With Superman: The Movie turning into a massive success (the highest grossing movie in Warner Bros history at that point), everyone was anxious to get back on set and finish production on the remaining 30% Richard Donner’ sequel.

However, to the surprise of the cast and Donner himself, the producers would choose to hire British director Richard Lester to complete the film instead, resulting in a sequel that was an wildly entertaining mixed bag of comedic sight gags, earnest drama, and superhero action that was often compared favorably to the original when SUPERMAN II was ultimately released in theaters the Summer of 1981.

But the sequel’s legacy was always complicated by the intention of its original director, and the possibility of what could have been; until twenty-five years later, when Richard Donner would get a second chance at fulfilling his vision for the film.

Join Nick & Scott as they continue the story of Superman’s cinematic journey with the first time fans learned that demanding a studio release a new cut of a superhero movie… could actually work.

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