| 6th | Top human-computer interaction topics |
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| Iron Man | |
|---|---|
 Theatrical poster |
|
| Directed by | Jon Favreau |
| Produced by | Avi Arad Kevin Feige |
| Written by | Mark Fergus Hawk Ostby Art Marcum Matt Holloway John August Stan Lee (Comic book) Larry Lieber (Comic book) Don Heck (Comic book) Jack Kirby (Comic book) |
| Starring | Robert Downey Jr. Terrence Howard Jeff Bridges Gwyneth Paltrow Leslie Bibb Faran Tahir Shaun Toub |
| Music by | Ramin Djawadi |
| Cinematography | Matthew Libatique |
| Editing by | Dan Lebental |
| Studio | Marvel Studios Marvel Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Paramount Pictures |
| Release date(s) | May 2, 2008 |
| Running time | 126 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $140 million[1] |
| Gross revenue | $585,133,287[1] |
| Followed by | Iron Man 2 |
Iron Man is a 2008 American superhero film based on the Marvel Comics character of the same name. Directed by Jon Favreau, the film stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, an industrialist and master engineer who builds a powered exoskeleton and becomes the technologically advanced superhero, Iron Man. Gwyneth Paltrow plays his personal assistant Pepper Potts, Terrence Howard plays military liaison James Rhodes and Jeff Bridges plays Stark Industries executive Obadiah Stane.
The film was in development since 1990 at Universal Studios, 20th Century Fox, and New Line Cinema, before Marvel Studios reacquired the rights in 2006. Marvel put the project in production as its first self-financed film. Favreau signed on as director, aiming for a naturalistic feel, and he chose to shoot the film primarily in California, rejecting the East Coast setting of the comics to differentiate the film from numerous superhero films set in New York City-esque environments. During filming, the actors were free to create their own dialogue because pre-production was focused on the story and action. Rubber and metal versions of the armors, created by Stan Winston's company, were mixed with computer-generated imagery to create the title character. Marvel Studios and Paramount Pictures, the distributor, planned a $50 million marketing campaign for the film, which was modeled on Paramount's successful promotion of Transformers; Hasbro and Sega sold merchandise, and product placement deals were made with Audi, Burger King, LG and 7-Eleven. Reviews were very positive, particularly praising Downey's performance.[2] Downey, Favreau and Paltrow will return in the sequel Iron Man 2, scheduled for release on May 7, 2010. Downey also made a cameo appearance as Stark in The Incredible Hulk. The MPAA has given this film a PG-13 rating for Some Intense Sequences of Sci-Fi Action and Violence, and Brief Suggestive Content.
Contents |
Tony Stark is the head of Stark Industries, a major military contracting company which he inherited when his parents died in a traffic accident. Tony himself is an engineering genius, having earned multiple degrees and awards for his company's advanced technological products, many of which he has invented. However, Stark is also a heavy-drinking, womanizing playboy. Stark is awarded a prestigious award but Obadiah Stane, his deceased father's friend and business partner, accepts the award for him since Tony is gambling at a Las Vegas casino. As Stark leaves the casino with his entourage, he is approached by reporter Christine Everhart, whom he charms into a one-night stand at his Malibu house. When she awakens the next morning, Stark is gone, and she is coldly greeted and ushered out of the house by Pepper Potts, his personal assistant.
Stark flies off to war-torn Afghanistan with his friend and company military liaison, Lieutenant Colonel James Rhodes, for a demonstration of Stark Industries' new weapon, the "Jericho" cluster missile. On the way back, however, his military convoy is attacked. His escort is wiped out and Stark is critically wounded by one of his own company's bombs.
Waking up in an Afghan cave, he discovers he has been captured by a terrorist group known as the Ten Rings. He also finds an electromagnet embedded in his chest, placed there by fellow captive Dr. Yinsen. Powered by a car battery, it keeps shrapnel from working its way to his heart and killing him. The Ten Rings leader, Raza, orders Stark to build a "Jericho" missile for him, and upon its completion Stark will be freed.
