Motion Pictures
The character of Superman has appeared in various media aside from comic books. This is in some part seen to be owing to the character's cited standing as an American cultural icon, with the concept's continued popularity also being taken into consideration, but is also seen in part as due to good marketing initially. The character has been developed as a vehicle for serials on radio, television and film, as well as feature length motion pictures, and video games have also been developed featuring the character on multiple occasions.
The first adaptation of Superman was as a daily newspaper comic strip, which was launched on January 16, 1939. The strip ran until May 1966 and significantly, Siegel and Shuster used the first strips to establish Superman's background, adding details such as the planet Krypton and Superman's father, Jor-El, concepts not yet established in the comic books. Following on from the success of this was the first radio series, The Adventures of Superman, which premiered on February 12, 1940, and featured the voice of Bud Collyer as Superman. The series ran until March 1951. Collyer was also cast as the voice of Superman in a series of Superman animated cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios for theatrical release. Seventeen shorts were produced between 1941 and 1943. By 1948 Superman was back in the movie theaters, this time in a filmed serial, Superman, with Kirk Alyn becoming the first actor to portray Superman on screen. A second serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, followed in 1950.
In 1951 a television series was commissioned, Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, with the 25th and 26th episodes of the series being adapted from the theatrical release of the movie Superman and the Mole Men. The series ran for 104 episodes, from 1952 to 1958. The next adaptation of Superman occurred in 1966, when Superman was adapted for the stage in the Broadway musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman. Despite good reviews, the play closed after only 129 performances. The original cast album recording was released and continues to be available. However, in 1975 the play was remade for television. Superman was again animated, this time for television, in the series The New Adventures of Superman. Sixty-eight shorts were made and broadcast between 1966 and 1969. Bud Collyer again provided the voice for Superman. Then, from 1973 until 1984, ABC broadcast the Super Friends series, this time animated by Hanna-Barbera.
Superman returned to movie theaters in 1978 with director Richard Donner's Superman, starring Christopher Reeve. The film spawned three sequels, Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). In 1988 Superman returned to television in the Ruby Spears animated series Superman, and also in Superboy, a live-action series that ran from 1988 until 1992. In 1993, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman premiered on the ABC television network, starring Dean Cain as Superman and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane; the series ran until 1997. Superman: The Animated Series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB television network from 1996 until 2000.
The early 21st century brought an increased presence of Superman in live-action media. In 2001, the Smallville television series was launched, focusing on the adventures of Clark Kent as a teenager before he dons the mantle of Superman; Tom Welling stars as Clark. The series ended after ten seasons in May 2011. In 2006, Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh as Superman. The film was presented as a loose sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve films. In 2007, Welling was in consideration for the role of Superman in the planned film Justice League: Mortal, to be directed by George Miller. The film was to feature Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other prominent members of DC Comics' Justice League of America. Though never officially announced,D.J. Cotrona was cast in the part of Superman, but the film was canceled before production began. In 2010, the story of Superman's creation and his relationship with Jerry Siegel was dealt with in David Bar Katz's play The History of Invulnerability, which premiered at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. A new feature film, Man of Steel, will be released to theatres on June 14, 2013. The film, directed by Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill in the starring role, will reboot the Warner Bros. film franchise in a fashion similar to the 2005 film Batman Begins. Cavill had auditioned and was considered for the lead role in Superman Returns before the part was offered to Routh.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/superman
The first adaptation of Superman was as a daily newspaper comic strip, which was launched on January 16, 1939. The strip ran until May 1966 and significantly, Siegel and Shuster used the first strips to establish Superman's background, adding details such as the planet Krypton and Superman's father, Jor-El, concepts not yet established in the comic books. Following on from the success of this was the first radio series, The Adventures of Superman, which premiered on February 12, 1940, and featured the voice of Bud Collyer as Superman. The series ran until March 1951. Collyer was also cast as the voice of Superman in a series of Superman animated cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios and Famous Studios for theatrical release. Seventeen shorts were produced between 1941 and 1943. By 1948 Superman was back in the movie theaters, this time in a filmed serial, Superman, with Kirk Alyn becoming the first actor to portray Superman on screen. A second serial, Atom Man vs. Superman, followed in 1950.
In 1951 a television series was commissioned, Adventures of Superman starring George Reeves, with the 25th and 26th episodes of the series being adapted from the theatrical release of the movie Superman and the Mole Men. The series ran for 104 episodes, from 1952 to 1958. The next adaptation of Superman occurred in 1966, when Superman was adapted for the stage in the Broadway musical It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's Superman. Despite good reviews, the play closed after only 129 performances. The original cast album recording was released and continues to be available. However, in 1975 the play was remade for television. Superman was again animated, this time for television, in the series The New Adventures of Superman. Sixty-eight shorts were made and broadcast between 1966 and 1969. Bud Collyer again provided the voice for Superman. Then, from 1973 until 1984, ABC broadcast the Super Friends series, this time animated by Hanna-Barbera.
