The massive success of "Jaws" was eclipsed just two years later by another legendary blockbuster and film franchise. The George Lucas science-fiction film "Star Wars" hit theater screens in May 1977, and became a major hit, growing in ticket sales throughout the summer and the rest of the year. In time earning some $460 million, the good versus evil fantasy set in space was not soon surpassed. The film's breathtaking visual effects won an Academy Award. The film also won for John Williams's uplifting score, as well as art direction, costume design, film editing, and sound. "Star Wars" effectively removed any specter of studio bankruptcy that had haunted the studios since early in the decade. When a television film, "Star Wars Holiday Special", was released as a spin-off from "Star Wars" in 1978; it failed to receive the status of the original film, and was deemed a flop. It would be two years until the "Star Wars" series would be revived with "The Empire Strikes Back". Another success in visual effects came the same year as "Star Wars", with Spielberg's "Close Encounters of the Third Kind", another blockbuster and alien contact set in the wilderness. For the picture, Spielberg received his first Oscar nomination for directing. A year later the most iconic superhero was brought to the screen in "Superman", who was portrayed by classically trained actor Christopher Reeve. It was met by resounding praise for strong performances and its epic scope which resulted in numerous sequels and is regarded as one of the greatest superhero films ever made, beginning a new era of superhero films.