Way back in the 70s and 80s, filmmakers in Turkey took it upon themselves to remake Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters—without permission and on a shoestring budget. This bootleg genre, known affectionately as “Turksploitation,” gave the world some of the most bizarre and charming “homages” ever filmed. One of the most famous is Süpermen Dönüyor, an unauthorized, low-budget remake of Superman, complete with a Turkish Clark Kent, a stitched-together supersuit, and the unmistakable John Williams theme lifted straight from the original.
In Süpermen Dönüyor, Tayfun (Tayfun Demir) lives a quiet life with his ailing father (Reha Yurdakul) and loving mother (Şeref Çokseker). One day, his parents reveal a long-held secret—Tayfun is not their biological child. When he was a baby, they found him in a rocket ship that crashed into their garden, alongside a mysterious green stone.
Tayfun Demir as Superman confronts Yıldırım Gencer’s villain Ekrem in the Turksploitation classic Süpermen Dönüyor.
“Tayfun transforms into Superman, taking to the skies to fulfill his destiny.”
That night, the stone speaks to Tayfun, guiding him to follow the path to his destiny. Packing his belongings, he says farewell to his parents and follows the stone’s voice to a remote cave. There, a vision of Superman, his biological father, appears, telling Tayfun that he is the last of the Supermen and has been given extraordinary powers: blessed with the wisdom of Solomon, the speed of Mercury, and the strength of Hercules. With this revelation, Tayfun transforms into Superman, taking to the skies to fulfill his destiny. However, when in the presence of the green stone, Superman has no powers.
Meanwhile, Professor Çetinel (Eşref Kolçak) returns from an expedition with a powerful Krypton stone capable of producing immense energy. The villainous Ekrem (Yıldırım Gencer) and his henchman Haydar (Nejat Özbek) scheme to steal the Krypton stone and the professor’s formula, using them to fuel a device that turns any rock into gold.
Tayfun resumes his day job as a reporter and grows close to the professor’s daughter, Alev (Güngör Bayrak). When Alev heads to her father’s farm, both Ekrem’s gang and Tayfun’s friend Naci (Raşit Hazar) follow her, knowing the Krypton stone awaits them there. The villains capture Alev at gunpoint and load her car onto a truck, setting a trap for anyone who comes to her rescue.
"…Pure cinematic bootlegging—and we’re all the better for it."
