Superman Returns Wiki
. $223 million (gross). $204 million (net)Box office$391.1 millionSuperman Returns is a 2006 American directed and co-produced by and written by and, from a story by Singer, Dougherty and Harris. Based on the character, it is the sixth and final installment in the and serves as a to (1978) and (1980), while not directly referencing the events of (1983), (1984) and (1987). The film stars as Clark Kent/Superman, as, as, with,. The film tells the story of the title character returning to Earth after a five-year absence. He finds that his has moved on with her life, and that his archenemy 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 of The Quest for Peace, hired Bryan Singer to direct and develop Superman Returns in July 2004.
The majority of took place at, Sydney, while the visual effects sequences were created by a number of studios, including, and; filming ended in November 2005.Upon release, Superman Returns received generally positive reviews, with critics praising its visual effects, story, musical score, the performances of Routh and Spacey. However, it received criticism focusing on its runtime and lack of action sequences. While very profitable at the box office, Warner Bros.
Was disappointed with the worldwide box office return, cancelling a sequel planned for 2009 as a result. The was completely rebooted in 2013 with, directed by, starring as Superman and launching the. Routh later reprised his role as Superman in the 2019 crossover '. Further information:Director and producer conceived the storyline of 'Superman returning to Earth after a five-year absence' during the filming of (2003). He presented the idea to and her husband, director of (1978).
Donner greeted Singer's idea with positive feedback. In March 2004, Warner Bros. Was commencing on Superman: Flyby, which had a target theatrical release date of June 2006. Was signed to direct with a script by, but dropped out in June 2004. That same month, Singer was approached by Warner Bros. To his idea for Superman Returns, as he was preparing to leave for Hawaii on a short vacation with his X2 writers. While in Hawaii, Singer, Dougherty and Harris began to outline the.
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 (2006) and also had the Logan's Run remake pushed back. Superman Returns was financed 50/50 between Warner Bros.
And, 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 before they were removed. ProductionWarner Bros. Considered shooting Superman Returns at in the, Australia. After filming, this could have been used as an attraction for the adjoining theme park, but the idea was scrapped for being too expensive.
Superman Returns: The Videogame is a video game loosely based on the movie of the same name, developed by Electronic Arts-Tiburon in Orlando, Fla.,. Superman Returns is a video game based on the film of the same name, It was developed by EA Tiburon and published by Electronic Arts in conjunction with Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment and DC Comics. In the game, Superman combats Bizarro, as well as other classic villains (including Metallo, Mongul, and Riot) as well as being able to play as Bizarro in one of the minigames.
Set construction started in January 2005 at 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 of Red Sun during filming. Starting in late March 2005, lasted until November.
Filming of Superman Returns in 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. Scenes set in were shot at, while the doubled for the Metropolis Museum of Natural History.
Design and effects. A digital recreation of Marlon Brando in the film, as.Superman Returns was shot using 's digital camera.
Production designer was influenced by 's for the design of the. ESC Entertainment was originally set to design the visual effects sequences, but Warner Bros. Replaced them with the hiring of from as the.
A total of 1,400 visual effects shots were created. The script required a scene of Superman safely delivering a in a where was used as it would have been impossible to assemble the number of for the shots. A crew traveled to 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, was re-created by 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 's theme music. See also: andSinger hired regular collaborator as editor and composer months before the script was written.
Ottman said in past interviews that, 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 Singer said he wouldn't even 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 to, not a of, Williams. BudgetOriginally 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, total expenditure is estimated to be around $263 million, with up to a further $100 million spent on worldwide marketing. Release Marketing. The Superman Returns cast with members of the team.Warner Bros. Promoted Superman Returns at 2005 San Diego.
Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris came up with the idea of publishing a, spanning four comic book issues. The stories were written by, and Justin Gray, with artwork. During production, a series of ' 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 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. DC Comics published a comics adaptation by artist Matt Haley and writer, wrote a, and developed a 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 's $53.5 million campaign for.
Made deals with,. The film was also advertised with cars at the. 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. Sprint Cup champion also sported the 'Man of Steel' look by promoting the movie on his #24 in the 2006 at.
