``Supergirl'' Why didn't Superman appear in ``Supergirl''? [That's when movies were born Vol.2]

The future of DC movies is questionable. It is still fresh in our minds that ``Batgirl,'' which was scheduled to be released on streaming and in theaters this year, was shelved just before it was completed. The story revolves around the daughter of Gotham City police officer James Gordon, and expectations were high that Michael Keaton would return to the role of Batman for the first time in 30 years since `` Batman Returns '' (1992).

In the past, directors have been forced out due to differences of opinion with the studio, but films like `` Superman II: Richard Donner Cut '' and `` Justice League: Zack Snyder Cut '' have had many twists and turns. After that, we were able to see something close to the original version, so it's tempting to think that this time, too, but the production of ``Batgirl'' was discontinued in order to prevent further losses through cuts. In other words, they are literally sealing it up and cutting their losses, rather than stopping the theatrical release and releasing it on software or distribution.

There are various theories as to why this happened, but it appears to have been a victim of a change in management policy by Warner Bros.'s upper management. Rather than thinking about the fact that 12 billion yen of production costs were wasted, I wonder if it's okay to treat it so business-like if you think about the kind of people's labor that makes up a movie. I want to think about it. However, there are rumors that the damage is not limited to Batgirl. There have also been reports that the Supergirl reboot project, which has been in the works for the past few years, is in jeopardy.

Supergirl, who first appeared on screen in 1984, is a superheroine with as much recognition as Wonder Woman, and although a TV series has been produced in recent years, she has been away from the screen for a long time. It will return to the big screen next year with ``The Flash,'' and it seems that there are plans to develop it into a standalone series after that. However, depending on Warner Bros.' new policy, that may not be possible. After all, we are in the middle of an unprecedented structural reform that is causing movies that are almost finished to be shelved.

“The Flash” preview

So now is the time to take a look at how the 1984 version of ``Supergirl,'' which was first made into a movie, came to be. Perhaps we can find commonalities and problems with current DC movies there.

Index

• Superman movie history
• What is " Superman III" co-starring Superman and Supergirl?
• Failure of Superman III
• Batman and supergirl
• Why did Christopher Reeve leave Supergirl?
• Will Supergirl be Brooke Shields or Demi Moore?
• How to make Supergirl fly?
• Build a town with a huge set
• Abandoned "Supergirl"

Superman movie history

About 20 years later than Superman, who was born in Action Comics magazine in 1938. As Superman's cousin, Supergirl first appeared in the magazine in 1959. After the collapse of Superman's home planet Krypton, Kara Zor-El grew up in Argo City, which is floating in space. When the city was hit by a meteorite and was in danger of being wiped out, Kara Zor-El was sent onto a spaceship by her father's arrangement. Head to Earth where your cousin is. Thus, Supergirl, who disguises herself as an Earthling but exhibits the power of a superhuman, is born.

However, in the second year after Superman was created, a radio drama was produced, in the third year an animation was produced, and in the tenth year Columbia Pictures produced the first live-action movie "Superman" (1948). Supergirl was never made into a movie until 1984. The impetus for this film adaptation was the `` Superman '' series that began in 1978.

In 1975, film producers Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya Salkind announced that they would make a Superman movie, and three years later, `` Superman '' (1978) was released and became a worldwide hit. When they acquired the film rights, they also acquired the rights to use each character, including Supergirl.

`` Superman ,'' produced by Salkind and his son, is a hero movie for children, written by Mario Puzo of `` The Godfather '' (1972), and starring Marlon Brando and Gene Hackman. It was a huge masterpiece that was completely different from anything else. Richard Donner, who directed `` The Omen '' (1976), was selected as the director, and he shows a solid production, and combined with Christopher Reeve's strong performance as Superman and Clark Kent, this is a solid entertainment blockbuster that will captivate both children and adults. It became.

"Superman" trailer

However, big movies are also prone to problems. `` Superman '' was no exception, and the production of a sequel hit a dead end. Originally, the plan was to produce a two-part movie at the same time as `` Superman II, '' but it was reckless to make two major movies at the same time, especially when the release schedule for the first movie was approaching. be. Furthermore, conflicts between director Donner and Salkind's father and son surfaced on set, and there was no hope of completing the first film. Richard Lester, known for directing Beatles films, was brought in to help. Although he was not credited as a producer on set, he showed a remarkable performance (the bizarre development seen at the end of the first film was originally planned for the end of the second film, but Lester (I advised him to use it at the end of the movie).

After the completion of the first movie, it was decided that filming for `` Superman II '', which had already completed 70% of the filming, would be resumed, but Lester was appointed as the director in place of Donner, who had been separated from the Salkind family. I decided to take over. This director change dealt a serious blow to the series. Margot Kidder, who played Clark Kent's colleague Lois Lane, publicly criticized the decision, and Marlon Brando, who played Superman's father, said he would not use footage from the second film, which had already been filmed. He asked me to pay an additional fee. Even Gene Hackman's scenes as the villain Lex Luthor were filled in by substitutes.

In this way, `` Superman II: Adventures '' (1980) was completed with many troubles, but once the lid was opened, it was praised for being more interesting than the previous work. Although the credits say that Lester directed the film alone, it was actually a co-directed work with Donner, probably because it was a good mix of the best aspects of both.

However, many scenes were significantly retaken in order to be credited as Lester's sole director, and it has long been a source of controversy among fans as to which scenes were shot by Donner and which by Lester. In 2006, the donor version of ``Superman III'' was finally restored based on the remaining footage, albeit with considerable effort, and the matter was finally resolved.

What is " Superman III" co-starring Superman and Supergirl?