Instead, during his three months of captivity, he and Yinsen begin secretly building a crude suit of armor, powered by a miniature "arc reactor" which also acts as the replacement for the car-battery powering the electromagnet in his chest. Suspicious of Stark's designs, the terrorists grow impatient and give Stark 24 hours to finish. At the end of that 24-hour period the terrorists come to collect Stark's missile before the suit is fully activated, so Yinsen makes a suicidal attack in a desperate bid to buy time. Once the armor is ready, Stark charges through the caves. Near the entrance, Stark has an encounter with Raza, who fires a rocket at him. Stark dodges, and fires one back at Raza, damaging his face. He then finds a dying Yinsen, who tells him not to waste his life. Forever grateful to Yinsen, Stark burns all the munitions the terrorists have accumulated and then flies away, only to crash in the desert; Stark survives, but his suit is destroyed. After being rescued by Rhodes, Stark announces at a press conference that his company will no longer manufacture weapons. Stane advises Tony that abandoning weapon designs may ruin the company and advises Stark against it.
Instead Stark focuses his energies on building a better version of his power suit, while making an improved arc reactor for his chest. Once the new reactor replaces the old one, Stark asks Potts to throw out the old one. Instead Potts gives Stark back his first miniature reactor, encased in glass and bearing the inscription "Proof that Tony Stark has a heart".
After much trial and error, Stark develops a new "Mark II" armor suit, but after a brief test flight a dangerous flaw in the suits design causes an ice build up when flying in high atmosphere. To remedy this problem Stark replaces the Titanium armor with a titanium-gold alloy. Stark finds the bright gold a little ostentatious and adds a red trim. The new armor is dubbed the "Mark III".
During Stark's first public appearance after his return, he spots Potts wearing a backless blue dress - her delegated choice of birthday present from him, and recognizes his romantic feelings for his assistant. As they are about to share a kiss, Potts interrupts by asking for a martini. While ordering the drinks, Stark is accosted by Everhart, who shows him pictures of Stark Industries weapons, including Jericho missiles, recently delivered to insurgents. He realizes that Stane has been supplying both the Americans and their enemies, and attempting to remove Stark from power in his own company.
Enraged, Stark dons the Mark III armor and flies to Afghanistan to rescue Gulmira, Yinsen's village, from the Ten Rings. The Ten Rings fighters prove no match for Stark's weaponry and are quickly overwhelmed. As Stark is flying away, he is detected by the United States Air Force, which dispatches two F-22 Raptors to try to identify the mysterious flying object. The fighters are ordered to destroy the target. Stark doesn't want to harm the pilots and during the resulting chase, Stark frantically calls Rhodes, called in as a consultant, that he is the unidentified target and asks to have the planes called off. One of the planes is accidentally destroyed when it collides with Stark. The pilot ejects, but his parachute does not deploy, and Stark rescues him before escaping.
Stark sends Potts to hack into the company computer system. She discovers that Stane hired the Ten Rings to kill Stark. The group reneged on the deal upon discovering who the target was, which ultimately seals their fate when Stane has them eliminated later. She also learns Stane has recovered the pieces of the original power suit and reverse-engineered his own version, one much larger, more powerful, and less "conservative" than Stark's. As she leaves Stane's office, she meets with Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D., a newly-established counter-terrorism government agency, who has been accosting her and Stark about an interview concerning Stark's escape from the Ten Rings.
After she leaves, Stane discovers what she has done. He goes to his scientists and is angered when they admit that they cannot duplicate the arc reactor technology that Stark created. Later that evening, Stane ambushes Stark in his house, using a Stark Industries device to paralyze him. While revealing his plan to take over Stark Industries, Stane removes the arc reactor from Stark's chest and leaves him to die. However, with assistance of his workshop robots, Stark gets to Potts' gift and re-installs his original reactor. Meanwhile, S.H.I.E.L.D. agents, guided by Potts, break into Stark Industries to arrest Stane, only to be attacked by Stane in the now functional Iron Monger suit.