Superman returned to movie theaters in 1978 with director Richard Donner's Superman, starring Christopher Reeve. The film spawned three sequels, Superman II (1980), Superman III (1983) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). In 1988 Superman returned to television in the Ruby Spears animated series Superman, and also in Superboy, a live-action series that ran from 1988 until 1992. In 1993, Lois & Clark: The New Adventures of Superman premiered on the ABC television network, starring Dean Cain as Superman and Teri Hatcher as Lois Lane; the series ran until 1997. Superman: The Animated Series was produced by Warner Bros. Animation and aired on The WB television network from 1996 until 2000.
The early 21st century brought an increased presence of Superman in live-action media. In 2001, the Smallville television series was launched, focusing on the adventures of Clark Kent as a teenager before he dons the mantle of Superman; Tom Welling stars as Clark. The series ended after ten seasons in May 2011. In 2006, Bryan Singer directed Superman Returns starring Brandon Routh as Superman. The film was presented as a loose sequel to the first two Christopher Reeve films. In 2007, Welling was in consideration for the role of Superman in the planned film Justice League: Mortal, to be directed by George Miller. The film was to feature Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman and other prominent members of DC Comics' Justice League of America. Though never officially announced,D.J. Cotrona was cast in the part of Superman, but the film was canceled before production began. In 2010, the story of Superman's creation and his relationship with Jerry Siegel was dealt with in David Bar Katz's play The History of Invulnerability, which premiered at the Cincinnati Playhouse in the Park. A new feature film, Man of Steel, will be released to theatres on June 14, 2013. The film, directed by Zack Snyder with Henry Cavill in the starring role, will reboot the Warner Bros. film franchise in a fashion similar to the 2005 film Batman Begins. Cavill had auditioned and was considered for the lead role in Superman Returns before the part was offered to Routh.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/superman
man of steel (film)
Man of Steel is an upcoming American superhero film directed by Zack Snyder, produced by Christopher Nolan and scripted by David S. Goyer. Based on the DC Comics character Superman, the film will be a reboot of the Superman film series, portraying the character's origin story. The film stars Henry Cavill in the title role, with Amy Adams as Lois Lane, and Michael Shannon as General Zod.
Development of Man of Steel began in 2008 when Warner Bros. Pictures took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters and directors, opting to reboot the franchise. In 2009, a court ruling resulted in Jerry Siegel's family recapturing the rights to Superman's origins and Siegel's copyright. The decision stated that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films, but if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011, then the Shuster and Siegel estates would be able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film. Nolan pitched Goyer's idea after story discussion on The Dark Knight Rises. Snyder was hired as director in October 2010. Principal photography started in August 2011 in West Chicago before moving to Plano and Vancouver. The film is scheduled to be released on June 14, 2013, in conventional, 3D and IMAX theaters.
Premise
Clark Kent is a journalist in his twenties who was adopted as a child by Jonathan and Martha Kent after he was transported to Earth from the dying planet of Krypton. Raised with the values of his adoptive parents, he feels alienated because of his unique super abilities and struggles to find his own place in life. When the world is attacked, he becomes the hero named Superman to protect the Earth and its people.
Cast
Development
In June 2008, Warner Bros. took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters, and directors on how to successfully restart theSuperman film series. "I told them, it’s not that bad. Just treat Superman Returns as the Ang Lee Hulk," comic book writer Mark Waid explained. "The Incredible Hulk has proven the audience will forgive you and let you redo the franchise." Comic book writers Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Brad Meltzer also pitched their ideas for a reboot. Morrison's idea was similar to his work on All-Star Superman, while Waid's was akin to Superman: Birthright. Mark Millar, teaming with director Matthew Vaughn, planned an epic 8-hour Superman trilogy, each installment released a year apart, similar to The Lord of the Rings. Millar compared it to the Godfather trilogy, in which it would chronicle the entire life of Superman, from the early days of Krypton to the finale where Superman loses his powers as the sun starts to supernova. August 2009 saw a court ruling in which Jerry Siegel's family recaptured the rights to Superman's origins and Siegel's copyright in Action Comics #1. In addition, a judge ruled that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films. However, if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011, then the Shuster and Siegel estates would have been able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film.
