‘Iron Man 3′ Breaks Records, 2nd Biggest Domestic Opening Weekend

Iron Man 3 is reporting a huge international number playing in 52 territories as of today and 54 by the end of the weekend. The film began its international rollout on April 24, opening #1 in every territory and setting the biggest opening weekend of all time in Latin America and Asia Pacific and the biggest opening of 2013 in Europe. Then this week the film benefitted from the important May Day holiday in the international marketplace, breaking records in China Thursday of $21.5M. In the People’s Republic Of China, the official number which local distributor DMG Entertainment is reporting for Iron Man 3 midnight and opening-day results (as of closing day May 2) is $18,657,142 USD (SARFT/CFG, or 117,540,000 RMB). But this number wasn’t final as there were still outstanding cinemas which had not reported their box office earnings. So the estimated final opening-day box office is actually $21.5M. Special scenes were reserved for Chinese distribution by the film’s co-producers, Disney-owned Marvel Entertainment and Beijing-based DMG Entertainment. Those special scenes reserved for Chinese audiences were not well received. For instance, Chinese product placement included the energy milk drink Gu Li Duo on sale for $1 a carton across convenience stores as well as a new character named Dr Wu played by mainland actor Wang Xueqi. All the four minutes of additional sequences revolve around Chinese characters including scenes of hero Tony Stark being treated by a Chinese doctor in a mix of surgery and acupuncture.