Superman (1978)
Superman is a 1978 science fiction movie directed by Richard Donner, with a running time of 2h 24m. It stars Christopher Reeve, Margot Kidder and Gene Hackman.
Superman arrives on Earth as a baby in a pod, the last survivor of a planet that died behind him, and grows up on a Kansas farm before anyone learns what he can do. Richard Donner's 1978 film plays all of it with a straight face: the ice of the Fortress of Solitude, the bustle of the Daily Planet, Christopher Reeve turning Clark Kent into such a convincing klutz that Lois Lane never looks twice. Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor runs the villainy from a lair under the city. The posters promised you would believe a man can fly, and Reeve makes good on it, mostly by making decency look effortless.
Quick answers
What is Superman about?
Superman arrives on Earth as a baby in a pod, the last survivor of a planet that died behind him, and grows up on a Kansas farm before anyone learns what he can do. Richard Donner's 1978 film plays all of it with a straight face: the ice of the Fortress of Solitude, the bustle of the Daily Planet, Christopher Reeve turning Clark Kent into such a convincing klutz that Lois Lane never looks twice. Gene Hackman's Lex Luthor runs the villainy from a lair under the city. The posters promised you would believe a man can fly, and Reeve makes good on it, mostly by making decency look effortless.
When was Superman released?
Superman was released on 14 December 1978.
How long is Superman?
Superman runs 2h 24m.
Who made Superman?
Superman was directed by Richard Donner.
Where can I watch Superman?
Superman is available on HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV, Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home.
Where to watch Superman
Stream: HBO Max, HBO Max Amazon Channel, YouTube TV
Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Google Play Movies, Plex, Spectrum On Demand, YouTube
Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Official site
Cast
- Christopher Reeve as Clark Kent / Superman
- Margot Kidder as Lois Lane
- Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor
- Marlon Brando as Jor-El
- Ned Beatty as Otis
- Jackie Cooper as Perry White
- Glenn Ford as Pa Kent
- Trevor Howard as 1st Elder
- Jack O'Halloran as Non
- Valerie Perrine as Eve Teschmacher
- Maria Schell as Vond-Ah
- Terence Stamp as General Zod
Reviews
Reeve IS Superman. That's just a fact. You believe a man can fly. Nothing since has quite managed that. Formative film of my youth.
martin rated it 10/10
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A few thoughts on Superman
Richard Donner builds the hero on plain decency and never winks at you. Superman: The Animated Series carries that same warmth across a whole DC universe you can binge, and Smallville slows the origin down to ten seasons of Clark becoming himself.
Every screen Superman, from black-and-white TV to prestige drama
The 1978 Superman set the template every later version answers to. These series carry Clark Kent, Lois Lane and Metropolis across seven decades, from George Reeves in the fifties to Tyler Hoechlin raising kids in Superman and Lois. Watch the same story bend to each era, campier or grittier, but always built on the farm boy who can fly.
Read the Superman comics behind the cape
Richard Donner's film pulled its Krypton, its Fortress and its Lex Luthor straight off the comics page. These books go back to that source: the last son of a dead planet, the Man of Steel origin, and team-ups with Batman. Good reading for anyone who met Christopher Reeve first and wants the panels that shaped him.
Big superhero and franchise spectacle coming in 2026
Superman proved a comic-book movie could be sincere and enormous at once. This is the 2026 slate carrying that blockbuster charge: Kara's own Kryptonian adventure in Supergirl, a Punisher swan song, Grogu and the Mandalorian on the big screen, and Mortal Kombat's rematch. Loud, effects-driven event films for a Saturday-night crowd.