Superman Returns

Superman Returns
Original movie poster
Directed by	Bryan Singer
Written by	Comic Book: Jerry Siegel Joe Shuster Story: Bryan Singer Michael Dougherty Dan Harris Screenplay: Michael Dougherty Dan Harris
Produced by	Gil Adler Jon Peters Bryan Singer
Starring	Brandon Routh Kate Bosworth Kevin Spacey
Cinematography	Newton Thomas Sigel
Edited by	John Ottman Elliot Graham
Music by	John Ottman John Williams (Themes)
Distributed by	Warner Bros. Pictures
Release dates	June 28, 2006
Running time	154 min.
Language	English
Budget	$204 million

Superman Returns is a 2006 superhero film based on the fictional DC Comics character Superman. It was directed by Bryan Singer and stars Brandon Routh, Kate Bosworth and Kevin Spacey. The screenplay was written by Michael Dougherty & Dan Harris, based on a story by Bryan Singer, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty.

Filming began in February 2005, and the movie was released in the United States on June 28, 2006 after sixteen months of filming and production. It was the first theatrical Superman film in eighteen years, since 1987's Superman IV: The Quest For Peace. The film received mostly positive critical reviews and grossed over $391 million worldwide.

The film revolves around Superman's return to Earth after a five-year absence. He re-assumes his secret identity of Clark Kent, and discovers that Lois Lane—now in a "long engagement"—has a five-year-old son. Superman's nemesis, arch-villain Lex Luthor has devised a new plan to defeat Superman. Director Bryan Singer has said that the continuity is "taking off from the first two Superman films with Christopher Reeve", which serve as its back-story, or as he put it, a "vague history". The late Marlon Brando's role as Superman's biological father Jor-El is reprised with the help of computer-generated imagery and earlier footage. It's also rumored that his ghost helped in production of the film through a Quija board.

Production

For more information on the project's history, see Canceled Superman films.

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Brandon Routh as Superman.

In 1987, Warner Bros. and Cannon Films had planned to release a fifth Superman film utilizing leftover footage from Superman IV: The Quest For Peace, provided that IV was a success. However, it became a box office failure, and the project was shelved. Alexander Salkind, who had previously owned rights to the Superman movie franchise, also planned a sequel called Superman: The New Movie using the mythos of his Superboy TV series, but it was cancelled as well. While Gerard Christopher, who was the star of the Superboy series beginning in the show's second season, was planned to appear as Superman in that film, there were reported attempts at getting Christopher Reeve to return to the role and/or be involved in its production to the extent that he was considered to possibly direct the film.

A few years later, it was announced that Nicolas Cage would play Superman in a fifth Warner Bros. Superman film, Tim Burton would direct, and Anthony Hopkins would appear as Jor-El, with Michael Keaton to appear as Batman. Several posters of a silver 'S' shield against a black background, stating "Coming 1998", were made before the project was eventually called off. Cage left the project after growing tired of the delayed production and Hopkins followed when it was clear it was going nowhere.

Director Kevin Smith wrote two drafts based on "The Death of Superman" storyline. Smith's second adaptation was reportedly hampered by interference from producer Jon Peters. Per Peters's wishes, Superman would not fly, and he would fight Doomsday who would ride a giant mechanical spider. Tim Burton later took over the production, dropped Smith's script and renamed the movie Superman Lives, however the project was eventually shelved over conflicts about its direction. Joseph "McG" McGinty Nichol was named director briefly, but left over a dispute involving budget and location (he refused to film in Australia, which the studio desired for cost reasons). Brett Ratner was then brought in, Josh Hartnett and Brendan Fraser were considered for the title role, and Johnny Depp auditioned for the roles of Jor-El and Lex Luthor. However, no one was signed to play Superman, and the film again was in limbo.

