How A FAKE Iron Man 3 Set Photo Was Leaked By A Marvel Partner
The truth behind Iron Man 3's fake set photo from the Chinese portion of production has been revealed. As the Marvel Cinematic Universe continued to grow during Phase 1, Disney's acquisition of Marvel put a global focus on the future. The Avengers was a worldwide box office hit in 2012, and Iron Man 3 was an early example of Disney attempting to capitalize on the growing Chinese movie business.
At first, Iron Man 3 was set to be a co-production with the Chinese film studio, DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group. But, the agreement was changed, so Disney didn't have to give up creative control to the Chinese government, leaving DMG as partners on the film, but not producers. Marvel agreed to film additional scenes that would only be shown in a cut of Iron Man 3 specifically made for China, and this was done without the bulk of the cast or crew. The new scenes resulted in a set photo leaking online that confirmed the Chinese portion of production as underway, and it has now been revealed how the image "leaked."
Former DMG Entertainment Motion Picture Group president Chris Fenton wrote a book about his efforts to bring Hollywood films and productions to China, and he revealed the truth behind the Iron Man 3 set photo. As shared by Bleeding Cool, Fenton confirmed that the picture was intentionally leaked to generate press about the movie filming scenes in Beijing. Fenton mentioned that they leaked the photo with full knowledge that Marvel didn't want any set photos and that they purposefully staged the picture to look as unofficial as possible. The image, featuring Wang Xueqi's Dr. Wu and the top half of the Iron Man suit, can be seen below.
The goal of leaking this image from Iron Man 3 had the exact result that Fenton and DMG wanted. News outlets around the world covered the photo and the fact that production was taking place in China for Iron Man 3. The excitement generated in China helped bolster the film's performance when it was released in 2013, too, as Iron Man 3 was the second-highest-grossing movie in China that year after making $121 million.
Despite the financial gain that Iron Man 3 experienced due to the Chinese production, extra scenes, and leaked photo, the response to this additional work wasn't what Marvel or DMG hoped for. Chinese audiences responded rather negatively to what was added, as the new scenes and characters were nothing more than product placements and messages from the government. They also mostly wasted the talents of Chinese stars Xueqi and Fan Bingbing. So, even though Iron Man 3 made some extra money overseas, the return doesn't justify the lengths Marvel and Disney took to make it happen - which is likely one reason why they haven't done similar partnerships since.
Source: Bleeding Cool