During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises in 2010, David S. Goyer told Christopher Nolan his idea on how to present Superman in a modern context. Impressed with Goyer's concept, Nolan pitched the idea to the studio, who hired Nolan to produce and Goyer to write based on the financial and critical success of The Dark Knight. Nolan admired Bryan Singer's work on Superman Returns for its connection to Richard Donner's version, but stated that the new film would not have any relationship with the previous film series.
Pre-production
Guillermo del Toro, with whom Goyer worked on Blade II, turned down the director's position on the reboot because of his commitment on a film adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness, while Robert Zemeckis was also approached. Ben Affleck, Darren Aronofsky, Duncan Jones, Jonathan Liebesman, Matt Reeves, and Tony Scott were considered as potential directors, before Zack Snyder was hired in October 2010. Casting began the following November.
Filming
Principal photography began on August 1, 2011 at an industrial park near DuPage Airport under the codename "Autumn Frost". Zack Snyder expressed reluctance to shooting the film in 3-D, due to the technical limitations of the format. Filming was expected to last for two to three months. Production took place in Plano on August 22 to 29. Filming then took place in the Chicago Loop from September 7 to 17. Vancouver Film Studios and Chicago are other shooting locations. According to an interview with Michael Shannon, filming would continue until February 2012.
Post-production
Hans Zimmer initially denied popular rumours that he would be composing the film's score. However, in June 2012, it was confirmed that Zimmer will in fact be writing the film's musical score. To completely distinguish Man of Steel from the previous films, the iconic "Superman" theme by John Williams will not be heard. Weta Digital, MPC and Double Negative (VFX) will provide visual effects for the film.
Marketing
Warner Bros. and DC Comics won the rights to the domain name manofsteel.com, in use by a member of the public, as use for the film's official website. On November 20, 2012 for the release of The Dark Knight Rises DVD and Blu-ray, Warner Bros. launched a countdown on the film's website where fans could share the countdown on websites like Facebook or Twitter to unlock an "exclusive reward". On December 3, 2012, the "exclusive reward" was revealed to be an official Man of Steel teaser poster. The poster, which depicts Superman being arrested, generated a positive response and much speculation about the film's story. In December, Zack Snyder confirmed that the first full-length trailer will be attached to the theatrical release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in cinemas on December 14, 2012. On December 10, 2012 a website appeared at dsrwproject.com that provided audio signals to be decoded by viewers. It was quickly discovered to be related to a movie due to the copyright on the website. By December 11, 2012 the decoded message led readers to another website with a countdown that led to the public release of the trailer.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Steel_(film)
"Man of Steel" is now on DVD.
Development of Man of Steel began in 2008 when Warner Bros. Pictures took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters and directors, opting to reboot the franchise. In 2009, a court ruling resulted in Jerry Siegel's family recapturing the rights to Superman's origins and Siegel's copyright. The decision stated that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films, but if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011, then the Shuster and Siegel estates would be able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film. Nolan pitched Goyer's idea after story discussion on The Dark Knight Rises. Snyder was hired as director in October 2010. Principal photography started in August 2011 in West Chicago before moving to Plano and Vancouver. The film is scheduled to be released on June 14, 2013, in conventional, 3D and IMAX theaters.
Premise
Clark Kent is a journalist in his twenties who was adopted as a child by Jonathan and Martha Kent after he was transported to Earth from the dying planet of Krypton. Raised with the values of his adoptive parents, he feels alienated because of his unique super abilities and struggles to find his own place in life. When the world is attacked, he becomes the hero named Superman to protect the Earth and its people.
Cast
- Henry Cavill as Clark Kent / Superman: A Kryptonian sent to Earth by his parents as an infant to survive the destruction of his homeworld Krypton. He is raised by Kansas farmers, Martha and Jonathan Kent and becomes Earth's greatest superhero, Superman. Cavill was cast as Superman, making him the first non-American actor to be cast in the role. Cavill was on the shortlist for the 2006 film Superman Returns, but lost the part to Brandon Routh. Dylan Sprayberry was cast as 13-year-old Clark Kent while 11-year-old Cooper Timberline was cast as the 9-year-old Clark Kent in June.
- Amy Adams as Lois Lane: Reporter for the Daily Planet newspaper and love interest of Clark Kent and his secret alter-ego. Adams was selected from a list of actresses that included Olivia Wilde and Mila Kunis.
- Michael Shannon as General Zod: A Kryptonian general and megalomaniac with the same superpowers as Superman. Viggo Mortensen was considered for the role.
- Kevin Costner and Diane Lane as Jonathan and Martha Kent: The adoptive parents of Superman.