X-Men director Bryan Singer then turned down directing X-Men: The Last Stand to direct Superman Returns. Because of his Academy Award-winning performance in Singer's film The Usual Suspects and friendship with the director, Kevin Spacey was immediately cast as Luthor. He in turn suggested Kate Bosworth, who played his wife, Sandra Dee, in the film Beyond the Sea, for Lois Lane, and she was hired after Singer saw her screen-test. Singer, unlike previous directors, stated his Superman, like Christopher Reeve, should be an unknown. After viewing hundreds of auditions and casting calls from the previous directors who were attached, he found a 24-year-old bartender from Iowa named Brandon Routh, whose mid-western roots and meekness seemed to fit Clark Kent's bumbling persona and his frame and charisma suited the role of Superman. Routh got the part after a meeting with Singer, spilling a drink on the director in the process, which a panicked Routh believed to have cost him the part. Nevertheless, the misfortune, Singer admitted, is what helped him choose Routh because he saw Clark's clumsiness in the young actor. In 2005, Brandon Routh was introduced for the first time to the media as the new Man of Steel.

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Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor.

Shooting of Superman Returns began during February 2005 in Australia, on locations that included a farm outside of the regional town of Gunnedah in North West NSW and Sydney. Other scenes were shot in various parts of the United States. The film was shot entirely on high-definition video using Panavision Genesis cameras. Singer said the first cut of the movie was 2 hours and 45 minutes,

Writing the script

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Bryan Singer (right) directs Kevin Spacey (center) and Brandon Routh (left) in front of a green screen set.

Rather than adapt an existing storyline, Singer chose to write a draft of an original story. With his previous writers from X2, Dan Harris and Michael Dougherty, Singer created a script that tied into Superman and Superman II. His first draft included the character of General Zod, whom he wanted to be played by Jude Law, his first and only choice for the role. When Law turned down the part three times, Singer eliminated the character from the script. The most difficult challenge, he admits, was finding the obstacle that would be impossible for Superman to overcome: the passage of time and change. According to Singer, Lois' son Jason is a permanent reminder of this.

Production budget

The film initially was speculated as having a budget as high as US$260,000,000, which would have made it the 2nd most expensive film ever (as of August 2006). However, director Bryan Singer initially debunked this figure, claiming it was "a little lower than $200,000,000". He had supposedly admitted that the former amount was closer if not slightly less than the full amount spent, according to a statement made by Rotten Tomatoes. There is controversy over Singer's supposed admission, though, which took place during an episode of Sunday Morning Shootout. Co-host Peter Guber stated a figure that was referring to the total cost of bringing Superman back to the big screen from Burton to Singer rather than a budget overrun on the current production. Singer's statement that it was "more than that" was a reference to the same scenario.

According to various articles, the development process had utilized "pay or play" contracts, meaning that those involved were paid even if production did not commence as planned. According to Variety, these development costs exceeded $40 million before Bryan Singer came aboard. On the site TheNumbers.com, Bryan Singer was quoted as saying the budget for Superman Returns was $250 million in late 2004. He later denied that figure. In February 2006, Warner Bros. had unofficially put the budget at $184 million, "factoring in tax breaks offered in Australia." In a July 2006 interview with Newsweek, Bryan Singer quoted the final production budget number as $204 million. On October 30, Variety reported that studio placed the cost at $209 million after factoring in tax rebates and incentives

Costume changes

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The original Fleischer Studios 1940s Superman design.

While Superman's costume has undergone a variety of changes over the decades, the costume in this movie has been updated for the 21st century and clearly has modern and retro influences. The color scheme is darkened several shades so that bright primary colors are less visible and the material has a deep, webbed texture that is visible on close-up shots. The Superman chest emblem is now a much smaller raised 3D-piece. At San Diego Comic Con 2005, Bryan Singer stated that the original silk-screened emblem looks like a billboard, while the new shield has an advanced alien look. The emblem itself is embossed with hundreds of smaller emblems.

The cape does not sport the large yellow and black emblem, and it now has a visible liner of a different material. The neck-line of Superman's top has been changed from a wide scoop-neck to a crew-neck cut. The boots have also been changed, with a slightly rubbery appearance for the sole as well as the Superman emblem in varying sizes on the bottom. Finally, the belt and buckle are changed to include the addition of the Superman emblem for the buckle. Several of these changes were inspired by the Superman costume from Superman cartoons produced by Fleischer Studios in the 40s, that was inspired by the original Golden Age comics Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster.

