Lois whispers a secret into Superman's ear and then kisses him. Superman later awakens and flies to visit Jason, reciting his father Jor-El's last speech to Jason as he sleeps. Lois starts writing another article, titled "Why the World Needs Superman". Superman reassures her that he is now back to stay, and flies off to low orbit, where he gazes down at the world once again.

## Cast

### Portrayed-Cast

* Brandon Routh as Kal-El/Clark Joseph Kent/Superman
	+ Stephan Bender as 15 Year Old of Clark Joseph Kent
* Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor
* Marlon Brando as Jor-El (archive footage): Superman's deceased father, who appears as a hologram to Luthor and whose voice is heard several times in the film.
* Eva Marie Saint as Martha Clark Kent
* Kate Bosworth as Lois Lane
* Sam Huntington as Jimmy Olsen
* Frank Langella as Perry White
* James Marsden as Richard White
* Tristan Lake Leabu as Jason White
* Jack Larson as Bo "Bibbo" Bibbowski
* Parker Posey as Kitty Kowalski
* Noel Neill as Gertrude Vanderworth
* Kal Penn as Stanford: Luthor's henchman.
* David Fabrizio as Brutus: Luthor's henchman, who guards over Lois and Jason.
* Vincent Stone as Grant: Luthor's henchman.
* Ian Roberts as Riley: Luthor's henchman.

Marlon Brando appears posthumously as Jor-El, Superman's biological father. Brando, who died in 2004, reprises his role from the 1978 film through the use of previous footage combined with computer-generated imagery. This required negotiations with Brando's estate for permission to have his footage used. Singer explained, "We had access to all of the Brando footage that was shot. There was unused footage that had Brando reciting poems, trailing off subject and swearing like a sailor."

Tristan Lake Leabu stars as Jason White, the son of Lois Lane and Superman. The question of whether Superman or Richard is Jason's father is initially unclear. He suffers from asthma and other ailments, but it is later revealed that he is the son of Superman, when he displays superhuman strength and discomfort around Kryptonite.

Peta Wilson appears as NASA spokeswoman Bobbie-Faye.

## Development

Further information: Superman in film § Abandoned projects

Director, screenwriter and producer Bryan Singer conceived the storyline of "Superman returning to Earth after a five-year absence" during the filming of *X2* (2003). He presented the idea to *X-Men* (2000) and *X2* producer Lauren Shuler Donner and her husband Richard Donner, director of *Superman* (1978). 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 *X-Men: The Last Stand* (2006) 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.

### Casting

Jim Caviezel expressed interest in playing the role of Superman but Director Singer believed only an unknown actor would be suitable for the part of Superman. Brandon 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 *Superman: Flyby*. 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.

Kevin Spacey was the only actor considered for Lex Luthor, because of his Oscar-winning performance in Singer's film *The Usual Suspects* (1995), and friendship with the director. The writers specifically had Spacey in mind for the part when writing the script.

For the part of Lois Lane, Spacey recommended Kate Bosworth to Singer for the role, because she had co-starred with Spacey in *Beyond the Sea* (2004) as Sandra Dee. Claire Danes and Keri Russell were reportedly also considered. 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* (1940) and *Guess Who's Coming to Dinner* (1967), as well as Julia Roberts in *Erin Brockovich* (2000).

Hugh Laurie was originally cast as Perry White, but he was unable to film due to commitments to the TV show *House*; the part went to Frank Langella.

Parker Posey was the only actress considered for the role of Kitty Kowalski.

Singer offered the role of Jimmy Olsen to Shawn Ashmore but declined due to his commitments to X-Men: The Last Stand; the part went to Sam Huntington.

### 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 Breeza, while the Australian Museum doubled for the Metropolis Museum of Natural History.

### Design and effects

A digital recreation of Marlon Brando in the film, as Jor-El.

*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* (1978) 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

See also: Superman Returns (soundtrack) and Sound of Superman

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*. Ottman commented: "Bryan [Singer] said he wouldn't even greenlight the movie if he couldn't use the John Williams music. 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.

## Release

### Marketing

See also: Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman

The *Superman Returns* cast with members of the Red Bull Racing team.

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 BlueTights.net, 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 *Mission: Impossible III*, while the international trailer came with *The Da Vinci Code* and *X-Men: The Last Stand*. 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[*citation needed*], 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".

