Supergirl is a 1984 superhero film directed by Jeannot Szwarc from a screenplay by David Odell based on the DC Comics character of the same name.

Its first DVD release was by the independent home video company Anchor Bay Entertainment in 2000, under license from then-rights holder StudioCanal.

Warner Bros. Pictures acquired the rights to the film and reissued it on DVD late in 2006 to coincide with the release of Superman Returns.

Although it is canon with the Christopher Reeve Superman films, it is not included in any of the Superman DVD or Blu-ray box sets by Warner Bros. Kara Zor-El, cousin of Kal-El, and Jor-El's niece, lives in Argo City, an isolated community that survived the planet Krypton's destruction by being transported into a pocket of trans-dimensional space, called the "Innerspace".

Taking a ship, Kara follows the Omegahedron to Earth, while undergoing a transformation into "Supergirl" in the process, to recover it and save Argo City.

On Earth, the Omegahedron is recovered by Selena, a power-hungry would-be witch assisted by the feckless Bianca, seeking to free herself from a relationship with the warlock Nigel.

While seeking the Omegahedron, she creates the cover identity "Linda Lee" and enrolls at an all-girls school where she befriends Lucy Lane.

Emerging from the Phantom Zone through a mirror, Supergirl regains her powers and confronts Selena, who uses the Omegahedron to summon a shadow demon.

[10] His non-appearance in the film is explained via a news broadcast (overheard by Selena) stating that Superman has left Earth on a "peace-seeking mission" to a distant galaxy.

Demi Moore auditioned for and was cast as Lucy Lane, but left to make the film Blame It on Rio.

[11] Supergirl was originally slated to debut in Superman III in a plot line intended to set up a standalone film, but her character was ultimately removed.

"[13] Originally the plot was to center around Supergirl rescuing Superman, who would be portrayed as her cousin and mentor, but the film was heavily rewritten after Reeve chose not to be involved.

But French filmmaker Jeannot Szwarc, who was best known at that time for his work in television and for directing Jaws 2, was chosen after a meeting with Christopher Reeve, who had complimented him.

[13] Shields and Moore were rejected by both Ilya and Szwarc, who wanted an unknown actress, and they instead signed Helen Slater, who was paid $75,000 in a three-picture deal.

[12] Although the Salkinds financed the film completely on their own budget, Warner Bros. was still involved in the production since the studio owned the distribution rights to the film, and its parent company, Warner Communications, was also the parent company of DC Comics, owners of all "Superman and Superman family" copyrights.

However, the relationship between the studio and the partnership was strained after the critical and commercial underperformance of Superman III in June 1983, during the production of the film.

[14] Goldsmith used a number of techniques to identify the music to the film, such as synthesizers simulating the sounds of take-off during the main theme.

Anchor Bay re-issued a new VHS release once again, this time the 124-minute "International Version" coinciding with the DVD release, both a separate fullscreen and widescreen editions (widescreen version labeled as the "Collector's Edition") under different packaging artwork and digitally mastered by THX.

The commentary from the 2000 video release, "The Making of Supergirl" Featurette, and a theatrical trailer were carried over to WAC's latest issue.

Later scenes not seen before the 2000 DVD release from Anchor Bay Entertainment, include Selena using the Omegahedron for the first time, and realizing that she has no control of herself when under its influence, namely the "Roast Chicken" sequence.

When it aired on network television in 1987, ABC added numerous scenes from the International theatrical version as well as sequences not contained in any other edit.

The consensus reads: "The effects are cheesy and Supergirl's wide-eyed, cheery heroine simply isn't interesting to watch for an hour and a half.

[30] Variety referred to the film as "intermittently enjoyable spectacle" and described "some well-staged effects highlights, notably a violent storm that threatens the school and the climax which Supergirl and Selena confront each other in the latter's mountain-top castle.

"[33] Colin Greenland reviewed Supergirl for Imagine magazine, and stated that "I may be old-fashioned, but I can't help wishing today's film-makers thought it worthwhile including a little logic In their fantasies, instead of having characters whose motivations, abilities and weaknesses change all the time, with no explanation whatever.

"[34] Janet Maslin of The New York Times expressed "some initial curiosity" about the differences between Superman and Supergirl, but that the film "quickly loses its novelty.

Years after her single appearance as Supergirl, Helen Slater took on the recurring role of Lara, biological mother of Clark Kent, on the TV series Smallville (2001-2011), and later played the recurring character of Eliza Danvers, the adopted mother of the titular character in the TV series Supergirl (2015-2021).