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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story

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Super/Man:
The Christopher Reeve Story
A portrait of Christopher Reeve as Superman with "Husband. Father. Fighter. Hero." displayed at the top and the tagline "Once You Choose Hope, Anything is Possible." at the bottom above the film's logo and credits.
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
  • Ian Bonhôte
  • Peter Ettedgui
Written by
  • Ian Bonhote
  • Peter Ettedgui
  • Otto Burnham
Produced by
  • Robert Ford
  • Lizzie Gillett
  • Ian Bonhôte
  • Connor Schell
  • Libby Geist


Starring
CinematographyBrett Wiley
Edited byOtto Burnham
Music byIlan Eshkeri
Production
companies
Distributed by
Release dates
  • January 19, 2024 (2024-01-19) (Sundance)
  • September 21, 2024 (2024-09-21) (United States)
  • November 1, 2024 (2024-11-01) (United Kingdom)
Running time
104 minutes[1]
Countries
  • United Kingdom
  • United States
LanguageEnglish

Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is a 2024 documentary film about the life of American actor Christopher Reeve after a horse riding accident left him paralyzed, and his subsequent work as an activist for disability rights.[5][6][7] The documentary was directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, who co-wrote the script with Otto Burnham; its title is a reference to Reeve's role as Superman in the 1978–1987 Superman films.[3][8] Reeve's children Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve are featured in the film.[9]

A British-American venture, the film is a co-production by Words+Pictures, Passion Pictures, and Misfits Entertainment in association with Jenco Films, and was acquired for distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films, and the streaming service Max.[1][3] Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story premiered on January 19, 2024, at the Sundance Film Festival,[10] and received a limited theatrical release in collaboration with Fathom Events in the United States on September 21 and 25, 2024.[4] The film is scheduled for a wide release in North America on October 11.[11]

Cast

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In addition to featuring footage of Christopher Reeve, the film also features his children Alexandra Reeve Givens, Matthew Reeve, and Will Reeve.[9]

Release

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Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story had its world premiere at the Rose Wagner Performing Arts Center in Salt Lake City, Utah for the Sundance Film Festival on January 19, 2024, followed by a post-screening Q&A session with the film's directors, Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, and with Reeve's children.[10] The following month, DC Comics owner Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) acquired the worldwide theatrical and home media release rights to the documentary for $15 million, and worked with DC Studios co-CEOs James Gunn and Peter Safran and its corporate siblings Warner Bros. Pictures, HBO Documentary Films, CNN Films, and the streaming service Max to do so.[8][12] The sale was represented by film financing company Cinetic Media.[8][3]

At the April 2024 CinemaCon, Safran announced that the documentary would be theatrically released in September 2024, under the Warner Bros. Pictures, DC Studios, HBO, and CNN labels.[2] The following month, it was announced that the documentary would have a limited theatrical release on September 21 and 25, 2024, in collaboration with Fathom Events, although there was a potential for a wide release. September 25, 2024, the day the film received a second theatrical release, was chosen as the date for an encore presentation because it would have been Reeve's 72nd birthday.[4] The film is scheduled to receive a wide release in North America on October 11, 2024, followed by international releases in late 2024,[11] including in the United Kingdom on November 1.[13]

Reception

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 43 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.6/10. The website's consensus reads: "An affectionate retrospective on Christopher Reeve's bravery and heroism in his own personal life, Super/Man takes to the skies in inspirational uplift."[14] On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 84 out of 100 from 11 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[15]

Screen Daily film critic Amber Wilkinson wrote, "The life and work of Superman star Christopher Reeve is framed and largely recounted by his family and friends in Ian Bonhote and Peter Ettedgui's increasingly moving documentary."[1] Monica Castillo of RogerEbert.com described it as "Easily my big festival cry, something that moves you so deeply that the combination of sleep deprivation, altitude, and the movie's subject makes it almost impossible not to get emotional."[16]

Notes

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  1. ^ Also distributed through Warner Bros.' DC Studios, HBO Documentary Films, and CNN Films[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f Wilkinson, Amber (January 22, 2024). "'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story': Sundance Review". Screen Daily. Archived from the original on January 24, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  2. ^ a b D'Alessandro, Anthony (April 9, 2024). "'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' To Hit Theaters In September – CinemaCon". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on April 10, 2024. Retrieved April 10, 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d Gonzalez, Umberto (February 2, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Acquired for $15 Million by Warner Bros. Discovery". TheWrap. Archived from the original on February 2, 2024. Retrieved February 2, 2024.
  4. ^ a b c Rubin, Rebecca (May 20, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Sets Theatrical Release for Two Days Only". Variety. Archived from the original on May 20, 2024. Retrieved May 20, 2024.
  5. ^ Carey, Matthew (January 22, 2024). "Christopher Reeve's Children "Bear Their Soul On Screen" In Touching Documentary 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story' – Sundance Studio". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  6. ^ Lang, Brent; Rubin, Rebecca (January 27, 2024). "Christopher Reeve Documentary 'Super/Man' Selling to Warner Bros. Discovery for Roughly $15 Million After Sundance Premiere". Variety. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  7. ^ Sullivan, Marisa (January 23, 2024). "Why the New Christopher Reeve Doc Moved the Sundance Audience to Tears". People. Archived from the original on January 28, 2024. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  8. ^ a b c Grobar, Matt (February 2, 2024). "Warner Bros. Discovery Finalizes Deal For Buzzy Sundance Doc 'Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on March 3, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  9. ^ a b "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". DC.com. Archived from the original on October 4, 2024. Retrieved October 3, 2024.
  10. ^ a b Johnson, Lottie Elizabeth (January 22, 2024). "'He harnessed the power of Superman': Christopher Reeve's real-life heroism unfolds at Sundance". Deseret News. Archived from the original on February 4, 2024. Retrieved February 8, 2024.
  11. ^ a b "Warner Bros. Pictures to Expand Release of DC Studios' Acclaimed Documentary "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story" in Theaters Worldwide" (Press release). Burbank, California: Warner Bros. Pictures. September 26, 2024. Archived from the original on September 26, 2024. Retrieved September 26, 2024 – via Business Wire.
  12. ^ Migalla, Sean (February 2, 2024). "James Gunn Gushes About Emotional Christopher Reeve Documentary Super/Man After It's Acquired by WBD". Screen Rant. Archived from the original on February 13, 2024. Retrieved April 11, 2024.
  13. ^ Baker, Neil (June 24, 2024). "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story arrives in cinemas Nov 1". Cinerama Film UK. Archived from the original on June 24, 2024. Retrieved July 25, 2024.
  14. ^ "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved September 25, 2024.
  15. ^ "Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved September 21, 2024.
  16. ^ Castillo, Monica (January 25, 2024). "Sundance 2024: Sue Bird: In the Clutch, Luther: Never Too Much, Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story". RogerEbert.com. Archived from the original on January 26, 2024. Retrieved January 22, 2024.
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