### 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."

### 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 *Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman*. 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.

## References to the Christopher Reeve films

Superman Returns has similarities with the James Bond series of films in that it is implied that it shares common continuity with earlier films, despite the change of actors in key roles and time-setting. The most noticeable of these links is the use of John Williams' original themes from Superman, much as Bond films continued to reference the original "James Bond Theme", and the use of Brando's voice and archive footage. A more subtle reference is the appearance of a photograph of Glenn Ford as Clark's now-deceased adopted father Jonathan Kent (a deleted scene included on the DVD release gives a clearer view of this image); Ford had played the role in the original film. Other links to the previous films include Luthor's "affinity for beachfront property" which is a continuation of his original scheme from the first film (his quoting of his father's words of advice echoes similar dialog spoken by the Gene Hackman version of the character in the first film), and Superman's encounter with Lois on the rooftop which echoes their first romantic encounter. Luthor also shows knowledge of the workings of the Fortress of Solitude, as he had previously visited the place in Superman II, though when asked if he'd been there before, he does not answer. The kryptonite meteorite in the museum is labelled as having been found in Addis Ababa in 1978 -- the same location where the kryptonite meteorite was accessed by Luthor in the first film (released in 1978). The revelation that Jason is Superman's son ties in with the sexual encounter between Superman and Lois that occurs in Superman II. The presence of Martha Kent indicates that the events of Superman III and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, in which Martha has died, have been discounted. In the behind-the-scenes featurettes included on the DVD release, the writers and director specifically indicate they approached Superman Returns as a sequel to the first film and, to a lesser degree, Superman II. The opening title sequence is the same as the original, except it is reverse with the text zooming in with the swish and zooming out as normal text.

Another referenced scene occurs when the 777 jet is landed in the baseball field and Superman asks the crew if "everyone is all right?" Following a very brief reunion with Lois, Superman then switches to the comic style superhero and states almost word for word, Reeve's line in the original film: "Well, I hope this experience hasn't put any of you off flying. Statistically speaking, it's still the safest way to travel." After the flyway at this point, Lois faints as she also does in the original Donner film.

## Promotion

Warner Brothers promoted Superman Returns very heavily prior to its cinematic release. During production, Singer released a series of 'video diaries' on the internet at BlueTights.net, giving almost unprecedented up-to-date insight into the behind-the-scenes work being done on what would normally be a very secretive production. However, after 27 installments, the video diaries stopped for a while shortly before the teaser trailer debuted. On November 17, 2005, Warner Bros. released the teaser trailer, containing John Williams' music and Marlon Brando's dialogue from Superman. The main theatrical trailer premiered online on May 2, 2006. It appeared in theatres on May 5, 2006, along with prints of Mission: Impossible 3. On May 19, 2006 with UK prints of The Da Vinci Code, the studio released the film's international trailer. A second full version was issued with some prints of X-Men: The Last Stand on May 26, 2006. A third trailer appeared on the film's new official website in June, 2006. It also appeared online before the new site came on in the end of May.

Warner Bros rolled out an immense list of tie in products and companies which included General Mills, Burger King, Duracell, Pepsi, Mountain Dew, Lays, Fritos, Doritos, Papa Johns, 7/11, and Colgate. Waners Bros advertised the movie on the Red Bull Racing Formula One cars for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix; David Coulthard managed to get the team's first podium that day as well. On the podium, Coulthard also wore a Superman cape in celebration of his achievement. NASCAR 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.

During the weekend of August 4-6th Troy Bayliss (Ducati Xerox), attired in ‘Superman Returns’ leathers and artwork, scored the race one win at Brands Hatch in the UK, where 115,000 spectators enjoyed the race action over the entire weekend.

On May 11, 2006 Warner Bros began a campaign of nine different television commercials, and released eleven clips of Superman Returns through various websites midway through June. The iTunes Music Store also released an exclusive premiere scene, and was first made available on June 20, 2006, and continues to be available at apple.com.

### Documentary

Robert Meyer Burnett directed a three hour documentary called *Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns*, released on home video editions.

*Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman*, another documentary covering the history of the Superman franchise, was released just prior to the film. Along with input from Bryan Singer, the documentary contains commentary from other past and present actors, directors, writers, artists, and fans, and was narrated by Kevin Spacey.