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. The released The Science of Superman on June 29, 2006: a that studied 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 officeBryan Singer convinced Warner Bros. Not to experiment with. 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. 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 -format theatres worldwide, which included 20 minutes of converted 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. The film's second-week gross rapidly declined from the first week, due to the presence of. 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 receptionOn, 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, the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. Audiences polled by gave the film an average grade of 'B+' on an A+ to F scale.of praised Superman Returns, calling it one of the best. He was mostly impressed with Singer's direction and the storyline.
From 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., writing in, felt the film 'perfectly updates Superman for the modern audience'. Of called it 'surprisingly well made. War clicks hacked. It's a summer filled with and sensitivity.' 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.' However, 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'. Of the felt that Warner Bros.
Should have the series along the lines of. He also felt Bosworth, at 22 years old, was too young to portray Lois Lane, and the did not 'match the potential of the tiring 154-minute-long film'. Other commentaryOn May 3, 2009, almost three years after the debut of Superman Returns, the -winning filmmaker and screenwriter 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 released a two-part video essay that probes the nature of Superman Returns.
Produced by Matt Zoller Seitz and Ken Cancelosi, the critique was inspired by a review that Seitz wrote for the 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.' 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.' AccoladesSuperman Returns was nominated for both the and, but lost to. The film was successful at the, winning, and categories for (Bryan Singer), (Brandon Routh), (Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) and (John Ottman). Kate Bosworth, Tristan Lake Leabu, James Marsden, Parker Posey, and the visual effects department were nominated for categories.
However, Bosworth was also nominated a for Worst Supporting Actress. YearAwardCategoryRecipientResult2007WonNominatedNominatedNominatedWonSuperman ReturnsNominated&WonWonSuperman ReturnsWonHome mediaSuperman Returns debuted on 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 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 formats, which featured both standard and high definitions on the same disc,. It was the best-selling title on both formats in 2006, and was among the best-sellers of both formats of 2007.
Legacy Cancelled sequelIn 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, and were to reprise their roles. Due to his commitment, Singer dropped out of directing a remake of and an adaptation of. Writer Michael Dougherty wanted the sequel to be 'action packed', featuring 'other Kryptonians' with and also considered for primary villains.
The ' landmass floating in space at the end of Superman Returns would have served as a. Although Superman Returns received mostly positive reviews, Warner Bros. And Legendary Pictures were disappointed by the film's box office return. Zombie tsunami free download. President 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. Filming was then pushed to March 2008, but writers Dougherty and left in favor of other career opportunities. The 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., 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 the film series, Singer dropped out in favor of directing. 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.' Main articles: andBrandon Routh reprised his role as Clark Kent / Superman in addition to playing in the 2019 TV series crossover '.
Executive producer was reluctant to call Routh's crossover appearance a sequel when addressing whether the character's appearance would constitute a sequel to Superman Returns 'I don't know if it's for me to say. We're picking up so many years after the events of that movie, maybe a coda is a better word than sequel.' Set on Earth-96 in the Arrowverse, this version of Superman has become an aged and beleaguered superhero similar to the from the DC Comics' mini-series; adopting a black belt and an s-shield with a black background as a sign of mourning after losing his friends and family to an attack on the Daily Planet by the Joker. He is later recruited by heroes from across the multiverse to avert a Crisis caused by the. During the event, Superman also references his son Jason, as well as the events from.
After the Crisis was averted and the multiverse was rebooted, Superman of Earth-96 is seen wearing a yellow s-shield and belt; indicating that events on his Earth have also changed. See also.References.
Superman Returns | ||||
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Soundtrack album by | ||||
Released | June 27, 2006 | |||
Genre | Film score | |||
Length | 55:27 | |||
Label | Warner Bros. | |||
Producer | John Ottman | |||
John Ottman and John Williams chronology | ||||
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Superman soundtrack chronology | ||||
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Review scores | |
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Source | Rating |
AllMusic | |
Filmtracks | |
ScoreNotes | |
SoundtrackNet |
Superman Returns (Music from the Motion Picture) is the soundtrack album for the 2006 film of the same name. The score is composed by John Ottman, interpolating music by John Williams, particularly 'Superman March' from the Superman: The Movie.
