Superman II Actress Sarah Douglas hosts event at Emagine Movie Theater in Batavia, Illinois

By Aaron Hanania

Superman fans in Batavia, Illinois, were in for a surprise on October 11th and 12th at the Emagine Theater Batavia when Superman II star Sarah Douglas hosted a live Q&A, movie screening, and meet-and-greet event.

Douglas, who portrayed the Kryptonian supervillain Ursa in Superman II, made a special appearance to host a one-time screening of the movie.

She was joined by Emagine Theaters CEO Anthony Laverde and Jay Towers, host of the Capedwonder Superman podcast, along with a theater full of fans of all ages on Friday, October 11th.

While co-hosting the live question-and-answer session, Laverde shared, “We are so honored to have Sarah here with us to watch this movie on the largest movie screen in the Midwest.”

Sarah Douglas and Anthony Laverde Emagine CEO. Photo courtesy of Aaron Hanania Oct. 2024

The film was specially adapted to fit the Emagine EMX ultra-large movie screen for this event. To commemorate the occasion, Emagine provided limited edition 11×17 Superman II posters to each fan in attendance on Friday.

It was a nostalgic experience for Douglas, who mentioned to the audience that she hadn’t seen the movie on the big screen since the 1980s. Fans eagerly lined up to ask questions, with some sharing personal stories of the first time they saw Superman II, while others used voice impressions to recite popular lines from the film.

During the Q&A, Douglas shared numerous behind-the-scenes stories, recalling memorable moments such as her time being “absolutely freezing” on set due to her revealing costume and reflecting on her work with the late Christopher Reeve.

Superman II Movie Poster with actress Sarah Douglas. Courtesy of Emagine Movie Theater, Batavia

Douglas, who kept the mood lighthearted, entertained the crowd with anecdotes and jokes, including a humorous story about receiving a boot worn by her stunt double from an anonymous fan.

“I tried to put the boot on, and my foot didn’t fit. That’s when I realized it was my stunt double’s boot,” she laughed, to the delight of the crowd.

When asked about the practical effects in the film, Douglas reflected on the challenges of working with wires during the flight sequences.

She shared how she and her two fellow villains once collided while filming, which caused a significant delay as the rigging had to be rebuilt.

“They all had more comfortable harnesses,” Douglas explained, “but due to my outfit, the only harness I had was around my waist, so I had to learn to support myself—which was very challenging.”

On Saturday, October 12th, fans had the opportunity to meet Douglas in person during a public autograph and photo op session, where they were invited to bring their own Superman II memorabilia to be signed.

The entire event was a partnership with Batavia United Way, with a portion of the weekend’s proceeds benefiting the local charity.

For more information on upcoming events, Laverde encourages fans to visit https://www.emagine-entertainment.com/.

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Aaron Hanania

Aaron Hanania is an author, solo recording artist, and videographer. He plays both guitar and drums creating original music and lyrics and has published the dystopian fiction "The King's Pawn" (2018).

“I share music with my audience because music is a way for me to share my thoughts or views on a concept in a different form,” explains Aaron, who has been playing drums for more than 15 years.

"My writings take the readers to the ends of their imagination and document news and feature events in sports and everyday life."

His first album is titled "Deep Space" and was released in October of 2019.

Aaron is also a budding standup comedian who has performed several times to packed audiences around Chicagoland and the host of the online program the "It's Not So Late Show" which is broadcast on YouTube and available on most popular podcast sites including iTunes and Spotify.

His writings include features, news and opinion commentary. His videos address issues that young students address everyday.

His website is http://www.AaronHanania.com and his Youtube channel is http://www.Aaron411.com.

Follow him on Twitter, TikTok and Instagram @AaronHanania