### IMAX 3D release

Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience was released simultaneously in 111 IMAX format theatres world-wide, which (in some theaters) included approximately 26 minutes of specially converted 3D material. It is the first Hollywood live-action film to be released in this combined format. The movie has on-screen cues so moviegoers will know when to put on and remove 3D glasses. The scenes featured were 'Memories' (back on the farm), 'Rough Flight' (catching the jet), 'Saving The Lanes' (raising the stricken yacht) and 'Fly Away' (credits flightpast). The most recent 3D films to do this theatrically were Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over and The Adventures of Sharkboy and Lavagirl in 3-D, but these films were not displayed in IMAX or in polarized 3D; instead they were released in anaglyph format, for budgetary reasons and also to aid transition of format to DVD. It is therefore unlikely that this version of Superman will see the light of day outside of an IMAX theatre in the near future.

For certain theatres, especially IMAX Dome theatres which are unable to support 3D film, the film was shown in 2D. However, only certain seats in the theatre would provide full views of the screen, due to its large and curving nature. Some of these theatres received complaints and requests for refunds by audience members who thought that they would be seeing a 3D version of the film.

Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience had grossed over $30 million as of September 2006 from IMAX theatres worldwide, a record for the format. The performance in many worldwide markets was also remarkable, with strong box office receipts for a run of more than 13 weeks.

Though the film was shot at Fox Studios in Sydney, Australia, Superman Returns was not released in any Australian IMAX cinemas.

### Prequels

DC Comics, Superman's publisher, released four prequel titles throughout June 2006 to tie in with the movie. The four 40-page editions served to bridge the story of Superman II and Superman Returns and are entitled Krypton to Earth (which reintroduces the origin from the 1978 Film, with Jor-El as the main protagonist), Ma Kent (in which Martha Kent recalls finding her son, his life growing up, and contemplates if she'll ever see him again), Lex Luthor (discussing Lex Luthor's time in jail, how he met Kitty and Gertrude Vanderworth (the old rich woman) and Lois Lane (going over Lois' heartbreaking loss of the Man of Steel, her first meeting with Richard, and the birth of Jason).

### Adaptations

DC Comics also released a comic adaptation of the movie written by Martin Pasko and illustrated by Matt Haley. The story in the adaptation only focuses on the core story, and does not have any mention of the possibility that Jason is the son of Superman. However, the comic does include scenes from Superman's journey in Krypton, unrealized scenes shot for the movie. The novelization by Marv Wolfman was published by Warner Books on 1 June, 2006. The novelization does not link Jason to Superman. Brutus is killed by Lois by pulling a bookcase down onto his head, snapping his neck. However, just like in the movie, it is Jason who finds Superman near-drowning.

## Sequel

Prior to the debut of Superman Returns in the United Kingdom, Brandon Routh hinted at the possibility of the sequel at a press conference, saying "At the end of this film we see that there is so much more to explore." Newsarama reported from the 2006 San Diego Comic-Con that director Bryan Singer had been in talks to direct a sequel for 2009. According to the article, Singer said that while Superman Returns allowed him to introduce the cast, the sequel would allow him to 'go Wrath of Khan on it.' He added that there would be an alien villain. In another interview on Superherohype.com, Singer indicated a possible return of the New Krypton island.

On August 18 2006, the Los Angeles Times reported that Warner president Alan Horn thought that Superman Returns "was a very successful movie" and that he was planning on a sequel for 2009.Template:Fact It had been thought that a Superman Returns sequel hinged on the film's domestic box office performance, with some media outlets suggesting that Warner Bros. wanted it to take in at least $200 million in the United States for a sequel to get the green light. The film officially passed the $200 million domestic mark on October 22 2006. On October 25 2006, IESB.net reported that a deal between director Bryan Singer and Warner Bros. had been finalized for a sequel. The budget will reportedly be reduced; however, the existing sets would contribute to lower costs across the board for the upcoming movie. In addition any sunk costs for the abortive sequels in the 1990s would not be included in the budget. The sequel is expected to be more action focused than its predecessor.

The working title for the sequel has been reported, and neither confirmed nor denied, as Superman: The Man of Steel. The focus will be on a tighter story with more villains and bigger action sequences.

Current talk states that Warner Bros. is also contemplating fast tracking the long-planned Justice League film including Superman as the league's iconic leader, possibly before the solo sequel. However, this doesn't impact Routh playing Superman in the future.

