Warner Bros. – We Want A Richard Donner Re-Cut of Superman II (1 Viewer)

[James Christie]

This can't be a coincidence that so many people seem to want this. I know I've wanted a Richard Donner Superman II Special Edition for a long time, and so have a lot of fans of the original movie series - but it just feels like this is a great time in the DVD market place to be doing this. Just look at the re-cuts that have already been receiving acclaim. Apocolypse Now Redux is showing at the London Film Festival at the moment and has gained terrific reviews! And on a sci fi note, Star Trek The Motion Picture has just been re-cut and re-mastered by Robert Wise. The time is right for a new Superman II to happen!!

 

[Steve_E]

This film has to be re-released the way it was originally intended. But it MUST be done with the supervision of Richard Donner in my own opinion.
The theatrical film as it is really isnt bad. But it could be waaaaaay better and from what we have been told by people 'involved' such as Jack O Hallaran the film WAS waaaaaaay better than what was orinally done.
From bits of evidence it seems that this isnt a case of re-doing effects from scratch but just getting access to the original footage for which all the special effects have already been completed!
Most of the effects for Donner's superman 2 were already completed and all the hard work of everyone involved was led to waste because of the greedy producers (the salkinds)
If WB did re-release this film along with Superman The Movie theatrically, then it would be one of the biggest movie events ever in my opinion. It would rank right up their with the re-release of star wars.
Superman The Movie has already been supervised by Richard Donner into a special edition, a print and sound thats been restored into something which will test any brand new sound system due to the magnifence of it all.
Now imagine superman 2, maybe with some complete new effects to bridge the gap where the footage is sadly just not there. Imagine the sound being re-worked, Imagine all of donner superiour (told to us fans by people involved to be so) scenes added into the movie replacing Richard Lesters woefully inferior work.
Now stop imagining because the next step is reality. We can make this happen. This CAN happen and if it did and if it was marketed right then it would be one of the biggest events in motion picture history.

 

[Charles S]

WOW!!!! I'd absolutely LOVE to see this....
Heck until reading this thread I never even knew anything about this...LOL!
I always really liked Superman II....its one of my favorite films...but now thinking about it, it always has had some parts that didn't seem to fit, while others parts were fantastic!
I'd love to see this....count my vote...
Come on Warner...lets get this done!!! :=)

 

[John Kilduff]

Richard's Recut...Please!
So much footage was filmed by Donner, that it would be an insult not to put it on DVD.
You've got my vote for a new SE!
Sincerely,
John Kilduff
------------------
"Who makes it happen?"
"I make it happen"-
Sigourney Weaver and Melanie Griffith in "Working Girl"

 

[Christopher _M]

You've got my vote!
Warner Brothers, look at it this way: a great deal of money, time, and effort went into Donner's Superman II, and you've currently received no return on the investment because the footage has never been used. Release Donner's vision of this film. You're staring at a windfall of considerable proportions. Sure, a good deal of money would be needed to restore the lost elements and to fill in any gaps with CGI, but there's a risk in everything in show biz. On an absolute scale, this is a relatively safe bet to return a sizeable profit - if DONE RIGHT.
Just let Donner finish what he nearly completed 20 years ago. The international audience deserves nothing less.
A theatrical re-release of "Superman: SE" was denied by Warner Brothers (they knew a San Antonio test screening was doomed to failure), but a Superman & Superman II Special Edition re-release packaged and properly marketed to theaters would be too much for any sensible studio to resist.

 

[yaniv]

superman and the superman movies have such a huge fan base - it's a win win situation.
you get money and we get the movie we wanted to see for so many years!
thanks
yaniv

 

[KevinV]

Yes! Donner Superman II now! DO WHATEVER it takes, WB. Pleeeeeeeeease! Put Margot Kidder on the commentary with Donner, too!

