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
Superman music although series musical arranger Leon Klatzkin is conventionally credited with composing the theme, that credit is in some doubt. The use of the "Superman" theme in the show became ingrained in viewers' minds because the same section of music was played nearly every time the scene cut to Superman flying. Jones' music for this series was released in its entirety on its own CD as part of the 8-disc collection "Superman: The Music (1978-1988)", issued by Film Score Monthly in 2008. The most widely available and well-known "Superman" music is from the four Christopher Reeve films (1978–1987) and the remainder