HaphazardStuff

SuperGirl starring Helen Slater, 1984. This was my SuperGirl growing up in the 80s 🇺🇸 Producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind had acquired the film rights to Superman and the extended 'Superman family' in 1974 after signing a 25-year licensing deal with Warner Publishing and DC Comics. After having huge success with Superman in two films, they hoped to expand and refresh the Superman franchise by making Supergirl. The character was originally planned to be reintroduced in Superman III to set up her own spinoff film, but she ended up being written out of the film. Hundreds of actresses auditioned for the role before Helen Slater was chosen to play Kara Zoe-El. The Salkinds really went all in on Supergirl. They would finance the film themeselves. Director Jeannot Szwarc was given a $35 million budget. The opening credits sequence allegedly cost nearly $1 million. Big stars were cast in supporting roles - Faye Dunaway, Peter O'Toole, Mia Farrow, Brenda Vaccaro. They were trying to repeat the template of Richard Donner's Superman. Christopher Reeves was also sought have a small role, he declined during pre-production who was ready to move on from Superman. A poster of him does show up in the film though. By this point, Superman III was released and its box office was disappointing. Warner Bros., who were to distribute the film, lost confidence in having any success with it. Two weeks before Supergirl's planned July 1984 release, they cancelled its planned North American release and relinquished its distribution rights back to the Salkinds. The Salkinds then got a distribution deal with TriStar Pictures, Supergirl was released in November 1984 and was both a critical and commercial disappointment. It would gross $14.3 million in the U.S. and Canada. While Slater has said she has some affection for the opportunity Supergirl had given her, she also was devastated by its failure. She said, "When Supergirl failed, I thought maybe my career was over before it began. I do quasi-regret that the script didn't connect as much, and that it didn't go on to be bigger." The Salkinds decided they were done with making Superman films. They would license the rights to Superman to The Cannon Group, who would make Superman IV: The Quest for Peace in 1987. The Salkinds found better success making the live-action Superbly television show that ran for several years. The Salkinds hold on the rights to the character ended when Warner Bros. bought back all the remaining rights they had to the character in 1993. via @HaphazardStuff