Although his original reactor is underpowered for his latest armor, Stark races to the rescue. Stane's armor suit is larger and is equipped with a wider assortment of weapons than Stark's armor designs, though not quite as sophisticated (it never fixed the icing problem that the old Mark II had). With the underpowered reactor Stark ultimately finds himself outmatched and lures Stane atop the Stark Industries building. With no power left, Stark instructs Potts to overload the full-sized reactor in the building. This unleashes a massive electrical surge that knocks Stane unconscious and sends him falling through the ceiling into the reactor itself, apparently incinerating him.
The next day, it is revealed that the press has dubbed Stark's alter ego "Iron Man". Rhodes gives reporters a false explanation of what happened. Before speaking, Stark briefly makes an attempt to establish a romantic relationship with Potts, but is put on hold considering she has not forgiven him for leaving her at the party without explanation when he decided to help Gulmira. During the press conference, Stark starts to tell the cover story given to him by S.H.I.E.L.D., but then instead announces openly that he is Iron Man.
In a post-credits scene, Stark is visited by S.H.I.E.L.D. Director Nick Fury who notes that Stark is not "the only superhero in the world" and states he wants to discuss the "Avenger Initiative".
Clark Gregg appears throughout the film as Agent Coulson of S.H.I.E.L.D.,[21] and Samuel L. Jackson appears as their head, Nick Fury, following the credits. Jackson's face was used, with his permission, as the model for that of the version of Nick Fury in Marvel's Ultimate Marvel imprint.[22] Other cameos include Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee (whom Stark mistakes for Hugh Hefner at a party),[23] and director Jon Favreau as Stark's bodyguard and chauffeur, Happy Hogan.[7] Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave guitarist Tom Morello, who provides additional guitar music for the film, has a brief cameo as a terrorist guard.[24] Jim Cramer, star of CNBC's Mad Money appeared as himself, commenting on the investment opportunities ("Sell, Sell, Sell") of Stark Industries.[25] Rapper Ghostface Killah cameoed in a scene where Stark briefly stays in Dubai while returning to Afghanistan, but it was cut from the theatrical release for pacing reasons.[26]
In April 1990, Universal Studios bought the rights to develop Iron Man for the big screen.[27] Stuart Gordon was to direct Universal's low-budget film.[9] By February 1996, 20th Century Fox acquired the rights from Universal.[28] In January 1997, actor Nicolas Cage expressed interest in being cast for the lead role,[29] and in September 1998, actor Tom Cruise had expressed interest in producing as well as starring in the film debut of Iron Man.[30] Jeff Vintar and Iron Man co-creator Stan Lee co-wrote a story which Vintar adapted into a screenplay. Jeffrey Caine (GoldenEye) rewrote Vintar's script.[31] Director Quentin Tarantino was approached in October 1999 to write and direct Iron Man.[32] With no deal made, Fox eventually sold the rights to New Line Cinema the following December.[33] By July 2000, the film was being written for the studio[34] by Ted Elliott, Terry Rossio,[31] and Tim McCanlies.[35] McCanlies's script used the idea of a Nick Fury cameo to set up his own film.[31] New Line entered talks with Joss Whedon, a fan of the character Iron Man, in June 2001 for the possibility of the director taking the helm.[36] In December 2002, McCanlies had turned in a completed script.[37]
"We worked with Michael Crichton's researchers to find a grounded realistic way to deal with the suit. The idea was he needed the suit to stay alive. He's the same guy we used with Spider-Man 2 to come up with Doc Ock's inhibitor chips and what the arms are made of and how they work. [...] Mandarin was an Indonesian terrorist who masqueraded as a rich playboy who Tony knew."
