SUPERMAN II STORYBOARDS

[Kamdan]

Visit this website below and you'll see some interesting storyboards for an aparent early version of the Metropolis battle, before Donner signed on. You'll have to scroll down a bit to view them. Enjoy!
mondoprop.blogspot.com/

[Jimbo]

Ooh, great find. I love the TNG scripts and call sheets. Great collection of autographs too.

Wow, that Metropolis fight version is much more brutal than what we got. Zod rips into an office building with his laser eyes, killing people and cutting them up with falling glass. That couldn't have been done in a PG superhero movie in 1979.

I see that the black kid's line "huh, Superman didn't even do nuthin!" made its way into the final version. Even in the script as a black kid saying it, followed by another saying "jive turkey". ;D "Come on, let's go" muuuuch better.

[Legsy]

Who's Jak-El?

[ukdrummajor]

from imdb............

In an early version of the script, there were four Kryptonian exile villains instead of three. The fourth member, Jak-El, was supposed to be an evil prankster and source of comic relief (a similar character to Riddler in the Batman series). In an early script, he is described as 'A psychopathic jokester, whose pranks and "practical jokes" are only funny to him when they cause death and suffering to others, this is JAK-EL.' The character was later dropped and never cast.

[Jimbo]

In other words, why pay for 4 actors, when we can only pay 3? ;D

[Legsy]

True, and it seriously would have messed up the Superman mythos. I mean, how can a member of the House of El be on Zod's team of thugs?

[crazy_asian_man]

Ooh, great find. I love the TNG scripts and call sheets. Great collection of autographs too.Wow, that Metropolis fight version is much more brutal than what we got. Zod rips into an office building with his laser eyes, killing people and cutting them up with falling glass. That couldn't have been done in a PG superhero movie in 1979.

Agreed- fantastic find! Since the Donner Cut (nor the documentaries) never really shared what Donner would have done with his version of the Metropolis battle, (I doubt the RDC offered much besides a few seconds of what was available).... storyboards of early concepts are gold. The best I found were the Lester storyboards on ebay awhile back, which was simliar to what was on-screen (though thankfully they removed Superman getting shoved into a van full of flowers during battle)- but no Donner ones that I've seen. Only heard about the battle in an exploding volcano (THAT would have been something), with the kryptonians having a fight with hurling fireballs at Supes.

I always imagined that Donner would have made the villains more scary and brutal. After all, the Salkinds did consider Speilberg right after "Jaws" and Donner after "The Omen"--- although, of course, I'm sure the box office was what they were looking at in those cases, but since these concepts were considered--- they must have been open to a darker version, and DC didn't seem to care initially at the time, if they okayed Muhammed Ali for the role of Superman.

Again, makes one wonder how it would have turned out, if Donner hadn't been fired/quit....
I think WB at the time- if they had the rights- would have given Donner more freedom to do the film the way he would have wanted, even if it turned out a bit darker than normal family fare at the time.

[fggafagas]

May 13, 2009 14:48:40 GMT -5 Legsy said:

True, and it seriously would have messed up the Superman mythos. I mean, how can a member of the House of El be on Zod's team of thugs?

Why not? I believe Superman has atleast a couple of Kryptonian relatives who are evil. There's a silver age villain named Kru-El who was imprisoned in the phantom zone, and i the post crisis continuity Superman has an ancestor named Kem-L, who created the Eradicator, a device that eradicates any outside influences on Kryptonian culture, usually through killing.

[Legsy]

That's cool, but I can't see a member of the House of El taking orders from Zod.

[jak321]

So, these storyboards were done under Guy Hamilton, right?

[Jimbo]

It must have been. That was the first Newman script, right?

[Kamdan]

Could it be that this could have been from Puzo's first lone drafts? I don't remember the Newman's drafts being that graphic.