 

[Mark_TS]

...and while youre at it, get DONNER to remaster AND rescore the great film, LADYHAWKE...it was an early DVD transfer, and if you could redo it with a...
more appropriate music soundtrack, I believe the movie would rise to take its place among the RD classics...
Since Matt Broderick is big these days, this should be a good sell...
[Edited last by Mark_TS on November 01, 2001 at 06:12 PM]

 

[Ryan_M_M]

We want these scenes back Warner!
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed
Link Removed

 

[Greg Rossiter]

Yeah, we want to see Lois figure out the big secret...

And then jump out the

Here's hoping...
Greg R

 

[James Christie]

THESE SCENES MUST BE SEEN!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Dharmesh C]

Awesome scenes
------------------
British film-making at its finest.
Superman CINEMA
http://www.deceptions.net/superman

 

[Bobby M]

Superman II is one of my favourite films of all time and I love the original Richard Lester version to bits, but even I have to admit that a Richard Donner re-cut would blow the original away. Warner Brothers - please listen to what all these people are saying and help Richard Donner to restore his vision of what surely was the greatest comic-book adaptation concieved. I am sure I speak for every fan of the Superman films when I say that what we really want is to see a true Richard Donner version with all the footage of Marlon Brando restored. The Special Edition of Superman The Movie was a big event for us fans, but even that would pale in comparison to seeing Superman II as Donner originally envisaged. As it is Superman II is a great film, but a new version that is true to Donner's vision would be even greater.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

I agree with Bobby, SUPERMAN II is a sentimental favorite of mine, but a Donner re-cut would be much, much better. I also think a theatrical release of the Donner version would be a big hit, provided it were advertised properly.

 

[Mike St.Louis]

For what it's worth, I am throwing my support behind this.
We Superman fans deserve this.

 

[Chris Brunner]

Just piling on.
Throw my cash into the pot!
C

 

[yaniv]

just look at these pics, so much footage..
so much time, money and love was in these scenes, and we never got to see it :-(
please make this happen!
if you do release it i promise to buy 10 copies...really!
yaniv

 

[Max J Fisher]

Come on warner bros. we want to see this extra footage

 

[LukeRaddy]

Oh God, I would love to have a recut "Superman II" by Richard Donner. He takes so much care and attention to all his films. Just look at the quality of his later Warner-ventures: Lethal Weapon, The Goonies, Maverick, etc. Surely Donner deserves the opportunity to recut "Superman II", if not for us, the fans, but for himself. He had to put up with so much during the Superman/Superman II shoot that I can't even begin to imagine how he coped.
I would love it if, like "Superman: SE", Donner was able to recut "Superman II" the way he envisioned it. You could really tell the difference in quality between Donner's footage and Lester's. Donner's has the camerawork of Geoffrey Unsworth, which adds so much depth and clarity to the picture. Lesters's footage seems a lot cheaper, filming whenever he could to get it done as quickly as possible. Look at the dullness of the Niagra Falls scene in terms of picture compared to the colour of the sky and quality of picture of the dam in "Superman: SE".
Donner took care and attention to visualise a modern legend where as Lester just wanted to adhere to the producers whims and get the shoot done as quickly as possible. It seems highly unprofessonal to dismiss so much footage that Donner filmed that would have worked much better than Lester's footage. Lois jumping out of a window and Lois shooting Superman just seem to have much more of an impact than Lois jumping into the waterfall. Besides, Margot Kidder looked better during Donner's shoot compared to Lester's. We need Donner's Lois because she looks gorgeous!
Also, before I go, even if there is no Donner cut, please could Warners remove the more slapstick elements of Lester's "Superman II". The end battle completely belittles the peril the citizens are in for the sake of people's wigs flying off, ice cream in somone's face and someone on rollerskates beng blown backwards. Ho ho. How very amusing! As a result, when I was a child, I didn't understand why Superman flew away at the end of the battle because everyone seemed to be having such a great time when the villains were using their "super-breath".
Thanks for your time! In sum, "Superman II: Donner Cut" PLEASE!?

 

[nousername]

Yes, count me in as well.
But I do NOT want the deleted scenes to be separate. This would accomplish nothing. They have to be reintegrated into the movie.
And while we're at it, do a better job on the sound and picture quality.
If all of this is done, I will gladly shell out the cash to buy a copy...