In December 2004, the studio attached director Nick Cassavetes to the project for a target 2006 release.[39] After two years of unsuccessful development, and the deal with Cassavetes falling through, New Line Cinema returned the film rights to Marvel. Screenplay drafts had been written by Alfred Gough, Miles Millar and David Hayter, but they were not retained. New Line's script pitted Iron Man against his father Howard Stark, who becomes War Machine.[40] In November 2005, Marvel Studios worked to start development from scratch,[41] and announced it as their first independent feature, as Iron Man was their only major character not depicted in live action.[6]
In April 2006, Jon Favreau was hired as the film's director, with Arthur Marcum and Matt Holloway writing the script.[42] Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby worked separately, with Favreau compiling both team's scripts,[43] and the script received a polish by John August.[44] Comic book staff Mark Millar, Brian Michael Bendis, Joe Quesada, Tom Brevoort, Axel Alonso, and Ralph Macchio were also summoned by Favreau to give advice on the script.[45]
Favreau had wanted to work with Marvel producer Avi Arad on another film after the Daredevil adaptation.[6] Favreau celebrated getting the job by going on a diet, and lost seventy pounds.[9] The director found the opportunity to create a politically ambitious "ultimate spy movie" in Iron Man, citing inspiration from Tom Clancy, James Bond, and RoboCop.[46] Favreau also described his approach as similar to an independent film, "[i]f Robert Altman had directed Superman",[6] and also cited Batman Begins as an inspiration.[47] He wanted to make Iron Man a story of an adult man literally reinventing himself, and realizing the world is far more complex than he believes.[48] Favreau changed the Vietnam War origin of the character to Afghanistan, as he did not want to do a period piece.[10]
Choosing a villain was difficult, because Favreau felt Iron Man's archnemesis, the Mandarin, would not feel realistic, especially after Mark Millar gave his opinion on the script.[45] He felt only in a sequel, with an altered tone, would the fantasy of the Mandarin's rings be appropriate.[49] The decision to push him into the background is comparable to Sauron in The Lord of the Rings,[47] or Palpatine in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope.[49] Favreau also wanted Iron Man to face a giant enemy. The switch from Mandarin to Obadiah Stane was done after Bridges was cast.[26] Stane was intended to become a villain in the sequel.[45] The Crimson Dynamo was also a villain in early drafts in the script.[7] Favreau felt it was important to include intentional inside references for fans of the comics, such as giving the two fighter jets that attack Iron Man the call signs of "Whiplash 1" and "Whiplash 2," a reference to the comic book villain Whiplash, and including Captain America's shield in Stark's workshop.[50]
Production was based in the former Hughes Company soundstages in Playa Vista, Los Angeles, California.[51] Favreau rejected the East Coast setting of the comic books because many superhero films had already been set there.[10] Howard Hughes was one of the inspirations for the comic book, and the filmmakers acknowledged the coincidence that they would film Iron Man creating the flying Mark III where the Hughes H-4 Hercules "Spruce Goose" was built.[14]
Filming began on March 12, 2007,[52] with the first few weeks spent on Stark's captivity in Afghanistan.[53] The cave where Stark is imprisoned was a 150- to 200-yard (150–200 m) long set, which had movable forks in the caverns to allow greater freedom for the film's crew.[10] Production designer J. Michael Riva saw footage of a Taliban fighter in Afghanistan, and saw the cold breath as he spoke: realizing remote caves are actually very cold, Riva placed an air conditioning system in the set. He also sought Downey's advice about makeshift objects in prison, such as a sock being used to make tea.[14] Afterwards, Stark's capture was filmed at Lone Pine, and other exterior scenes in Afghanistan were filmed at Olancha Sand Dunes, where the crew endured two days of 40 to 60 mile an hour (60 to 100 km/h) winds.[14]
Filming at Edwards Air Force Base began in mid-April,[54] and wrapped on May 2.[55] Exterior shots of Stark's home were digitally composited on footage of Point Dume in Malibu,[26] while the interior was built at Playa Vista, where Favreau and Riva aimed to make Stark's home look less futuristic and more "grease monkey".[14] Filming concluded on June 25, 2007 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada.[56] Favreau, a newcomer to action films, remarked, "I'm shocked that I [was] on schedule. I thought that there were going to be many curveballs". He hired "people who are good at creating action", so "the human story [felt] like it belongs to the comic book genre".[9]
