Superman II (1980)

Superman II is a 1980 superhero film based on the DC Comics character Superman, portrayed by Christopher Reeve. It is the second installment in the Superman film series and a direct sequel to the 1978 film. It was directed by Richard Lester and written by Mario Puzo and David and Leslie Newman from a story by Puzo. The returning cast also includes Gene Hackman, Terence Stamp, Ned Beatty, Sarah Douglas, Margot Kidder, Marc McClure, Jackie Cooper, and Jack O'Halloran. The film's plot features the arrival of General Zod and his comrades on Earth, following their release from the Phantom Zone (a prison that had been made by the people of Krypton). Zod seeks revenge for imprisonment by pursuing the planet's last son, Kal-El, alias "Superman". As a result, Kal-El, who had unknowingly freed them, must now face threats from his long-dead home planet. Zod also allies with Lex Luthor, who still aspires to world domination. The hero also faces an internal conflict, torn between his duties as Earth's hero and his desire to live amongst them solely as Clark Kent, and especially with his love interest, Lois Lane.

In 1977, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind decided that they would film Superman and its sequel simultaneously; principal photography began in March 1977 and ended in October 1978. Tensions rose between original director Richard Donner and the producers, as a result of which a decision was made to stop filming the sequel, 75 percent of which had already been completed, and simply finish the first film. After the release of Superman in December 1978, Donner was fired as director and replaced by Lester. Several members of the cast and crew declined to return to complete the sequel in the wake of Donner's firing. In order to be officially credited as the director, Lester re-shot most of the film: principal photography resumed in September 1979 and ended in March 1980.

Superman II was released in Australia and most of Europe on December 4, 1980, and in other countries in 1981. It received positive reviews from film critics, who praised the performances of Hackman, Kidder, Stamp, and Reeve, as well as the visual effects and the humor. It grossed $216 million worldwide against a production budget of $54 million, which meant it was a box office success, albeit less so than its predecessor. A sequel, Superman III, was released in June 1983, for which Lester returned as director. A director's cut of Superman II, restoring the original vision for the film under Donner's supervision, titled Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, was released on November 28, 2006, in various home media formats.