Superman (1978 film) Superman (1978 film) Superman (informally titled Superman: The Movie in some listings and reference sources) is a 1978 superhero film directed by Richard Donner starring Christopher Reeve as Superman based on the DC Comics character of the same name. An international co-production between the United Kingdom, Switzerland, Panama and the United States, the film stars an ensemble cast featuring Marlon Brando, Gene Hackman, Christopher Reeve, Jeff East, Margot Kidder, Glenn Ford, Phyllis Thaxter, Jackie Cooper, Trevor Howard, Marc McClure, Terence Stamp, Valerie Perrine, Ned Beatty, Jack O'Halloran, Maria Schell, and Sarah Douglas. It depicts Superman's origin, including his infancy as
Superman (1978 film) as big an asshole as the Salkinds." Two more films, "Superman III" (1983) and "" (1987), were produced. "Superman Returns" was released in 2006. Director Bryan Singer credited the 1978 "Superman" as an influence for "Superman Returns", and used restored footage of Brando as Jor-El. "" also was released in 2006. The film's final sequence, which features Superman flying high above the Earth at sunrise, and breaking the fourth wall to smile briefly at the camera, featured at the end of every Superman film starring Reeve. Because "Superman" went into production prior to the releases of "Star Wars" (May 1977)