There was much improvisation in dialogue scenes, because the script was not completed when filming began (the filmmakers had focused on the story making sense and planning the action). Favreau acknowledged that improvisation would make the film feel more natural. Some scenes were shot with two cameras to capture lines said on the spot. Multiple takes were done, as Downey wanted to try something new each time.[26] It was Downey's idea to have Stark hold a news conference on the floor,[9] and he created the speech Stark makes when demonstrating the Jericho weapon.[5]
Brian Michael Bendis wrote three pages of dialogue for the Nick Fury cameo scene, with the filmmakers choosing the best lines for filming.[45] The cameo was filmed with a skeleton crew in order to keep it a secret, but rumors appeared on the Internet only days later. Marvel Studios's Kevin Feige subsequently ordered the scene removed from all preview prints in order to maintain the surprise and keep fans guessing.[57]
Favreau wanted the film to be believable by showing the construction of the suit in its three stages.[10] Stan Winston, a fan of the comic book, and his company built metal and rubber versions of the armors. They had previously worked on Favreau's Zathura.[14] Favreau's main concern with the effects was whether the transition between the computer-generated and practical costumes would be too obvious.[58] Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) was hired to create the bulk of the visual effects with additional work being completed by The Orphanage and The Embassy; Favreau trusted ILM after seeing Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End and Transformers.[14]
The Mark I design was intended to look like it was built from spare parts: particularly, the back is less armored than the front, as Stark would use his resources to make a forward attack. It also foreshadows the design of Stane's armor. A single 90-pound (41 kg) version was built, causing concern when a stuntman fell over inside it. Both the stuntman and the suit were unscathed. The armor was also designed to only have its top half worn at times.[14] The Embassy created a digital version of the Mark I.[59] Stan Winston Studios built a 10-foot (3.0 m), 800-pound (360 kg) animatronic version of the comic character "Iron Monger" (Obadiah Stane),[14] a name which Obadiah Stane calls Tony Stark and himself earlier in the film, but is never actually used for the suit itself. The animatronic required five operators for the arm, and was built on a gimbal to simulate walking.[14] A scale model was used for the shots of it being built.[26]
The Mark II resembles an airplane prototype, with visible flaps.[26] Iron Man comic book artist Adi Granov designed the Mark III with illustrator Phil Saunders.[60] Granov's designs were the primary inspiration for the film's design, and he came on board the film after he recognized his work on Jon Favreau's MySpace page.[47] Saunders streamlined Granov's concept art, making it stealthier and less cartoonish in its proportions.[14] Sometimes, Downey would only wear the helmet, sleeves and chest of the costume over a motion capture suit.[14] For shots of the Mark III flying, it was animated to look realistic by taking off slowly, and landing quickly. To generate shots of Iron Man and the F-22 Raptors battling, cameras were flown in the air to provide reference for physics, wind and frost on the lenses.[61] For further study of the physics of flying, skydivers were filmed in a vertical wind tunnel.[62]
Phil Saunders created concept art for the War Machine armor and said that it was originally intended to be used in the film but was "cut from the script about halfway through pre-production." Saunders said that the War Machine armor "was going to be called the Mark IV armor and would have been weaponized swap-out parts that would be worn over the original Mark III armor," and that it "would have been worn by Tony Stark in the final battle sequence."[63]
Composer Ramin Djawadi is an Iron Man fan, and still has issues of the comic from the late 1970s. Through his older brother, Amir, he is also into heavy metal music since the early 1990s. While he normally composes after watching an assembly cut, Djawadi began work after seeing the teaser trailer. Favreau clearly envisioned a focus on "heavy" guitar in the score, and Djawadi composed the music on that instrument before arranging it for orchestra. The composer said Downey's performance inspired the several Iron Man themes (for his different moods), as well as Stark's playboy leitmotif. Djawadi's favorite of the Iron Man themes is the "kickass" because of its "rhythmic pattern that is a hook on its own. Very much like a machine." The other themes are "not so much character based, but rather plot based that carry you through the movie".[64] Guitarist Tom Morello of Rage Against the Machine and Audioslave, who has a brief cameo in the film as a guard, contributed additional guitar work to the movie's soundtrack.