[crazy_asian_man]

In checking out that draft, I was amazed at some of the other changes included--- some more interesting than others. One scene in particular that I found interesting --- how Superman was coerced by Lois to giving up his powers- rather than defying his father right off the bat:

Is this a better version? I'm sure it would have been better developed, but it's an interesting difference and shift for Superman's character by the way it's written below. Superman seems less selfish, as it takes him longer to make the decision to become human:

What do you folks think? Better or worse in concept than what was in the RDC?

xxxx
WIDE SHOT: the whole area including LOIS on balcony as JOR-EL continues.

JOR-EL (relentlessly) Is this how you would repay their admiration? Is this the example you would set them - to abandon the weak the defenseless, the needy for the sake of one's own selfish pursuits?

SUPERMAN (stung) Selfish! But they get a chance at happiness -

JOR-EL (cutting him off implacably) Yours is a higher happiness. The happiness of your mission. (persuasively) the happiness -- pure and quiet -- that you feel inside every time you safe a life, every time you inspire others to seek the best in themselves. (quietly) My son, you cannot deny that feeling.

ON SUPERMAN: nodding slowly. Under the burden of this argument he sinks into a sitting position on a nearby platform, looking up now at his father.

CONTINUED

439CONTINUED (2)

TWO SHOT: Superman looking up at Jor-El.

JOR-EL Kal-El, you cannot so quickly have forgotten my teachings -

SUPERMAN (looks up, defensively) I've forgotten nothing -

JOR-EL Then you recall what was said by one of the greatest writers of your planet; 'And this above all, to think own self be true. And it shall follow as night the day-'

As he is saying these last lines, Superman rises abruptly and turns away from his father. He is now facing Lois/balcony but he doesn't look up. Staring straight ahead in despair he finishes the line.

SUPERMAN '...thou can't not then be false to any man...'

JOR-EL (quietly) I leave you with that thought, my son.

A CLICK and he disappears.

440TWO SHOT: A beat of silence as Superman stands still, looking at nothing. Unbeknownst, on the balcony above, Lois is in the same position, staring out unhappily over his head. She begins to speak quietly, almost to herself.

LOIS Funny, isn't it? Here I am --

As he turns, looking up and behind him:

CONTINUED

440CONTINUED

NEW ANGLE, LONG: Reminding us of a very famous balcony scene in the positions.

SUPERMAN (looking up, startled) Lois!

LOIS Superman. (she leans on the balcony, bitterly ironic) Wherefore art thou, Superman? Deny thy father. . . (a sad smile) No, maybe father knows best. That was your father. . . ?

SUPERMAN (awkwardly) Yes, well, he was just -- We talk. I mean, we can communicate through. . . crystals. (he gestures to wall with first shelf of memory crystals ) Everything I know is in there. (gestures at wall with second shelf of unplayed crystals) What I still don't know is there.

LOIS You haven't listened to those?

SUPERMAN Not yet. I haven't needed to know what they tell.

LOIS (bitterly) Maybe they've got some advice for the lovelorn. For instance, Lois Lane, the girl who always got what she goes after. Ever since I was a little girl. You name it: straight A's, editor of the school yearbook, a Job on a newspaper, bylines, top salary. Once I set my sights on something. . . Well, I guess I set my sights too high this time.

CONTINUED

440CONTINUED (2)

SUPERMAN (deeply moved, he starts up the ramp towards her) No, you didn't!

CLOSEUP LOIS

LOIS No, I didn't, did I? No man was good enough until somebody just. . . (a sad smile) . . . fell from the blue. Impossible. Sure, for other people, the kid who always gets what she --

Her voice chokes; she turns her head away.

REVERSE: He is there, beside her.

SUPERMAN (reaching out) Lois --

TWO SHOT: She pulls away, trying to control herself, moving swiftly down the corridor, saying:

LOIS I'm okay, I'll be okay.

She is stopped at the end of the corridor by large glass doors leading onto the exterior balcony. As he approaches, she turns suddenly to face him. Behind the star-crossed lovers is the starry arctic sky; the icy landscape gleams in moonlight.

LOIS (bravely) But I did do it, didn't I? I did get the man I love to love me?

SUPERMAN (this is very hard on him) Yes.

