Hollywood film Iron Man 3 has premièred in China. The movie took in a reported 130 million yuan on the first day on Wednesday, for a box office record. And the director has tailored a special version for this special market. The story comes courtesy of Reuters.
Ironman 3 is about to rocket into the China market, two days before it opens in the U.S. And it has a couple of secret weapons. Actor Wang Xueqi will help save Ironman. And actress Fan Bingbing makes a special appearance in a made-for-China-only version. Film consultant is Shao Gang.
Shao Gang, Consulting Director, Entgroup Consulting, said, "It’s a new tactic Hollywood studios have been using to avoid violating rules on co-production in China by using Chinese actors and filming in China. The upcoming Transformers 4 and World War Z have done the same thing."
In last year’s Looper an entire section filmed in Shanghai with a Chinese actress was inserted into a China version. Yang Tianshu gave that part thumbs down.
Yang Tianshu, Movie Fan, said, "I like Chinese themes in movies like Kungfu Panda because they’re a key element of the film and not just thrown in - which makes it feel awkward. I prefer to watch the original movies with their original flavor."
A lot of Chinese on social media seem to feel the same way. Still, if special made-for-China content is what it takes to appease the authorities, expect a lot more to come.
Last year, China surpassed Japan to become the world’s second largest film market, and Pacific Bridge Pictures estimates it will overtake the U.S. in the next five years.