Iron Man flies to China... with some changes

Seen Iron Man 3 Version II yet? You could, if you happen to be in China this time of the year. Still wondering? Well, Iron Man 3 is making its debut in China on May 1. And the makers of the movie have gone to great lengths (creating a slightly varied version altogether) to bring in the big bucks from one of the biggest movie markets across the globe, whose potential still remains largely untapped. Releasing a Hollywood movie in China is probably more difficult that making the movie itself. Only 34 Hollywood movies are allowed to be released in an year there. Further, the Chinese censor committee members do not seem to be the ones who would accept your invitation to hang out at a bar later on. They are not much tolerant to depiction of violence, nudity and any politically sensitive issue. For example, Django Unchained was pulled out of the theatres and then came back with quite a few cuts, and Iron Man 2 previously had to muffle down any mentions of Russia which has close political ties with China. 

But a land with over 1.35 billion population cannot be ignored when it comes to selling stuff. When The Avengers roped in about $84 million from China, Disney top bosses would have made it a top priority to ensure that Iron Man 3 does not miss out on this market. Here are a few things the movie makers have done to bring in the Chinese to the Iron Man party.

• Movie was partly financed by Chinese company DMG which will co-distribute it in China
• The Chinese version of the film includes additional footage shot in the country itself
• The Chinese version also includes an appearance by a popular national actress, Fan Bingbing, and another actor Wang Xueqi (a briefer appearance in the international version) 
• A promotional tour was taken by the cast earlier in the year with Downey Jr. giving quotes that go something like this, "I'm interested in all things Chinese and I live a very Chinese life in America."

The name 'Mandarin' is also supposedly being changed to 'Man Daren' to not offend the Chinese. Make what you want to off all these efforts, but this should not be surprising. The global markets have boomed in recent years as far as Hollywood is concerned and when you make an Iron Man movie at such staggering budgets, you cannot expect to recover your money from the US alone. Efforts have been made in the past not only for the Chinese markets but also to attract other growing markets such as India and Mexico. Movies like Mission: Impossible series showcase thrilling action from across the globe not only to sensationalize the spy story within the film but also to bring about a sense of familiarity for the global audience. A case in point being Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol including footage from India and roping in an Indian actor, Anil Kapoor, more likely to benefit from the local publicity rather than just his acting prowess. It earned about $4 million in India in its opening weekend, about four times the opening weekend earnings of the previous instalment. 

So if you in America, and loved things to be all-American, and the drama to remain in America, and the heroes to be Americans, get ready my friend, the times they are a-changin'!