Superman: The Movie director Richard Donner actually shot much of Superman II, with the plan being for him to make both films simultaneously. But conflict with the producers led them to replace him with Richard Lester, who reshot more than 50% of Superman II to receive DGA credit. Now, thanks to fan's interest and Internet campaigns, Donner's vision for Superman II has been restored. To celebrate the DVD release on Nov 28th 2006, Donner, his cast mates and other celebrities attended a screening of the newly restored version.
Richard Donner – Director
What percentage of this new cut are scenes we haven’t seen before?
Richard Donner: “In this that you're going to see? Well, you know, about 20 or 30% of it was shot by another director. I can't go back and reshoot that. I can't edit it. I tried to edit it down. But about 70-80% is all our footage that was laying in a vault somewhere in Europe - pieces all over. We had to drag them out, find them, reprint them, reconstitute and so what you're going to see is what Mankiewicz, Tom - the writer and I - conceived as I and II. It was in our minds when we shot 'em. I never thought anybody would see our version of II.”
How did you shoot both simultaneously?
Richard Donner: “Well, if you have a major set and it's got to work both in I and II and it's going to have all the actors in it, well then you stay in that set and you shoot pieces of I and then you shoot pieces of II so that you can then strike that set. Otherwise you're carrying a major piece of construction. So those are the things we shot. We also shot everything with Brando. In fact, he's not really in the other version except things that we had shot… ‘Are we in I? Are we in II? Oh yeah, which scene in II? My God, did I screw up?”
What do you think of people considering Superman Returns as part three?
Richard Donner: “I love it. I think Bryan Singer did a great job on that. Why he wasn't selected in the very beginning instead of seven other directors who were shooters and didn't have much emotion, and wrong actors. I think he did a phenomenal job.”
Could you see the characters showing up in future Superman films? Zod?
Richard Donner: “I don't have anything to do with that. That's Bryan. Bryan's doing the next one. Bryan has good taste, so it'll be right. I would love to see the three villains, the same ones right now. I'd love to see Sarah [Douglas]. I'd like to see Nan (Jack O’Halloran) and I'd love to see Terrence [Stamp]. They all look like they've been in space all this time. Why not bring them back? That's what I would do, but I'm not doing it.”
What was it like, the shock when you learned you'd been taken off the project?
Richard Donner: “No, getting fired off a picture is no shock. You just glare and scream and hit the wall and punch your dog. Yeah, sure, I was all packed and ready to go back to London and finish II since we had done so much of it. Tom Mankiewicz, we were going to rewrite it obviously. We had new ideas. I never even heard from the producers. I heard from the lawyer or somebody said, 'Your services will no longer be needed.' Showbiz, it's our life. All the good things we learn about.”
What was the reaction among the cast?
Richard Donner: “I don't know. That's an interesting question. I don't think they wanted me around anyway because I'm such a tyrant.”
What was the most disappointing element of the other version for you?
Richard Donner: “Well, I saw only about five minutes of their version and I walked out so I never knew what was in the picture. I knew the opening scenes that we have in now were not in it, and therefore there was another pivotal scene that couldn't be in. And I knew they didn't have Brando. How can you do a picture about a father and son with his mother? Unless he's got a lot of problems. I think they had the problem. Just the opposite, I'm very happy about what's in it now.”
Will we see anything that will break continuity with Superman III and The Quest for Peace?
Richard Donner: “I didn't see it. I was kind of like not in that world anymore. Not putting it down, just I had such a bad experience I just kind of walked away.”
There was soo much drama surrounding Superman II. Is there still drama coming back to it?
Richard Donner: “There's no drama. Now it's just like, ‘Wow.’ All these fans got together and kept writing and writing and writing so the studio kind of stepped up. It's been quite extraordinary.”
What was the first or biggest thing that you wanted back in?
Richard Donner: “Just the opposite. Everything went back in. Anything we could find, there's stuff missing. We never found our work print. I don't remember how I cut it. That's 30 years ago so every piece of every scene we shot went back in.”
Was it fun to reconstruct?
Richard Donner: “Oh, phenomenal. What a gas, oh man, are you kidding? What a ride. I never thought it would ever happen. It was gone. They kept saying, 'You'll never see it. You're out, you're out. It's never going to happen.'”
What happened? They chose you for Superman I and come Superman II…
Richard Donner: “Well, I didn't get along with them. I banned them from the set. I thought everything they did was counterproductive to the picture. They didn't think quality of film, they thought dollars. We were committed and at that point, you back down you're going to hurt it. So because the picture was a success, they decided they didn't need me anymore. If it had been a failure, they would have demanded I go back.”
Page 2 Interviews with Margot Kidder (Lois Lane) and Sarah Douglas (Ursa)