Marlon Brando's role

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

What we did is we went back to footage from the original Superman and re-created Jor-El using computer technology based on references to the Richard Donner film. ... The challenge is that, when you have an actor, you can scan them using a cyberscan and a lumispheric scan to re-create them all the way down to the pores on their tongue or the hair on their ears. But since we didn't have Brando, we didn't have the actor. All we had was reference photography and film footage, so we had to reconstruct him in a computer. It was very challenging.

— Bryan Singer on how the late Marlon Brando reprised his role as Superman's father, Jor-El

In June 2006, Rhythm and Hues, the studio that created the special effect, released a video detailing the process.

Plot

The film opens with a short explanation of the plot up to the present point: Superman's homeworld Krypton is destroyed by the shockwave of a supernova from the collapse of the system's sun, a red giant. Superman has been absent from Earth for five years; after astronomers on Earth pinpointed the location of Krypton, he went to discover if anything of it remained. Superman's crystalline spacecraft is then shown crashing near the Kent family farm. As Martha Kent examines the crash site, Clark reaches out to her and collapses in his mother's arms.

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Superman (Brandon Routh) tries to save the Boeing 777.

Superman's return to Earth generates much of the character development in the film, particularly for Lois Lane. During Superman's absence she became engaged to Richard White, nephew of Daily Planet editor-in-chief Perry White, and gave birth to a son, Jason. Lois' strong sense of disillusionment, her resentment over Superman's departure and long absence, combined with her lingering feelings for him, result in significant internal conflict which is never fully resolved. One theme of the movie is that Superman has an obligation to help, and not to abandon, humanity. In a scene early in the film Superman tells Lois that he "hears everything" and—though she has written (in a Pulitzer Prize-winning editorial entitled "Why the World Doesn't Need Superman") that "the world doesn't need a savior"—he states that every day he hears people crying for one. (In a later scene he is shown with the Daily Planet's famous 'globe', held aloft in a manner very reminiscent of images of Atlas from Greek mythology.)

The film's main storyline concerns an attempt by Lex Luthor to harness stolen Kryptonian technology. After being released from prison as a result of Superman's absence during the trial, Lex marries an old woman (played by Noel Neill), who, in her last dying moments, signs over all of her fortune and possessions to him. With his newly obtained financial resources, he sets off in search of Superman's Fortress of Solitude in the Arctic. Luthor steals several crystals from there and uses holographic recordings of Superman's father to learn that on Krypton such crystals were routinely used to "grow" useful objects such as buildings and vehicles, and could even be used to grow entire new landmasses. Luthor practices this on a train set model in his widow's estate, creating a miniature Kryptonian structure. Unfortunately, the act of this alien creation causes mayhem on a wide scale as it appears to drain all the electricity for hundreds of miles. This energy pulse affects a space shuttle and the airliner carrying it by causing the shuttle to fire its engines prematurely. With the shuttle's controls disabled and unable to detach from the carrying plane, it threatens to drag it into space. In response, Clark is forced to change into Superman to save the plane from disaster, thus exposing his return to the public.

Luthor's nefarious plan is to create a new continent in the Atlantic Ocean, the size and displacement of which will destroy most of North America, killing millions of people. This upsets his girlfriend / co-conspirator Kitty. In the ensuing chaos, he will use his possession of the crystal technology to become a world superpower. In order to prevent Superman from thwarting his plans, he also steals the original Addis Ababa meteorite (featured in Superman), from which he originally extracted a chunk of Kryptonite. From this his henchman laboriously carves a hollow green Kryptonite cylinder which Luthor plans to meld with one of the Fortress crystals. (As the cylinder is being fashioned Luthor pockets a dagger-like shard of kryptonite...)

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Superman (Brandon Routh) and Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) glide above Metropolis.

