Long before the #ReleaseTheSnyderCut campaign for Justice League, there was a much quieter campaign for Richard Donner's original vision of Superman II.
Unlike most other director's cuts, Superman II has a fascinating history. Superman: The Movie and Superman II were filmed simultaneously in the late 1970s. Director Richard Donner clashed with the films' producers and was ultimately let go, even though 75% of the sequel had already been filmed. In a twist of fate, the credit for the Director of Superman II would go to his friend, Richard Lester, who had to reshoot many scenes.
Fast forward almost three decades later, Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut, which includes previously unused footage of Marlon Brando, was released on video to high acclaim.
Richard Donner may be best known for movies like the original Superman, The Goonies, and the Lethal Weapon films, but there's a little-known movie he did with Paul Walker. Based on a Michael Crichton novel, Timeline is another very underrated time travel film. Timeline is an impressive blend of science fiction and an epic historical film, and it also stars a then-unknown Gerard Butler before his breakout role in 300 a few years later. Given its big production, I'm surprised it didn't get a lot of hype. In fact, I stumbled upon the movie after it was released on video.
Paul Walker may be best known for the Fast & Furious films, but he's done so many other movies. Despite its poor performance at the box office in 2003, I think Timeline is perhaps Paul Walker and Richard Donner's best film ever.
We lost the great director recently and Paul Walker in 2013, and I hope to honor them by showcasing Timeline this week. May they rest in peace.
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