Tim Burton on His Aborted Superman Movie ‘Superman Lives,’ Starring Nicolas Cage

On May 1, the highly anticipated documentary The Death of ‘Superman Lives’: What Happened? will be released in select theaters.

Directed by comic book superfan Jon Schnepp, the film traces the development of one of the greatest superhero movie projects you’ve probably never heard of—the 1998 film Superman Lives, which was to be directed by Tim Burton (Batman), written by Kevin Smith, and star Nicolas Cage as Clark Kent/Superman.

Schnepp’s documentary features an array of exclusive interviews with the cinema luminaries behind the would-be film, including the likes of Burton; Smith; producers Jon Peters, Dan Gilroy, and Lorenzo diBonaventura; costume designer Colleen Atwood; and many more. It also includes never before seen footage and artwork from what could have been the most original and downright bizarre Superman movie ever made.

Watch an exclusive clip from The Death of ‘Superman Lives’: What Happened? of Burton explaining why Cage was the right guy for the role of the Man of Steel.

The Death of ‘Superman Lives’: What Happened? will be released on DVD/VOD July 9, and more info can be found at the film’s official website.