Originally, director Bryan Singer contacted Williams on scoring the film, but Williams declined due to being busy scoring Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith and Steven Spielberg's War of the Worlds.
In 2013, La-La Land Records released a 2-disc limited edition of the soundtrack with an expanded track list.[1]
Track listing[edit]
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
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.
Limited Edition[edit]
On December 1, 2013, La-La Land Records released a 2-disc Limited Edition album of the complete score to Superman Returns in commemoration of the 75th anniversary of Superman.
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | 'As Time Goes By§* / The Planet Krypton§*' | 1:22 |
2. | 'Main Titles§**' | 2:44 |
3. | 'Dying Wish*' | 2:41 |
4. | 'Homecoming* / Tell Me Everything§** / Stars in the Sky*' | 5:52 |
5. | 'Memories§**†' | 3:15 |
6. | 'Put Here for a Reason§†* / The World Keeps Spinning†* / Closet Case* / Daily Planet*' | 2:22 |
7. | 'Things Have Changed§* / Chip Off the Old Block†*' | 1:41 |
8. | 'Genesis Project* / Like Sea Monkeys*' | 1:42 |
9. | 'A Drop in the Bucket* / Is It Rite?*' | 3:09 |
10. | 'Boosters Non-Responsive* / Rough Flight§** / Home Run§*' | 6:54 |
11. | 'He's Back!*' | 1:37 |
12. | 'Superman Scoop* / Eavesdropping*' | 1:19 |
13. | 'To Jack' House** / You're Not One of Them**' | 2:52 |
14. | 'Bank Job§**' | 3:23 |
15. | 'Kitty Decoy§**' | 3:38 |
16. | 'Supermania§*' | 1:07 |
17. | 'Kryptonite*' | 0:34 |
18. | 'Little Secrets§' | 1:06 |
19. | 'How Could You Leave Us?§**' | 7:05 |
20. | 'They're Gone* / Bad Idea* / They Make Great Chandeliers* / Beach Front Property* / Lineage?*' | 3:35 |
21. | 'Not Like the Train Set**' | 5:48 |
22. | 'We Have to Go* / Who to Save?§*' | 3:00 |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | 'Metropolis Mayhem§**' | 4:03 |
2. | 'Out to Sea§**' | 2:44 |
3. | 'So Long Superman§**' | 7:12 |
4. | 'Saving Superman** / Power of the Sun§' | 5:29 |
5. | 'Saving the World§**' | 6:22 |
6. | 'In the Hands of Mortals**' | 1:16 |
7. | 'Family Unit* / I Wanted You to Know**' | 5:15 |
8. | 'Lex's Paradise* / Change of Heart** / Parting Words§*' | 4:55 |
9. | 'Reprise§ / Fly Away**§' | 4:15 |
10. | 'End Titles§**' | 3:55 |
11. | 'Return to Krypton§* (synth mockup)' | 5:05 |
12. | 'Prelude§* / Main Titles§* (original extended version)' | 4:01 |
13. | 'Daily Planet* (alternate)' | 0:21 |
14. | 'GDIATFH Medley* (source)' | 0:44 |
15. | 'Heart and Soul* (source)' | 0:39 |
- § Contains Superman Themes Composed and Conducted By John Williams
- * Previously unreleased
- ** Contains previously unreleased material
- † Contains material not used in film
Music not included in the soundtrack[edit]
There are several famous songs[2] featured in the film but not included on the soundtrack album, which concentrated on the original score composed and conducted by John Ottman with themes from 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 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 operaCarmen by Georges Bizet is featured when Lois Lane investigates Lex Luthor's yacht. The music is performed by the Hollywood Studio Symphony.
- 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 majorK 467 is used when Lex Luthor 'agrees' to Lois Lane's interview. The music is performed by The Concentus Hungaricus.
Chart positions[edit]
Chart (2006) | Peak position |
---|---|
US Billboard 200[3] | 110 |
US Top Internet Albums[3] | 146 |
US Top Soundtracks[3] | 7 |
References[edit]
- ^'Superman Returns'. Retrieved February 9, 2015.
- ^'Superman Returns Soundtrack'. IMDb.com. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
- ^ abc'Billboard Albums: Superman Returns'. Allmusic. Retrieved 2010-05-23.