Superman II

Superman II began with Richard Donner as director, who had also directed the first Superman. However, due to a series of disputes over the film's direction and budget concerns, producers Alexander and Ilya Salkind decided to replace Donner after he had completed about 75% of the film. Richard Lester was brought in to finish the film, and he reshot enough to receive sole director credit in many regions, leading to two distinct versions of the same movie being released.

Marlon Brando, who played Superman's father Jor-El, was originally supposed to reprise his role in Superman II. However, Brando and the producers got into a legal battle over his earnings from the first Superman movie. Brando claimed he was owed a percentage of the gross profits, which led to his scenes being cut from the sequel to avoid paying him further. His absence necessitated significant script changes, diminishing Jor-El's presence in the film.

For Superman II, the filmmakers used an innovative combination of blue screen technology, wire harnesses, and an optical printer. The most groundbreaking technique was the 'Zoptic' system, developed by Zoran Perisic, which involved moving the camera along with a zoom lens to create the illusion of Superman flying towards the camera. This method allowed for more dynamic and convincing flight sequences than were possible in the earlier film.