Luthor succeeds in planting the "seed crystal" and the continent begins to grow in the Atlantic Ocean. Superman rescues Lois, Jason, and Richard, who were present on Luthor's luxury yacht when the landmass began to form. Prior to Superman's arrival, Jason for a moment appears to display superhuman strength, implying that Richard may not actually be his father. Superman is delayed when the sudden growth of the landmass in the Atlantic begins causing quakes and other disasters in Metropolis, requiring his intervention to halt them. When Superman investigates the growing landmass, he is beaten and dry-drowned by Luthor's thugs after being weakened by the presence of kryptonite in the new continent. Luthor stabs him with the shard of kryptonite and throws him into the ocean. Superman is rescued by Lois and Richard, flies into the stratosphere to renew his strength by direct exposure to the rays of the sun, and is ultimately able to prevent large-scale catastrophe by lifting the newly-formed landmass directly out of the ocean and throwing it into space, at significant cost to his health. Luthor escapes in a helicopter with Kitty, who in apparent remorse, as they prepare for take-off, throws the remaining crystals onto the island's surface in the hope of sabotaging any future nefarious use. After launching the crystalline landmass into space, Superman lapses into unconsciousness and falls back to Earth, where he is rushed to a hospital. The doctors' efforts to help him prove futile, since Superman's skin is impervious to needles or electricity. He hovers near death before recovering. Lois and Jason are allowed in Superman's hospital room. While at his bedside, Lois makes a plea for Superman to wake up. As they leave Jason kisses Superman on the temple, prompting more speculation that the boy may have superpowers.

Lois stares at a blank laptop document with the title "Why the World Needs Superman" while Jason sleeps in his room. Superman watches him attentively, then begins to say the same words that his father, Jor-El, said to him in both the original Superman film and again in Superman Returns. Jason wakes up only to see an empty room with an open window. Lois steps outside to smoke a cigarette but then hears Jason say "Good night!" She looks up and finds Superman hovering in front of her. All Lois can do is stammer before asking "Will we see you ... around?" Superman replies, "I'm always around." He bids Lois goodnight before flying off to the outer stratosphere of Earth for another patrol. Template:Endspoiler

Promotion of the film

David Coulthard's Red Bull Racing car during the Parade lap for the 2006 Monaco Grand Prix. The Superman Returns advertisements were made along the rear wing of the car as well as the Superman logo on the driver's overalls.

Warner Brothers very heavily promoted Superman Returns 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.

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.

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

Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman, a 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 has grossed over $30 million thus far from IMAX theatres worldwide, a record for the format. The receipts in many worldwide markets are still remarkably high as well, considering the movie has been out for over 3 months in most areas.

Reviews

Template:Infobox movie certificates The movie has been well reviewed by most critics. It has been a "Certified Fresh" film on Rotten Tomatoes with 76% overall approval from critics, a 73% from the "Cream of the Crop", and a solid average rating of 7.2/10. The film also received a 72% on Metacritic though users were a little more tepid, awarding it a 6.6/10 average rating.

Some critics gave the film particularly high praise. Empire gave the film five stars (out of five) and described it as "the finest popular entertainment since the Rings trilogy closed." David Ansen of Newsweek said, "Next to Singer's champagne, most recent superhero adventure movies are barely sparkling cider." Other reviews said that Singer had done the Superman character proud and that the whole cast had succeeded. Renowned movie critic Leonard Maltin commented on his website, "Bryan Singer has brought us a brand-new movie that celebrates the traditions of Superman in a movie that somehow still seems fresh. Superman Returns is completely absorbing and highly entertaining."

In contrast, Roger Ebert's reaction to the movie was very negative, saying, "This is a glum, lackluster movie in which even the big effects sequences seem dutiful instead of exhilarating." The New York Times labelled the movie as "leaden", while the San Francisco Chronicle observed that "Superman Returns finds no reason for being, other than that it's summer and computer graphics have improved since the superhero days of Christopher Reeve."

At the San Diego Comic-Con, Bryan Singer showed a five-minute montage of clips from the film to over six thousand viewers, who were so enthused by the footage, they gave it a standing ovation and had the director show it again. Christopher Reeve's late widow, Dana Reeve, in an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show in 2005, was shown the press release photo of Brandon Routh and gave her nod of approval to the actor and the suit. She later sent Routh two pendants emblazoned with the Superman "S" and the words "Go Forward" to show the actor that he had her blessing. Dana Reeve died on March 6, 2006, before the film was completed; the final cut of the film included a credit dedicating the film to both her and her late husband.

