2010 Movie News Archives

August 2, 2010: "Superman" Movie Creative Consultant Tom Mankiewicz Dead at 68

2001 DVD The Associated Press is reporting that writer-director Tom Mankiewicz, 68, died Saturday of complications related to pancreatic cancer. Mankiewicz served as Creative Consultant to Director Richard Donner on 1978's "Superman: The Movie" and 2006's "Superman II: The Richard Donner Cut". Mank, as he was often affectionately referred to by friends, was recruited by Donner shortly after he got the directing job on "Superman".

On 2001's "Superman: The Movie" Special Edition DVD, Donner and Mank are interviewed at length about their initial involvement with the "Superman" films. Mankiewicz said Donner summoned him to his home where Mank found Donner adorned in a Superman costume given to him by the Producers and pleading with him to participate in re-writing the massive Mario Puzo script which had already seen re-writes from David and Leslie Newman and Robert Benton. When it came time to prepare the film's credits, the Writer's Guild only allowed for three re-writes on a film at the time so Donner designated Mankiewicz his "Creative Consultant". When the Producers fired Donner from "Superman II", they asked Mankiewicz to fly to London to work on re-writes but Mank politely declined, explaining his loyalty was to Donner. He also participated in re-writes on the script to 1989's "Batman" directed by Tim Burton.



2010 Movie News

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