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 (Salkind films) where once again he comes face to face with Luthor and his new creation from Superman's DNA called Nuclear Man. A spin-off film called "Supergirl", based on the comics character Supergirl, starred Helen Slater as the cousin of Superman. Christopher Reeve was originally planned to have a cameo appearance in it but bowed out early on. The development process behind the creation of DC Comics character Superman in the "Superman" film by Mario Puzo, David Newman, Leslie Newman and Robert Benton was conceived when Ilya Salkind bought the rights for Superman in film. Many A-list directors and actors were sought