By 1983, the Superman franchise seemed exhausted. Superman III, starring Christopher Reeve and Richard Pryor, was lambasted by critics for its overreliance on cheap gags, boring enemies, and an incoherent plot. The owners of the franchise, producer Alexander Salkind and his son Ilya, told each other that they would only continue if the movie made more than $40 million, or $119 million today. To the surprise of many, they exceeded that goal.
