The fictional character Superman, a comic book superhero featured in DC Comics publications, has appeared in various films since his inception. The earliest Superman film was in 1951, Superman and the Mole Men. Ilya and Alexander Salkind and Pierre Spengler purchased the Superman film rights in 1974. After numerous scripts, Richard Donner was hired to direct the film, filming Superman (1978) and Superman II (1980) simultaneously. Donner had already shot 80% of Superman II before it was decided to finish shooting the first film. The Salkinds fired Donner after Superman's release, and commissioned Richard Lester as the director to finish Superman II. Lester also returned for Superman III (1983), and the Salkinds further produced the 1984 spin-off Supergirl before selling the rights to Cannon Films, resulting in Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). With over 15 years of development for a fifth Superman film, Superman Returns, an alternate sequel to Superman and Superman II directed by Bryan Singer, was released in 2006, along with Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut. Following the disappointing financial results of Superman Returns, Warner Bros. plans to reboot the film series for a June 2013 release. Zack Snyder will direct the reboot, titled Man of Steel, with David S. Goyer writing and Christopher Nolan producing. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superman:Man_of_Steel#Man_of_Steel)
