On This Day

Superman premiere

December 10th 1978

16:28 10 December 2023

The world premiere of ‘Superman’ took place at the Kennedy Centre in Washington D.C. on this day in 1978. The event was billed as a “Presidential Premiere” with President Jimmy Carter among those in attendance. Seats for the charity gala were $1,000 each, with the proceeds raised from the screening benefitting the Special Olympics.

The movie opened nationwide 5 days later in more than 700 theaters to mostly positive reviews and record box office receipts. More than 40 years on, Richard Donner’s film is still acknowledged as being not only hugely influential but also setting the benchmark for the superhero genre.