SONY PICTURES IMAGEWORKS SENIOR VISUAL EFFECTS SUPERVISOR RICHARD HOOVER RECEIVES OSCAR® NOMINATION FOR HIS WORK ON SUPERMAN RETURNS Directed by Bryan Singer, SUPERMAN RETURNS relates the epic adventures of the Man of Steel as he struggles to find his place in a society that learned to survive his mysterious absence. His journey of redemption takes Superman from the depths of the ocean to the far reaches of outer space as he protects the world he loves from cataclysmic destruction. SUPERMAN RETURNS was released on June 30, 2006 by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company. Richard Hoover's team successfully achieved four main challenging goals: they created a truly believable digital double of Brandon Routh in the actor's role as Superman; they built a digital version of Superman's famous red cape that could be directed as precisely as if it were a character in the film; they recreated a full-scale 777 airplane and accompanying Space Shuttle for the extensive shuttle disaster sequence; and convincingly created Metropolis, one of the most famous fictional cities in the world, complete with its most iconic building, the Daily Planet. Imageworks used the live action set footage shot with Sony Panavision Genesis Camera System combined with digital human acquisition to create a digital superhero that is both entertaining and awe inspiring. This is the second Oscar® nomination for Mr. Hoover, who previously was nominated in the category of Achievement in Visual Effects for his work on "ARMAGEDDON. His work at Imageworks prior to SUPERMAN RETURNS includes visual effects supervision on DARKNESS FALLS and SEABISCUIT, the film adaptation of the best-selling novel. SUPERMAN RETURNS represents Imageworks' passionate dedication to the creation of fully realized digital characters. Imageworks is proud of its contribution to the film and will continue to push the boundaries of imagination to innovate and inspire the creative community. Sony Pictures Imageworks recently completed work on GHOST RIDER for director Mark Steven Johnson and currently is in production on such projects as SPIDER-MAN 3, SURF's UP and BEOWULF.