Prior to the film's release, a montage of footage was shown at the National Association of Theatre Owners ShoWest convention in March 2006 and was favorably received. In a video segment at ShoWest, Richard Donner was featured giving his nod of approval to Routh as Superman, stating, "He looks so much like Chris it's extraordinary. I'm ready to see this guy take flight, and I know Bryan [Singer] is going to make it happen."

Box office results

Superman Returns grossed $200,081,192 domestically and an estimated $191 million internationally, taking in about $391.1 million worldwide by the time its theatrical run officially closed on November 2, 2006. This makes it the 71st top-grossing movie of all time in domestic totals, the 84th of all time in worldwide totals, the 5th top-grossing movie of 2006 in domestic totals, and the 7th of 2006 in worldwide totals.

Superman Returns grossed US$21,037,277 from its June 27, 2006 and June 28, 2006 screenings. The 10 p.m. showings on Tuesday, June 27 were counted as part of the Wednesday gross as the film lasts slightly longer than two hours, causing it to end early the next day. The movie's debut in 4,065 theaters ranked 11th on the all-time list of biggest Wednesday movie openings, the 7th biggest June opening weekend release, and the 21st fastest to $100 million. It was also the fastest grossing movie release in IMAX history.

Director Bryan Singer has stated that he and the studio are surprised with the relatively high international gross of Superman Returns, as Superman is considered more of an American icon. The phased international release of Superman Returns contrasts with the Marvel franchises such as X-Men and other franchises such as the Star Wars prequels, which were simultaneously released in the U.S., Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Disney also chose to release Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in and outside the U.S. on the same dates, premiering before Superman Returns in many foreign territories. The movie has still not been released in Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait and several other minor markets.

Warner president Alan Horn admitted that Superman Returns "should have done $500 million worldwide," but fell around $100 million short of his expectations.

As of November 2006, Superman Returns has grossed $391,081,192 world-wide IMDB ($200,081,192 in the US IMDB).

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, with many fans speculating that it will be Brainiac, Doomsday or both. These foes were previously paired together in a few of the canceled Superman films. Other possible extraterrestrial nemeses are General Zod, whom Singer may once again try to include, or Darkseid. In another interview on Superherohype.com, Singer indicated a possible return of the New Krypton island.

On August 18, 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. 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, but was the 8th slowest film to do so at the time. On October 25, 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 to about 170 million dollars; however, the existing sets would contribute to lower costs across the board for the upcoming movie. The sequel is expected to be more action focused than its predecessor.

Related media

A variety of supplemental media was released in conjunction with Superman Returns. The Superman Returns film score composed by John Ottman and conducted by Damon Intrabartolo was released on June 27, 2006, by Rhino Records. 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 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.).

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. 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. Also scheduled is a Superman Returns video game for release on November 22, 2006. It will be based on the movie but contain additional villains such as Metallo, Mr. Mxyzptlk, Bizarro and Mongul which have yet to be introduced in the current movie continuity.

DVD, HD DVD and Blu-ray release

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The Widescreen Edition DVD cover.

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The Two-Disc Special Edition DVD cover.

The DVD release of Superman Returns has been scheduled for November 28, 2006. There will be 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 will have 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.

The Special Edition release of the film will also be included in the 14-disc Ultimate Superman Collection. Alongside the four original Christopher Reeve films it will feature Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut as well es Look, Up in the Sky: The Amazing Story of Superman and other documentaries.

There will also be releases on HD DVD (which will feature standard-def on the disc's opposite side) and Blu-ray Disc.

Original Soundtrack Release

A soundtrack album assembled by composer John Ottman was released on commercially released Tuesday, June 27th, 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, 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 the yacht from which Lex Luthor inherits from deceased widow Gertrude Vanderworth. 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 it's '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.

External links

• Official website (including trailers)
• Superman Returns at IMDb
• Superman Returns at Rotten Tomatoes
• Superman Returns review/critical analysis at the Superman Homepage
• Interview: Brandon Routh Superman Returns