Brandon Routh reprised his role for sixth Arrowverse annual crossover event Crisis on Infinite Earths.

## DVD release

The DVD release of Superman Returns was released on November 28, 2006. There are two versions available: a single-disc version as well as a 2-disc Special Edition.

The single-disc edition has no extra features, while the 2-disc edition has over 3 hours of bonus material, including deleted scenes and a behind-the-scenes documentary titled Requiem for Krypton: Making Superman Returns, created by Ludovico Technique. Requiem for Krypton, which accounts for nearly all of the three hours of bonus features (thereby making it actually longer than the film being profiled), ends with a blooper reel from the film, including outtakes from scenes not in the theatrical release of the film, culminating in a rare outtake featuring Marlon Brando.

The Special Edition release of the film is also included in the 14-disc Ultimate Superman Collection. Alongside the four original Christopher Reeve films it features Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as well as Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman and other documentaries. One of the DVDs in the Ultimate Collection set consists of Singer's Internet video blog entries.

Superman Returns was also released on HD DVD (which features standard-def on the disc's opposite side) and Blu-ray Disc. The film became the best-selling DVD of 2006 on amazon.com in both the HD DVD and Blu-ray Disc formats.

### Easter eggs

There is one easter egg found on each of the discs included in the 2-disc Special Edition. The first (also available on the single disc version) is a cheat code for the video game that will allow the player to play as Bizarro. The second egg features several takes of Kevin Spacey yelling "wrong".

## Original Soundtrack release

A soundtrack album assembled by composer John Ottman was released June 27 2006 by Warner Sunset Records / Rhino Entertainment. It contained over 55 minutes of the original score as well as some Enhanced CD multimedia content, including two trailers and a "Behind the Scenes" piece on the recording of the score, which includes the film take on the main titles which is edited on this album with the end credits to create the "Superman March," which does not appear in its entirety in the film.

1. Main Titles (3:49)
2. Memories (3:07)
3. Rough Flight (5:13)
4. Little Secrets/Power Of The Sun (2:49)
5. Bank Job (2:21)
6. How Could You Leave Us? (5:49)
7. Tell Me Everything (3:13)
8. You're Not One Of Them (2:22)
9. Not Like The Train Set (5:12)
10. So Long Superman (5:31)
11. The People You Care For (3:27)
12. I Wanted You To Know (2:56)
13. Saving The World (3:12)
14. In The Hands Of Mortals (2:11)
15. Reprise/Fly Away (4:15)

Tracks do not appear in the order that they occur in the film, but instead in a succession chosen by Ottman for listening purposes. Listeners interested in hearing the selections in score order may program the album thus: 1, 7, 2, 3, 8, 5, 4 (to 1:02), 6, 9, 10, 11, 4 (from 1:02), 13, 14, 12, 15.

### Music not included in the soundtrack

There are several famous songs featured in the film but not included on the soundtrack album, which concentrated on the original score composed by John Ottman with themes from John Williams' score for the original 1978 film.

According to the timeline they appear in the movie, the source music included:

* From 00:11:25 to 00:12:30, the aria "The Flower Duet" from the opera "Lakmé" by Léo Delibes is used when Katherine "Kitty" Kowalski says Lex Luthor's friends are giving her creeps and Lex Luthor tells the story of Prometheus.
* From 00:47:36 to 00:47:54, The Drifters' rendering of the English version of Quando Quando Quando is featured when Clark Kent gestures to Lois Lane in a jam-packed elevator.
* From 00:50:50 to 00:52:08, the instrumental version of "Heart & Soul" by Frank Loesser and Hoagy Carmichael was performed by Jason when Superman overhears the conversation between Richard White and Lois Lane outside their house.
* From 01:04:52 to 01:05:41, "Spring" from Antonio Vivaldi's violin concerto "The Four Seasons" is featured when Katherine "Kitty" Kowalski is going to slap Lex Luthor for his cutting off her car's brake. The music is performed by the Budapest String Quartet.
* From 01:20:50 to 01:22:14, the aria "Habanera" from the opera Carmen by Georges Bizet is featured when Lois Lane investigates Lex Luthor's yacht. The music is performed by the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra.
* From 01:23:00 to 01:24:28, the 2nd movement called "Andante in F major" from Mozart's Piano Concerto No. 21 in C major K 467 is used when Lex Luthor "agrees" to Lois Lane's interview. The music is performed by the The Concentus Hungaricus.
* From 01:30:40 to 01:33:28, the instrumental version of "Heart & Soul" by Frank Loesser and Hoagy Carmichael is heard on and off again when Jason plays the piano duet with Lex Luthor's henchman Brutus.

