| BURBANK, Calif. - March 30, 2001 -
"Superman: The Movie," one of the most treasured and
successful motion pictures in the Warner Bros. Pictures library,
will make its long-awaited DVD debut on May 1 from Warner Home
Video (WHV).
The classic, award-winning film, directed by Richard Donner,
launched the career of Christopher Reeve, who played "The
Man of Steel," and includes an all-star cast of Marlon
Brando, Gene Hackman, Ned Beatty and Margot Kidder, among
others. Reeve, Brando and Hackman appear in an additional nine
minutes of film not seen in previous theatrical engagements or
on video. The DVD will have a new digital transfer, re-mixed
Dolby Surround 5.1 sound and a host of features and
enhancements.
Concurrently, WHV is releasing the three Superman sequels --
"Superman II," "Superman III" and
"Superman IV: The Quest for Peace" -- for the first
time on DVD. All four titles will also be available on VHS. Both
the VHS and DVD of "Superman: The Movie" Special
Edition will contain bonus items such as screen tests and the
original theatrical trailer.
The packed DVD of "Superman: The Movie" includes
four behind- the- scenes features about special effects, the
making of the film with star and filmmaker interviews, a segment
on how Superman was depicted flying, and screen tests of the
original and passed over stars and cast members.
In addition, the DVD will contain an audio commentary by the
filmmakers, audio outtakes including alternate scoring of eight
sequences, a music-only audio track, special ROM features and
original trailers and TV spots.
Marlon Brando portrays Jor-El, Superman's father from the
planet Krypton, and Gene Hackman is the dreaded Lex Luthor,
mankind's worst enemy. Also starring in memorable supporting
roles are Ned Beatty as Otis, Luthor's bumbling assistant;
Jackie Cooper as Perry White, frenzied editor of Metropolis' The
Daily Planet; Glenn Ford and Phyllis Thaxter as Jonathan and
Martha Kent, surrogate parents to Superman on Earth; Trevor
Howard as the First Elder on Krypton; Margot Kidder as The Daily
Planet's ace reporter Lois Lane, who is smitten with Superman
and his heroics but remains indifferent to the awkward advances
of his alter ego Clark Kent; Valerie Perrine as Luthor's sexy
but loyal girlfriend Eve; Maria Schell as Vond-Ah; Terence Stamp
as General Zod; and Susannah York as Lara, Superman's biological
mother. Christopher Reeve stars in all four Superman movies, and
Gene Hackman appears in all except "Superman III,"
which co-stars Richard Pryor.
An Alexander Salkind presentation of a Richard Donner film,
"Superman: The Movie" was directed by Donner from a
story by Mario Puzo. The screenplay was by Puzo, David Newman,
Leslie Newman and Robert Benton. Tom Mankiewicz was creative
consultant. Ilya Salkind was executive producer and Pierre
Spengler produced the film. John Williams composed and conducted
the music. "Superman: The Movie," an Alexander and
Ilya Salkind production, is distributed by Warner Bros.
The complete four-film Superman collection will sell for
$79.92 SRP for the DVD and $39.92 SRP for the VHS.
"Superman: The Movie" will sell for $24.98 SRP /
$19.95 MAP on DVD (VHS: $14.95 SRP / $9.95 MAP). The three
sequels will each sell for $19.98 SRP / $14.95 MAP for the DVD
and $9.94 VHS. |
