An HD Remastered cut of L8wrtr’s fantastic Superman: The Movie/Superman 2 fan-edit, ‘Son of Jorel‘, is currently in the works and scheduled for a release in the coming weeks!
The edit was originally released on DVD in December 2010, with the intention of combining Superman: The Movie and Superman II into a single story, removing many of the campy and over-the-top aspects present in the originals. Many reviewers praised the edit for its serious take on the character, and the clever way in which the themes of both films were tied together into a singular narrative.
By stripping away the weaker plot elements, L8wrtr was able to put the narrative focus squarely on the core relationships between Superman and the Kryptonian villains, Kal-el and his father, and perhaps most poignantly, between Clark and Lois.
One of L8wrtr’s challenges, however, was managing the introduction of Lex Luthor late in the second act of his edit. A common criticism among reviewers was that Luthor’s entry felt unnatural, as if there was something missing that should have been addressed earlier in the film. In deciding to remaster the original edit in HD, L8wrtr has also committed to addressing this complaint in an alternate version 2, finding a way to improve on Lex’s story in the re-release.
Additionally, L8wrtr’ noted that,
“One of the motivators, beyond resolving the general Lex conundrum, is that my kids really love all the extra Superman action and missed the earthquake sequence from ‘Superman: The Movie’, so I want to create an edit that they will love, but still carve out as much Otis and corny camp as possible, making it something the entire family can enjoy.”
In the wake of extreme criticism of the portrayal of Superman in Zack Snyder’s “Batman v Superman: The Dawn of Justice”, L8wrtr’s take on the first Superhero will put a smile back on your face and remind us all why this great character has endured since 1938.
Keep an eye on the forums for more information on this exciting re-release as it develops.