Ilya had the idea of a Superman film in 1973 and after a difficult process with DC Comics, theSalkinds and Spengler bought the rights to the character the following year. Several directors, most notably Guy Hamilton, and screenwriters (MarioPuzo, David and Leslie Newman, and Robert Benton), were associated with the project before Richard Donner was hired to direct. Tom Mankiewicz was drafted in to rewrite the script and was given a "creative consultant" credit. It wasdecided to film both Superman and its sequel Superman II (1980) simultaneously, with principal photography beginning in March 1977 and ending in October 1978. Tensions arose between Donner and the producers, and a decision was made to stop filming the sequel,of which 75 percent had already been completed, and finish the first film.
The most expensive film made up to that point, with a budget of $55 million, Superman was released in December 1978 to critical and financial success; its worldwide box office earnings of $300 million made it thesecond-highest-grossing release of the year. It received praise for Reeve's performance and John Williams' musical score, and was nominated for three Academy Awards, including Best Film Editing, Best Music (Original Score), and BestSound, and received a Special Achievement Academy Award for Visual Effects. Groundbreaking in its use of special effects and science fiction/fantasy storytelling, the film's legacy presaged the mainstream popularity of Hollywood's superhero film franchises. In 2017, Superman was selected for preservation by the Library of Congress'sNational Film Registry.