CONTINUED

440CONTINUED (3)

LOIS That's what's funny. I got everything I ever wanted. I even got the one thing nobody else could have. (bitterly) And now I can't have it. Because everybody else needs it. I understand, oh, how I understand. I tried awfully hard not to understand, but I'm not that selfish. They need you (quickly) Not more than I do. Nobody needs you more than I do. (soberly) But I'd be buying my personal little rainbow at the cost of all those people. The ones who say, 'Help. Come. Quick. Now.' While I'd be saying, 'Stay. Be with me. Don't go. Stay home.' And pretty soon, it'd be a toss-up whether you hated me more or I hated --

ON SUPERMAN -- He finds her thoroughly admirable, especially now.

CLOSEUP- LOIS

LOIS I was going to say, 'Whether you hated me more or I hated me more.' Because that would happen sooner or later. (desperately) I'd hate myself, Superman. (getting hold of herself) No, when you get down to the bottom line, I've got to live with Lois Lane. Alone or not. And I've Got to like her. You don't know how much, right now, I want to say, 'who cares about your great. . .' mission, isn't that what he called it? But I'm not a bitch. Not that much of a -- (it overwhelms her; she begins to weep) I'll be all right. (a fake laugh) Just some schoolgirl tears. (wipes her eyes; gets herself together) Listen, I'm tired, okay? I Just want to go somewhere and -- and lay down.

CONTINUED

440CONTINUED (4)

Superman is terribly touched and upset by her love for him and her sacrifice. Slowly he moves a few feet down the corridor and opens the bedroom door she emerged from earlier.

SUPERMAN (awkward) Here. The. . . bedroom.

LOIS (trying a smile) I know. I've been thinking about it all day. (as she approaches) But not like this. (at the door; next to him, a deep breath) Well. . .

TIGHT TWO SHOT: Suddenly he moves to take her in his arms.

LOIS No. (about to cry; she moves away and pushes the door open) No, let's not. . . start anything we can't --

She breaks off, pushes quickly past him into the bedroom and closes the door behind her.

HOLD ON SUPERMAN -- extremely upset, grieved. He turns and walks AWAY FROM CAMERA, shoulders stooped. Then he stops and looks back in the direction of the bedroom.

441EFFECTS: X-RAY VISION

442HIS POV (WITH X-RAY Vision): Lois has thrown herself on the bed and is crying into the pillow, her body wracked with sobs.

443CLOSEUP - SUPERMAN -- he can't take it anymore.

SUPERMAN I love her. I don't want to lose her. Suddenly, with the look of a man who has just made up his mind, he turns and rushes down the corridor.

SUPERMAN I won't lose her!

With a look of determination and purpose, Superman strides to the molecular restructuring chamber and enters it.

CUT TO

444CUT TO INT. MOLECULAR RESTRUCTURING CHAMBER - NIGHT

The heavy door automatically closes. Superman goes to the crystal panel-bank and passes his hand across certain crystals (or pushes a button, or whatever the activating technique is) and then lays himself down on the transparent, forbidding slab. He closes his eyes.

[jak321]

Zod's helmet is pretty nifty.

[nunomiranda]

Glad you enjoyed the concept boards

You might also enjoy some actual production storyboards for SM3 which I just added. I collected these from various sources, so there are some jumps, as not all were available.

You can find them here: mondoprop.blogspot.com/2010/02/superman-iii-1983-original-storyboards.html

Later I will add some rough pencil storyboards to the site. They are for SM3's opening credits and I need to find a good bit of time to sort and scan them, as they are unnumbered.

Enjoy!
Cheers,
Nuno

[atp]

May 13, 2009 14:25:29 GMT -5 Jimbo said:

In other words, why pay for 4 actors, when we can only pay 3? ;D

Why pay for ANY actors when you can create them in..

Aah never mind.

[MAVERICK]

;D ;D ;D

[Olly H 82]

I was never too impressed with the storyboards for STM and SII they all looked a bit rushed. The SIII boards are definitely a improvement but SIV easily has the best storyboards.