There are also quite a few pieces from the score that weren't included on the album.

* At the beginning of the film, Ottman adapted the opening of Williams' "The Planet Krypton" from *Superman*, but added a choir.
* The main titles is a different edit than what appears on the album, segueing directly from the primary "Superman" portion of the march to the "Can You Read My Mind" section. The final fanfare ends on a different note than Williams' original version.
* There is a quiet piece for the death of Gertrude Vanderworth, which is followed by the introduction of Lex Luthor's motif. While Lex's motif is heard throughout the album, it is only rarely heard in its 'pure' form, as it is here.
* After Superman rescues the airplane, a reprise of "The Fortress of Solitude" from Williams' original 1978 score is heard as he asks after Lois' well-being.
* From 00:21:26 to 00:21:56, a John Ottman original is used when Clark Kent first goes back to Daily Planet until he catches Jimmy Olsen's falling camera.
* From 00:59:40 to 01:00:36, a John Ottman original is used when Lex Luthor and his thugs prepares to steal kryptonite from Metropolis Museum of National History.
* From 02:34:00 to 02:37:00 A John Ottman original is used in one of the final scenes in the film, where Superman is giving the Jor-El speech to Jason.
* The end titles version of the march is combined with the main title on the album, but in the film the conclusion is much more like Williams' conclusion for the 1978 film's end title march, with the final fanfare ending in a tail that leads up to a crescendo.

**The Complete Score Track Listings**

Disc 1

1. WB Logo (0:14)
2. The Planet Krypton (1:08)
3. Main Titles (2:46)
4. Dying Wish Part I (2:03)
5. Dying Wish Part II (0:40)
6. Homecoming (1:21)
7. Tell Me Everything (4:07)
8. Stars In The Sky (0:28)
9. Memories (3:21)
10. Put Here For A Reason (0:27)
11. World Keeps Spinning (1:07)
12. The Daily Planet (0:30)
13. Closet Case (0:25)
14. Things Have Changed (1:13)
15. Like Sea Monkeys (0:33)
16. The Genesis Project (1:11)
17. Chip Off The Old Block (0:29)
18. Drop In The Bucket (2:01)
19. Is That It? (1:16)
20. Boosters Not Responsive (1:05)
21. Rough Flight (5:27)
22. Home Run (0:30)
23. Superman Returns (1:36)
24. Superman Scoop (1:02)
25. Eavesdropping (0:17)
26. Lois' House (1:26)
27. You're Not One Of Them (1:32)
28. Bank Job (3:24)
29. Kitty Decoy (3:39)
30. Supermania (1:04)
31. Kryptonite (0:32)
32. Little Secrets (1:06)
33. How Could You Leave Us? (7:04)
34. They're Gone (1:01)
35. Bad Idea (0:41)
36. They Make Great Chandeliers (0:23)
37. Beach Front Property (0:52)
38. Suspicion (0:49)

Disc 2

1. Not Like The Train Set Part I (1:33)
2. Not Like The Train set Part II (4:30)
3. We Have To Go (0:54)
4. Who To Save (2:13)
5. Metropolis Mayhem (4:04)
6. Out At Sea (6:16)
7. So Long Superman (7:14)
8. The People You Care For (3:48)
9. Power Of The Sun (1:44)
10. Saving The World Part I (2:13)
11. Saving The World Part II (4:11)
12. In The Hands Of Mortals (1:15)
13. Family Unit (2:17)
14. I Wanted You To Know (3:05)
15. Lex's Paradise (0:18)
16. Change Of Heart (1:25)
17. Parting Words (3:23)
18. Reprise (3:38)
19. Fly Away (0:43)
20. End Credits (3:56)

## Connections to *Superman* and *Superman II*

Singer has said that *Superman Returns* uses the first two films that began with 1978's *Superman* as a vague history to the events of this film. By establishing the plot as taking place after the first two films, it consequently retcons *Superman III* and *Superman IV: The Quest for Peace* out of existence. The many references to the first two films include:

