Superman in film the script, giving it a serious feel with Christ-like overtones. Christopher Reeve was cast as Superman, having initially failed to impress the Salkinds before bulking up. Brando meanwhile, despite spending less than two weeks on the shoot, and not even reading the script until then, earned $3.7 million up front, plus 11.75% of the gross profits from the film. The film was a success both critically and commercially, being released during the Christmas season of 1978; it did not have much competition, leading the producers to believe that this was one factor in the film's success. Shooting of the two
Christopher Reeve activated by blowing air through a straw. Miller and Reeve would watch the film "Cool Runnings" and joke about Reeve directing the sequel, "Bobsled Two". While in Israel, Reeve had shown significant improvement to his condition. Earlier, he had shown ability to move his left hand index finger, later progressing further by regaining the ability to move his arms and legs to a certain extent. In July 2003, Christopher Reeve's continuing frustration with the pace of stem cell research in the U.S. led him to Israel, a country that was then, according to him, at the center of research in