There are no shortage of comic-book movies that didn’t get off the ground or altered drastically through the development machine. Back in the mid 90s, Superman Lives looked like a sure (albeit mad) box-office hit with Batman director Tim Burton at the helm.

Nicolas Cage was cast as Superman and his secret identity Clark Kent, a casting decision that still baffles yet excites at the same time. Kevin Smith had drafted what is considered the most faithful version of the script, Wesley Strick and Dan Gilroy would write individual drafts once Burton was onboard.

The movie got pretty close to going before cameras, we’ve all seen the funky costume tests featuring Nic Cage with a nutty hairdo. Even a potential helping of Cage’s full strength crazy wasn’t enough to stop the studio executives from pulling the plug. Ultimately, the movie never happened as was scrapped and it now lives on in infamy as the Superman movie that never was.

Thanks to a successful crowd funding campaign, the fascinating documentary tells the untold story of just what the heck happened to Superman Lives. The opening ten minutes have now been officially released online ahead of its VOD launch on July 9th. Even if you only have a passing interest in Superman movies, I would strongly urge you to check out the full documentary and the taster will certainly whet your appetite.

Featuring interviews with Tim Burton, Kevin Smith, Jon Peters, Dan Gilroy, Derek Frey, Jon Schnepp, Steve Johnson, Wesley Strick, Sylvain Despretz, and many more…

The Death of Superman Lives; What Happened? delves into one of Hollywood’s most enthralling ‘what could have been’ stories. In 1996, Warner Brothers engaged Kevin Smith to write the screenplay (‘Superman Lives’). Director Tim Burton assembled an elite group of artists to work on Superman Lives, including Nicolas Cage as Superman. Warner Brothers scrapped the project shortly before principal photography began.

This documentary directed by Jon Schnepp features interviews with director Tim Burton; l;egendary producers Jon Peters and Lorenzo di Bonaventura; screenwriters Kevin Smith, Wesley Strick, and Dan Gilroy; production designer Rick Heinrichs; special effects artist Steve Johnson; storyboard artist Tim Burgard; costume designer Colleen Atwood, and many more. This film delivers an inside look into what would have been the most original, unexpected and cosmic Superman movie ever made.