* In the first full trailer for the film, Martha Kent is heard in voice over "Your father used to say that you were put here for a reason", directly quoting a Jonathan Kent (Glenn Ford) line from the 1978 *Superman*.
* In the Kent house, there is a framed photo of Jonathan Kent, Clark Kent’s adopted father, displayed with other framed family photos. The photo is of Glenn Ford, the actor who played the character in the 1978 film.
* When Kitty and Luthor are in Fortress of Solitude, Kitty says to Lex Luthor "You act like you've been here before" (he had, in *Superman II*).
* Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor paraphrased a quote made by Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor in the original 1978 movie: "Son, stocks may rise and fall, utilities and transportation systems may collapse. People are no damn good, but they will always need land and they'll pay through the nose to get it!" Along with that, after Spacey's Lex prefaces his sentence with, "Do you know what my father used to tell me," Kitty answers, "Get out," at one point in jest, the same response Miss Teschmacher gave Hackman's Lex in the original when he rhetorically asked a similar question.
* Kitty also has a lapse of judgment similar to Teschmacher, and her final refusal to help Lex.
* The threat of "billions" of people dying is again referenced to and by Luthor, his scheme is again a real estate themed threat to destroy part of America and make profit on the newly expensive plot of land.
* Superman also struggles with kryptonite while trying to keep to the surface of a body of water, in Superman: The Movie, Lex places a kryptonite necklace around Superman while he drowns in his pool. In Superman Returns Lex stabs Superman and drops him to the ocean. Both times, a woman rescues him.
* The score composed by John Ottman features leitmotifs created by John Williams for the original film. Aside from the main "*Superman* March" theme, Ottman references "The Planet Krypton" theme, the "Death of Jonathan Kent"/"Leaving Home" themes and the "Lois Lane Theme" (aka "Can You Read My Mind") in the score for the film. The teaser trailer relies on the cue "The Planet Krypton", which was featured in the 1978 film.
* Some of John Barry's Kryptonian designs for *Superman*, including the Fortress of Solitude and the baby Kal-El's transport pod, have been recreated.
* In the original film, after saving Lois, Superman says, "I hope this hasn't put you off flying. Statistically speaking, it is still the safest way to travel." Then she faints. In *Returns*, after he saves an entire press corps on board a flight by preventing the plane from crash landing he recites the same dialogue and Lois again faints.
* When Luthor and his henchmen steal the Kryptonite from the museum, the placard indicates that the specimen was recovered from Addis Ababa in 1978. The kryptonite in the original Superman film was taken from Addis Ababa and the movie was released in 1978.
* The film mentions Lois' article "I Spent the Night with Superman" — written by the character in the 1978 film.
* Lois still smokes (unlike her comic counterpart) prompting Superman to say in *Superman* and *Superman Returns*, "You know you really shouldn't smoke Miss Lane."
* As in the original two films, Lois is still a horrible speller (as implied by the original film quotes, "How many T's in bloodletting?" and when Perry White points out that she incorrectly put two P's in "rapist"). In the new film, she asks, "How many F's in catastrophe?"
* In *Superman II*, Lois hoped to win a Pulitzer Prize by doing a story on French terrorists who were attempting to destroy the Eiffel Tower. In *Superman Returns*, she has won the Pulitzer for her essay "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman".
* In both *Superman: The Movie* and *Superman Returns*, Lex Luthor (while holding Kryptonite) states that he will defeat Superman by using "mind over muscle".
* The final scene, now computer-generated, shows Superman in space, smiling at the audience, in almost the same pose as in the final scene of the 1978 film (which was re-used at the end of the other three Reeve pictures).
* As established in the first two Christopher Reeve movies, Metropolis is essentially New York City. Featured are the Twin Towers, the Statue of Liberty, etc. (Richard Donner confirms this in his commentary for the film). This is in contrast to comic book continuity which maintains that the two cities co-exist (although even in the comics they are identifiable as the same city). Singer's film continues the canon established by Donner by setting Metropolis in place of New York City. This is supported not only by the maps on Lex Luthor's yacht, but also aerial shots of Metropolis in which Manhattan Island is clearly identifiable (its shape, Central Park, etc.) as well as its proximity to Roosevelt Island, the Hudson River, the Brooklyn and Manhattan Bridges, etc. The only difference between the two cities' skylines is the presence of the Daily Planet building (with its iconic spinning globe) in Metropolis.