The premiere was held at the Greater Union theater at George Street, Sydney, on April 14, 2008.[65] The film was released worldwide except for Japan between April 30 and May 7, 2008, with Japan to receive the film in September 2008.[66]
Marvel and Paramount modeled their marketing campaign for Iron Man on that of Transformers.[67] Sega released a video game based on the film, which included other iterations of the character.[68] A 30-second spot for the film aired during a Super Bowl XLII break.[69] 6,400 7-Eleven stores in the United States helped promote the film, and LG Group also made a deal with Paramount.[67] Hasbro created figures of armors from the film, as well as Titanium Man (who appears in the video game) and the armor from the World War Hulk comics.[70]
Worldwide, Burger King and Audi promoted the film. Jon Favreau was set to direct a commercial for the fast-food chain, as Michael Bay did for Transformers.[67] In the film, Tony Stark drives an Audi R8, and also has an "American cheeseburger" from Burger King after his rescue from Afghanistan, as part of the studio's product placement deal with the respective companies. Three other vehicles, the Audi S6 sedan, Audi S5 sports coupe and the Audi Q7 SUV, also appear in the film.[71] Audi created a tie-in website, as General Motors did for Transformers.[67] Oracle Corporation also promoted the film on its site.[72] Estimates for the cost of marketing Iron Man ranged from US$50 to $75 million.[73]
Iron Man got mostly positive reviews from film critics. On May 1, 2008, the film was identified as the "best-reviewed film of the year so far" by Jen Yamato of review aggregator Rotten Tomatoes, with the site reporting that 93% of critics had given the film positive reviews, based upon 226 reviews and this rating has held its place as of January 2010.[2][74] At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the film has received an average score of 79, based on 38 reviews.[75]
Among the major trade journals, Todd McCarthy in Variety called the film an "expansively entertaining special effects extravaganza" with "fresh energy and stylistic polish",[76] while Kirk Honeycutt of The Hollywood Reporter praised the film while nonetheless finding "disappointment [in] a climatic [sic] battle between different Iron Man prototypes [...] how did Tony's nemesis learn how to use the suit?"[77] In one of the first major-daily newspaper reviews, Frank Lovece of Newsday lauded the film's "emotional truth [...] pitch-perfect casting and plausibly rendered super-science" that made it "faithful to the source material while updating it – and recognizing what's made that material so enduring isn't just the high-tech cool of a man in a metal suit, but the human condition that got him there".[78] A. O. Scott of The New York Times called the film "an unusually good superhero picture. Or at least — since it certainly has its problems — a superhero movie that's good in unusual ways."[79]
Among the specialty press, Garth Franklin of Dark Horizons commended the "impressive sets and mechanics that combine smoothly with relatively seamless CG", and said, "Robert Downey Jr., along with director Jon Favreau [...] help this rise above formula. The result is something that, whilst hardly original or groundbreaking, is nevertheless refreshing in its earnestness to avoid dark dramatic stylings in favor of an easy-going, crowd-pleasing action movie with a sprinkle of anti-war and redemption themes".[80] IGN's Todd Gilchrist recognized Downey as "the best thing" in a film that "functions on autopilot, providing requisite story developments and character details to fill in this default 'origin story' while the actors successfully breathe life into their otherwise conventional roles".[81]
