Release
Superman was originally scheduled to be released in June 1978, but the problems during filming pushed the film back by six months. Editor Stuart Baird reflected, "Filming was finished in October 1978 and it is a miracle we had the film released three months later. Big-budgeted films today tend to take six to eight months." Donner, for his part, wished that he'd "had another six months; I would have perfected a lot of things. But at some point, you've gotta turn the picture over." Warner Bros. spent $7 million to market and promote the film.
Superman premiered at the Kennedy Centre in Washington DC on December 10, 1978. Three days later on December 13, it had a European Royal Charity Premiere at the Empire, Leicester Square in London in the presence of HM Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Andrew. It went on to gross $134.22 million in North America and $166 million internationally, totaling $300.22 million worldwide. Superman was the second highest grossing movie of 1978 (behind only Grease), and became the sixth-highest grossing film of all time after its theatrical run. It was also Warner Bros.' most successful film at the time. Based on 53 reviews collected by Rotten Tomatoes, 94% of reviewers enjoyed Superman, with the consensus "Superman deftly blends humor and gravitas, taking advantage of the perfectly cast Reeve to craft a loving, nostalgic tribute to an American pop culture icon." By comparison, Metacritic collected an average score of 88, resulting in "universal acclaim", based on 12 reviews. The film was widely regarded as one of top 10 movies of 1978. Superman creators Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster gave a positive reaction. Shuster was "delighted to see Superman on the screen. I got chills. Chris Reeve has just the right touch of humor. He really is Superman".
Roger Ebert gave a largely positive review. "Superman is a pure delight, a wondrous combination of all the old-fashioned things we never really get tired of: adventure and romance, heroes and villains, earthshaking special effects and wit. Reeve is perfectly cast in the role. Any poor choice would have ruined the film". Ebert placed the film on his 10 best list of 1978. He would later go on to place it on his "Great Movies" list. James Berardinelli believed "there's no doubt that it's a flawed movie, but it's one of the most wonderfully entertaining flawed movies made during the 1970s. It's exactly what comic book fans hoped it would be. Perhaps most heartening of all, however, is the message at the end of the credits announcing the impending arrival of Superman II." Harry Knowles is a longtime fan of the film, but was critical of elements that didn't represent the Superman stories as seen in the comics. Dave Kehr felt "the tone, style, and point of view change almost from shot to shot. This is the definitive corporate film. It is best when it takes itself seriously, worst when it takes the easy way out in giggly camp, When Lex Luthor enters the action, Hackman plays the arch-villain like a hairdresser left over from a TV skit."
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