User blog:ARTaylor/40 Years of Superman: The Movie

Today marks the fortieth anniversary of the premiere of Superman: The Movie. The story follows the adventures of Kal-El, a baby boy who is sent by his parents to Earth before his planet of Krypton is destroyed. He is raised by a loving couple in Kansas as Clark Kent before setting out as his life as Superman. He becomes a reporter falling in love with his co-worker Lois Lane before coming into battle with the evil mastermind Lex Luthor who intends to destroy millions of people in a real estate scheme.

The movie was essentially the first major motion picture adaptation of a comic book, coming decades before the superhero boom we live in now. Before the release, superhero movies were based on serials featuring original stories. Superman featured an all-star cast with top-notch talent using the best special effects available at the time. It was released on the fortieth anniversary of Action Comics #1, the very first appearance of the character.

At the time, Superman was the most expensive movie ever made. It was a smash hit with fans and critics becoming the second highest grossing film of 1978 and the most successful film ever for Warner Bros. at that point. The cast was highly praised for their casting with the actors still considered the benchmark that all other versions are compared. There have been numerous pop culture references to the film and the cast have been included in numerous subsequent adaptations. The film was nominated for three Academy Awards for Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, and Best Sound and was awarded a Special Achievement Academy Award for its visual effects. The film, along with Star Wars and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, helped revitalize public interest in science fiction. It entered the Library of Congress' National Film Registry. Nowadays, Superman is considered one of the greatest superhero movies ever made with numerous origin movies copying the format that this film pioneered.

The film credits Jerry Siegel for his creation of the character.