The making of Superman Returns

New York: Superman is going to be back on the big screen after nearly 20 years, and naturally the excitement among fans is unprecedented.

Superman is, after all, the most famous superhero of all time, also one of the most enduring cultural icons ever created.

Ask even those who don't know anything about comic books and more than likely, they'll be able to rattle off a list of Superman's powers - he's faster than a speeding bullet, he's more powerful than a railway train, he's bulletproof, he can see through walls, and of course he can fly.

For director Bryan Singer, bringing Superman back on the screen was hardly an easy task. In the 20 odd years that it's taken Hollywood to bring the Man of Steel back to the screen, at least five directors were attached to the project that was meant to revive the franchise.

Kevin Smith, Tim Burton, Wolfgang Peterson, McG and Brett Ratner were all - at some point or the other - involved in bringing Superman back to life after his outing in 1987, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace, lay the franchise to rest.

Eventually, the job went to X-Men man Bryan Singer who abandoned his remake of Logan's Run so he could immerse himself into Superman Returns.

The first thing that Singer did before embarking on this mission was seek the blessings of Richard Donner, director of the first Superman film.

Singer was clear that his film would not be a remake of Donner's 1978 original, but more like a continuation of that story.

So in Singer's film that opens on Wednesday, Superman reaches the planet of his birth only to discover that Krypton is a cold graveyard.

He comes back to his childhood home in Smallville, Kansas, then journeys to Metropolis, until it becomes painfully clear that life has moved on in the five years since his absence.

His sweetheart Lois Lane is raising her five year old son with her new fiancee, and it appears that there may be some truth to Lois Lane's Pulitzer Prize winning Daily Planet article, "Why The World Doesn't Need Superman."

Singer cast unknown actor Brandon Routh as Superman, not least because Routh bore an uncanny resemblance to Christopher Reeve.

“I’d seen him go from tapes to time. I sat with him in a coffee shop for a couple of hours and the decision was completely in my hands. It was just an instinct,” Singer said.

For the role of Superman's love interest Lois Lane, Singer cast Hollywood up-and-comer Kate Bosworth.

“She is obviously a comic book character. I wanted people to take her as believable. So we made her more focused on something other than herself and her career,” Bosworth said.

Finding an actor to play Lex Luthor, Superman's supersmart nemesis was perhaps the easiest job for the director who immediately cast his "Usual Suspects" star Kevin Spacey in the part. And contrary to popular belief, Spacey didn't shake in his boots before stepping into the role that had been immortalised by Gene Hackman in the first film.

“I couldn’t beat Gene Hackman even if I tried. It was like you just have to be …I haven’t seen the movie and there’s no reason I should watch them. It was entirely different and was Bryan’s interpretation. So you don’t have to follow it consciously. I am what I am,” Spacey said.

The shoot itself wasn't smooth sailing. The $250-million project was filmed in Australia and took more than 120 days to complete.

The filming was shrouded in secrecy from start to finish so as to avoid plot details from leaking out to the tabloids.

The pressure on Singer took its toll on his health, his back and neck gave him hell throughout the shoot and he delivered a final cut of the film only hours before delivery date.

But when fans finally caught the first glimpse of the film in early teasers, the enthusiasm was infectious.

Singer may be a little concerned that Superman geeks will be upset that he's reduced the size of the 'S' symbol on Superman's suit, but he's convinced that they will embrace his story wholeheartedly.

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