Eager to return to acting, Kidder read for the character of Lois Lane in the 1978 superhero film "Superman: The Movie", in the spring of 1977, only one month before principal photography was scheduled to begin. Kidder was subsequently flown to England for screen-tests. Upon meeting with director Richard Donner, Kidder tripped while walking into the room. Donner recalled: "I just fell in love with her. It was perfect, this clumsy ." She was ultimately cast in the role, which would become her most iconic. Filming lasted approximately eighteen months. "Superman" was released during Christmas 1978 and was a major commercial success, grossing $300 million worldwide. Kidder won a Saturn Award for Best Actress for her performance, which was deemed "most charming" by Vincent Canby in "The New York Times".