New documentary Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story chronicles the life of the actor, who will always be remembered for taking on the role of comic book icon Superman.
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The film, which has been directed by Ian Bonhôte and Peter Ettedgui, explores the career and activism of Reeves before and after the 1995 accident that paralysed him from the neck down.
Featuring home videos and interviews with Reeve's children and those who knew and were close to him, the documentary looks at Reeve's rise to fame as Superman and his fight to find a cure for spinal cord injuries.
"Everyone at Warner Bros Discovery is incredibly proud to come together as one company to partner with Christopher Reeve's family and the filmmakers behind Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story and bring his personal journey to audiences the world over," WBD said in a statement at the time.
"WBD's DC Studios, Warner Bros Motion Pictures, HBO, CNN Films and Max are grateful for the opportunity to honour one of our company’s most cherished creative partners and to celebrate Christopher's rich life and career."
With the documentary scheduled for release in cinemas in the UK this week, read on for everything you need to know about what happened to Christopher Reeve and his career.
Who was Christopher Reeve?
Christopher Reeve in 1996. SGranitz/WireImage
Christopher Reeve was an American actor, director and activist, best known for portraying Superman in 1978 and in its subsequent three sequels.
Reeve discovered his passion for acting at just nine years old and studied at Cornell University and Juilliard before making his Broadway debut in 1976.
His other works include The Bostonians, Street Smart, Somewhere in Time, The Remains of the Day and the West End production of The Aspern Papers.
In 1995, Christopher Reeve was involved in a horse-riding accident, after which he became paralysed from the neck down. During a competition, he was thrown from his horse. His fall broke two vertebrae in his spine.
The following year, he founded the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation and became a leading advocate for spinal cord research, as well as human embryonic stem cell research and better insurance coverage for people with disabilities.
In 2004, the actor and activist died at the age of 52 after he went into cardiac arrest.
Super/Man: The Christopher Reeve Story is in UK cinemas from 1st November.
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Katelyn Mensah is the Entertainment and Factual Writer for Radio Times, covering all major entertainment programmes, reality TV shows and the latest hard-hitting documentaries. She previously worked at The Tab, with a focus on reality TV and showbiz news and has obtained a BA (Hons) in Journalism.
Molly Moss is a Trends Writer for Radio Times, covering the latest trends across TV, film and more. She has an MA in Newspaper Journalism and has previously written for publications including The Guardian, The Times and The Sun Online.
