superman

For those not in the know, back in 1982, ABC debuted ‘Superman: The Movie’ the epic cut (not known as such at the time), which was a version of Richard Donner’s phenomenal film with 49 additional minutes added to the movie’s run-time. Granted, apparently around a third of that additional time was a reuse of the opening and closing credits in order to split the movie into 2 pieces so they could air it across two nights on television (according to reviewer Caped Wonder), but that still leaves a lot of time added to the movie. Apparently, almost every part of the film, from the backstory on Krypton, Clark’s origins in Smallville, to Superman’s scenes in Metropolis and the Fortress of Solitude are expanded in this cut, leaving in a lot more time for both the action beats and character development.

Apparently, this was not a rarity back in those days either. Perhaps the most famous “epic cut” was the one they made for ‘Superman II,’ which grew in infamy once fans realized a lot of the additional footage was from Richard Donner’s original production for the film, thus lending it the nickname ‘The Donner Cut.’ This version became so popular with fans, who argued it was an improvement on the actual film, that Warner Bros eventually released this version commercially back in 2006.

Now, Warner Bros is doing the same again, letting the fans have even more of that Richard Donner/ Christopher Reeves magic. The Blu-Ray edition of the “epic cut” will be released alongside ‘Superman: The Movie’s’ Special Edition.  Here’s the full special features list for the release, as well as the official package description:

superman: the movie the extended cut

SUPERMAN: THE MOVIE – EXTENDED CUT & SPECIAL EDITION 2-FILM COLLECTION (1978,2000)
Run Time 188 Minutes-EXTENDED CUT (NEW 2017 1080p HD MASTER)
151 Minutes-SPECIAL EDITION
Subtitles Spanish, French, English SDH
DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 – English (EXTENDED CUT) 
DTS HD-Master Audio 5.1 – English, DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 5.1 – French, DOLBY DIGITAL SURROUND 5.1 – Spanish
ORIGINAL ASPECT RATIO – 2.40:1, 16 X 9 LETTERBOX 
COLOR
2-BD 50
Special Features (on Superman The Special Edition Disc): Commentary by Director Richard Donner and Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz; 3 Documentaries Taking Flight: The Development of Superman, Making Superman: Filming the Legend and The Magic Behind the Cape; Screen Tests; Restored Scenes; Additional Scenes; Additional Music Cues; Music-Only Track

Decades before blockbuster Extended Cuts were common, Superman proved a true “Man of Tomorrow.” Superman: The Movie received an ahead-of-its-time makeover for its television premiere – nearly 40 more minutes of story, creating a two-night television event. Audiences had already been swept off their feet by Christopher Reeve’s Last Son of Krypton, and now there was more to enjoy. Unseen in decades, this version is paired here with Richard Donner’s definitive vision of his film, the Special Edition Director’s Cut (2000), to create a supersized celebration of Metropolis’ favorite son that preserves the director’s intent while feeding superfan demands.

No word on the official release date yet but Warner Bros did hint it would be available for purchase sometime this year.