Among major metropolitan weeklies, David Edelstein of New York magazine called the film "a shapely piece of mythmaking [...] Favreau doesn't go in for stylized comic-book frames, at least in the first half. He gets real with it — you'd think you were watching a military thriller",[82] while conversely, David Denby of The New Yorker put forth a negative review, claiming "a slightly depressed, going-through-the-motions feel to the entire show [...] Gwyneth Paltrow, widening her eyes and palpitating, can't do much with an antique role as Stark's girl Friday, who loves him but can't say so; Terrence Howard, playing a military man who chases around after Stark, looks dispirited and taken for granted".[83]. Looking more closely at the socio-cultural aspects of the film, Cristobal Giraldez Catalan at Bright Lights Film Journal argues that "Iron Man is far more than playboy fantasy; it is American foreign policy realized without context....Iron Man, with narrative and directorial precision, once again provides the high-fidelity misogyny and anti-Muslim rhetoric Hollywood is known for."[84]
Roger Ebert and Richard Corliss named Iron Man as among their favorite films of 2008.[85][86]
In its opening weekend, Iron Man grossed $98,618,668 in 4,105 theaters in the United States and Canada, ranking number one at the box office,[87] giving it the 11th-biggest opening weekend,[88] ninth widest release in terms of theaters,[89] and the third highest-grossing opening weekend of 2008 behind Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull and The Dark Knight. It grossed $35.2 million on its first day, giving it the 13th-biggest opening day.[90] Iron Man had the second-best premiere for a non-sequel, behind Spider-Man. It had the fourth-biggest opening for a superhero movie.[91] Iron Man was also the number-one film in the United States and Canada in its second weekend, grossing $51.1 million,[87] giving it the 12th-best second weekend and the fifth-best for a non-sequel.[92] On June 18, 2008 Iron Man became the first movie of 2008 to pass the $300 million mark for the domestic box office.[93][94] As of July 2009, Iron Man has grossed $585,133,287 worldwide — $318,412,101 in the United States and Canada and $266,721,186 in other territories.[1]
The film was released on DVD and Blu-ray Disc on September 30, 2008, in North America and October 27, 2008 in Europe.[95] DVD sales were very good, grossing $93 million in the first week of release.[96] and having accumulated total sales of over $160 million (not including Blu-ray).[97]
For the home releases of the film, the image on the newspaper Stark reads before he announces he is Iron Man had to be altered because of amateur photographer Ronnie Adams filing a lawsuit against Paramount and Marvel for using his on-location spy photo in the scene.[98]
A Wal-Mart-exclusive release included a preview of Iron Man: Armored Adventures.[99]
Iron Man was nominated for the Academy Awards for Best Visual Effects and Best Sound Editing at the 81st Academy Awards, but lost to The Curious Case of Benjamin Button and The Dark Knight, respectively.[100][101] It was nominated for nine Saturn Awards,[102] winning Best Science Fiction Film, Best Director for Favreau and Best Actor for Downey, Jr.[103] It was nominated for Favorite Movie at the 2009 Kids' Choice Awards but lost to High School Musical 3: Senior Year.[104][105]
A sequel, Iron Man 2, will be released on May 7, 2010, with Jon Favreau and Robert Downey Jr returning as director and lead, respectively, with a screenplay by Justin Theroux. Don Cheadle replaces Terrence Howard in the role of Colonel Rhodes, who will also be seen as War Machine. Also starring are Gwyneth Paltrow as Pepper Potts, Mickey Rourke as Whiplash, a villain with technologically enhanced whips, Sam Rockwell as Justin Hammer, a business rival of Stark's, Scarlett Johansson as the spy Black Widow and Samuel L. Jackson reprising the role of Nick Fury.
| Awards and achievements | ||
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| Preceded by Cloverfield |
Saturn Award for Best Science Fiction Film 2008 |
Succeeded by - |
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Iron Man (2008) is a superhero film based on the fictional Marvel Comics character Iron Man.
