Remember When Tim Burton Almost Directed Nicolas Cage as Superman?

Years before Bryan Singer’s X-Men made comic book superhero films cool again, there was a dearth of quality entries in the genre. Director Tim Burton had created a notable exception with 1989’s Batman.

With Burton’s success came an opportunity to reimagine the Superman mythos. The project, known as Superman Lives, was loosely based on the “Death of Superman” story arc from the comics. It would have starred Nicholas Cage as the man of steel, and followed a script first authored by Kevin Smith.

Now, director Jon Schnepp takes viewers on a journey behind the scenes of the film that might have been in The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? Schnepp interviews Tim Burton, Kevin Smith, and several others involved in the development of this odd comic book film which never came to fruition.

The Death of “Superman Lives”: What Happened? hits select theaters on May 1st, and will see wider release on July 9th.