The Worst Superman Movie Ever On HBO Max Destroyed The Franchise And The Movie Studio
Posted by Jonathan Klotz | Published
Long before James Gunn took over the DC Universe movies, more than 20 years before Zack Snyder. The Man of SteelChristopher Reeve was the perfect Superman. With little change in his posture and flexibility, Reeve could change from Clark Kent to Superman in a second. The first two Superman films that paired Reeve with director Richard Donner were both masterpieces. It’s unfortunate that it’s Reeve’s last film with the red cape Superman IV: The Quest for Peace no Donner, no Richard Pryor, and not a clue about what makes a great Superman movie. I Seeking Peace it was such a disappointment that it destroyed the Superman movie franchise until 2006 Superman Returns.
Superman Vs. The Cold War
Superman IV begins with Superman uncovering the ship that brought him to Earth, and receiving a message from his mother that the power module on board has incredible power but can only be used once. That leads to him going to the United Nations and educating everyone about the dangers of nuclear proliferation. Seeking Peace it is not hidden in its message.
When Luthor (the contractually obligated Gene Hackman) was released from prison his nephew Lenny (Jon Cryer, ironically, would play Lex Supergirl series), he decides to attach a genetic matrix with Superman’s hair in it to a nuclear missile. This leads to the creation of Nuclear Man, an evil villain powered by the Sun who has the power to go toe to toe with Superman. Despite his superpowers, Nuclear Man likes to use his super-powerful nails to grab Superman and cause radiation poisoning. All the supervillains have to fight like Hollywood’s NWO Hulk Hogan run in WCW, what could possibly go wrong?
No Money, Lots of Problems
Money. Or, the complete lack of it. The Cannon Group expanded significantly in the 80s and ended up with a movie slate they couldn’t finance. Christopher Reeve talked about the experience in his biography, Still Methat the production could not finish the movie. What they shot was obviously lower budget than the Donner films, and as Reeve expected, it left audiences disappointed.
The first edition of the Superman IV: The Quest for Peace it was Bizarro. A lock of hair, Luthor seeking revenge on Superman, Nuclear Man taking orders from Lex, all point to the original Bizarro storyline. The deleted sequence would have shown the original Nuclear Man, who looked inhuman and closer to the terrifying albino version of the original Bizarro. That deduction, along with half of the film’s budget, left the production team with only $17 million.
Christopher Reeve Deserves Better
Christopher Reeve, collecting a 6 million check to return, was able to express his idea for a Superman movie. The plot about nuclear weapons came directly from Superman himself, he has the credit “Story By”, and again, his excellent biography is very open about the whole process behind the film. Which, and as he predicted, did poorly at the box office and only earned $36 million, not enough for the studio to turn a profit. As a result, The Cannon Group had to file for bankruptcy.
Superman was put on the backburner again Superman Returns rewrite the movie canon to erase both Superman III again Superman IV. After his tragic horse riding accident in 1995, Chirstopher Reeve could no longer wear tights, but no matter how badly his last two Superman films did at the box office, he will always be Superman.
Superman IV: The Quest for Peace is streaming on HBO Max, in case you want to remind yourself what a really bad superhero movie looks like.