- Laurence Fishburne as Perry White: The Editor in Chief of the Daily Planet and the boss of Clark Kent and Lois Lane. Fishburne is the first African American to play Perry White in a live-action film.
- Antje Traue as Faora
- Ayelet Zurer as Lara Lor-Van: The biological mother of Superman and loyal wife to Jor-El. Julia Ormond had previously been announced as cast, but dropped out. Connie Nielsen was in negotiations for the role before Ormond was cast.
- Russell Crowe as Jor-El: The biological father of Superman. Sean Penn and Clive Owen were also considered for the role.
- Harry Lennix as General Swanwick
- Christopher Meloni as Colonel Hardy
- Richard Schiff as Dr. Emil Hamilton
Development
In June 2008, Warner Bros. took pitches from comic book writers, screenwriters, and directors on how to successfully restart theSuperman film series. "I told them, it’s not that bad. Just treat Superman Returns as the Ang Lee Hulk," comic book writer Mark Waid explained. "The Incredible Hulk has proven the audience will forgive you and let you redo the franchise." Comic book writers Grant Morrison, Geoff Johns, and Brad Meltzer also pitched their ideas for a reboot. Morrison's idea was similar to his work on All-Star Superman, while Waid's was akin to Superman: Birthright. Mark Millar, teaming with director Matthew Vaughn, planned an epic 8-hour Superman trilogy, each installment released a year apart, similar to The Lord of the Rings. Millar compared it to the Godfather trilogy, in which it would chronicle the entire life of Superman, from the early days of Krypton to the finale where Superman loses his powers as the sun starts to supernova. August 2009 saw a court ruling in which Jerry Siegel's family recaptured the rights to Superman's origins and Siegel's copyright in Action Comics #1. In addition, a judge ruled that Warner Bros. did not owe the families additional royalties from previous films. However, if they did not begin production on a Superman film by 2011, then the Shuster and Siegel estates would have been able to sue for lost revenue on an unproduced film.
During story discussions for The Dark Knight Rises in 2010, David S. Goyer told Christopher Nolan his idea on how to present Superman in a modern context. Impressed with Goyer's concept, Nolan pitched the idea to the studio, who hired Nolan to produce and Goyer to write based on the financial and critical success of The Dark Knight. Nolan admired Bryan Singer's work on Superman Returns for its connection to Richard Donner's version, but stated that the new film would not have any relationship with the previous film series.
Pre-production
Guillermo del Toro, with whom Goyer worked on Blade II, turned down the director's position on the reboot because of his commitment on a film adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness, while Robert Zemeckis was also approached. Ben Affleck, Darren Aronofsky, Duncan Jones, Jonathan Liebesman, Matt Reeves, and Tony Scott were considered as potential directors, before Zack Snyder was hired in October 2010. Casting began the following November.
Filming
Principal photography began on August 1, 2011 at an industrial park near DuPage Airport under the codename "Autumn Frost". Zack Snyder expressed reluctance to shooting the film in 3-D, due to the technical limitations of the format. Filming was expected to last for two to three months. Production took place in Plano on August 22 to 29. Filming then took place in the Chicago Loop from September 7 to 17. Vancouver Film Studios and Chicago are other shooting locations. According to an interview with Michael Shannon, filming would continue until February 2012.
Post-production
Hans Zimmer initially denied popular rumours that he would be composing the film's score. However, in June 2012, it was confirmed that Zimmer will in fact be writing the film's musical score. To completely distinguish Man of Steel from the previous films, the iconic "Superman" theme by John Williams will not be heard. Weta Digital, MPC and Double Negative (VFX) will provide visual effects for the film.
Marketing
Warner Bros. and DC Comics won the rights to the domain name manofsteel.com, in use by a member of the public, as use for the film's official website. On November 20, 2012 for the release of The Dark Knight Rises DVD and Blu-ray, Warner Bros. launched a countdown on the film's website where fans could share the countdown on websites like Facebook or Twitter to unlock an "exclusive reward". On December 3, 2012, the "exclusive reward" was revealed to be an official Man of Steel teaser poster. The poster, which depicts Superman being arrested, generated a positive response and much speculation about the film's story. In December, Zack Snyder confirmed that the first full-length trailer will be attached to the theatrical release of The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey in cinemas on December 14, 2012. On December 10, 2012 a website appeared at dsrwproject.com that provided audio signals to be decoded by viewers. It was quickly discovered to be related to a movie due to the copyright on the website. By December 11, 2012 the decoded message led readers to another website with a countdown that led to the public release of the trailer.
Source: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_of_Steel_(film)
"Man of Steel" is now on DVD.
To read my review on Man of Steel, click here.
I made my own story about Superman. Click here to read.