* While the design of Kal-el's spaceship is essentially the same as in the first film there are some differences. The ship in *Superman Returns* was given a larger size to accommodate Kal-el as an adult. Also, in the Richard Donner classic, the ship starts to deteriorate as it enters Earth's orbit (and the wreckage of the ship is then hidden in the Kent barn), which is not apparent in the 2006 film.
* In the first movie, Lex Luthor plots to destroy the coastal area of California for real estate speculation purposes. In *Superman Returns*, his creation of the Kryptonian landmass would have flooded most of the U.S., *except* the California coastal area. Also, in both *Superman II* and *Superman Returns*, Lex makes explicit references to "beachfront property".
* Answering a question in the Fortress of Solitude, Lex calls it a "monument to a long lost civilization." Similarly, Zod refers to the fortress as "a sentimental replica of a dead civilization" in Superman II.
* Lois makes a reference to Luthor's double life sentence that was mentioned in *Superman II*. (However, according to a prison guard in *Superman II*, Luthor only received a "Life + 25" sentence.)
* Clark describes one of Richard's ideas as "swell". In the original movie, Clark also used "swell" as an adjective, to which Lois responded, "You know, Clark, there are very few people left in the world who feel comfortable saying that word." In *Superman Returns*, they simply give him an incredulous look.
* About halfway through the movie, Lois drops a pack of cigarettes, and she and Clark both reach to pick it up. This is a reference to a scene the end of *Superman II*, where a similar thing happens, after which the two kiss.
* Kevin Spacey's Lex Luthor, like Gene Hackman's, disguises his baldness with a hairpiece. Upon his arrest in *Superman*, Luthor smugly discards the hairpiece when he informs the prison guard who he is. In *Superman Returns*, his goal accomplished, he smugly tosses his hairpiece to the child of a family whom he has just swindled out of their fortune.
* In both *Superman* and *Superman Returns*, Superman approaches Lois for an interview because a lot of people have questions. In both interviews Superman makes a point to not know Clark. In *Superman* Lois tells Superman, "Clark said that you were just a figment of somebody's imagination, like Peter Pan" and Superman responds, "Clark? Who's that, your boyfriend?" In *Superman Returns* Lois says, "Clark said the reason you left without saying goodbye was because it was too unbearable for you; personally I think that's a load of crap." In return Superman simply replies, "Clark?"
* In *Superman*, after Clark's first day at work at the Daily Planet, Lois and Clark leave the building, and Clark gets stuck in the revolving doors on his way out. Similarly, in *Superman Returns*, as Lois and Clark leave the Daily Planet, Clark gets himself stuck in the same slot of the revolving door as Lois, as they awkwardly exit the building.
* In *Superman* and *Superman II*, the opening credits show the titles coming at the audience in a simulated 3-D effect in space. *Superman Returns* utilizes similar opening credits with the titles coming at the audience in 3-D fashion as the camera moves about outer space.
* In Superman Returns, Superman is seen to be flying around the Eiffel Tower. In Superman II the Eiffel Tower was the setting for the opening action sequence.
* In *Superman*, Jimmy Olsen accidentally calls Clark, Mr. Clark, which Clark then corrects him, saying it's Mr. Kent. In *Superman Returns*, when Clark returns to the Daily Planet for the first time, Jimmy gets overexcited and starts calling him Mr. Clark, but then corrects himself.

## Taglines

* Returns
* On June 30, 2006! Look Up In The Sky!

## Production

The film was shot in parts of Australia and New York.

## Gallery

03 BusShelter.jpgSuperman Returns Wallpaper.jpgSuperman Returns WallpaperNoSMia.jpg
## Video Gallery

For even more videos, check out the Superman Returns Gallery

## External links

* *Superman Returns* at official website
* *Superman Retruns* at IMDB
* *Superman Returns* at WarnerBros.com
* *Superman Returns* at DCComics.com
* *Superman Returns* at Wikipedia
* *Superman Returns* at Official website
* *Superman Returns* at Official DC Comics website
* *Superman Returns* at IMDb
* *Superman Returns* at Rotten Tomatoes
* *Superman Returns* at AllMovie
* *Superman Returns* at Metacritic
* *Superman Returns* at Box Office Mojo
* *Superman Returns* at Pictures of filming in Tamworth, Australia