Contents |
   | Nick Cassavetes to Direct New Line Cinema and Marvel's Iron Man - New Line Cinema : Publicity : Press Releases |
| | Mandarin is villain in Iron Man - Mandarin is villain in IRON MAN - Mania.com |
| | Sega and Marvel hook up for Iron Man - Sega and Marvel hook up for Iron Man - Gaming Age |
| | The Unknown Iron Man - IGN: The Unknown Iron Man |
| | Robert Downey Jr. Talks ''Iron Man'' - Robert Downey Jr. Talks Iron Man - Superhero Hype! |
| | Official site - IRON MAN :: OFFICIAL MOVIE SITE :: OWN IT NOW ON DVD AND BLU-RAY DISC |
| | Quint visits the IRON MAN production offices! Art! Favreau speaks about sequels (?!?), casting and more!!! - Quint visits the IRON MAN production offices! Art! Favreau speaks about sequels (?!?), casting and more!!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news. |
| | Iron Man's Armor: Who is building the suit? - IGN: Iron Man's Armor |
| | May God Bless and Keep Robert Downey Jr. - May God Bless and Keep Robert Downey Jr. - Esquire |
| | Funding Initiated for Iron Man Movie - Funding Initiated for Iron Man Movie - Superhero Hype! |
| | Jon Favreau on Iron Man filming - Jon Favreau on Iron Man Shooting - Superhero Hype! |
| | Bridges' Iron Man Role - IGN: Bridges' Iron Man Role |
| | Terrence Howard on ''Iron Man'' - Terrence Howard on Iron Man - ComingSoon.net |
| | Flying with the stars - Flying with the stars |
| | Who Designed the Iron Man Suit? - Who Designed the Iron Man Suit? - Superhero Hype! |
| | Stan Lee's Further Superhero Adventures - IGN: Stan Lee's Further Superhero Adventures |
| | Edwards team stars in 'Iron Man' superhero movie - Edwards team stars in 'Iron Man' superhero movie |
| | Iron Man Correction - Empire: Movie News - Iron Man Correction |
| | Gwyneth Paltrow Returns To Big Screen In "Iron Man" - Article not found | AHN |
| | ILM ready to forge Marvel's 'Iron' - The Hollywood Reporter |
| | Iron Man Movie Update! - Iron Man Movie Update! - Superhero Hype! |
| | 'Iron Man' rides with Audi - 'Iron Man' rides with Audi - Entertainment News, Film News, Media - Variety |
| | Iron Man: Favreau on films, fans, and Fin Fang Foom - Iron Man: Favreau on film, fans and Fin Fang Foom - Mania.com |
| | Iron Man At The Improv? Jeff Bridges Reveals Superhero Ad-Libbing - MTV Movies Blog » Blog Archive » Iron Man At The Improv? Jeff Bridges Reveals Superhero Ad-Libbing |
| | Teaser trailer - Apple - Trailers - Iron Man |
| | Exclusive: Jon Favreau forges 'Iron Man' - Comics - Mania.com |
| | Djawadi to Compose the Iron Man Score - Djawadi to Compose the Iron Man Score - Superhero Hype! |
| | First look: Downey forges a bond with 'Iron Man' role - First look: Downey forges a bond with 'Iron Man' role - USATODAY.com |
| | 'Studios suit up for Super Bowl - Studios suit up for Super Bowl - Entertainment News, TV News, Media - Variety |
| | Gerard Sanders is Iron Man's Dad - Gerard Sanders is Iron Man's Dad - Mania.com |
| | Hasbro Previews G.I. Joe, Hulk, Iron Man, Indy & Clone Wars - Hasbro Previews G.I. Joe, Hulk, Iron Man, Indy & Clone Wars - Superhero Hype! |
| | Post-production offices surviving dollar's rise - Post-production offices surviving dollar's rise |
| | Iron Man's Jon Favreau - Comics Continuum: Iron Man's Jon Favreau |
| | Paltrow is 'Iron' clad for Marvel - The Hollywood Reporter |
| | UPDATE: The ''Iron Man'' Poster From Comic-Con - UPDATE: The Iron Man Poster From Comic-Con - Superhero Hype! |
| | CON: Iron Man scoop - CON: Iron Man scoop |
| | Rejected Iron Man Movie Armor Concepts - Rejected Iron Man Movie Armor Concepts - Screen Rant |
| | Marvel Studios seals iron-clad deal - Marvel Studios seals iron-clad deal | Film | guardian.co.uk |
| | Interview with Jon Favreau on ''Iron Man'' - Exclusive: Jon Favreau on Iron Man - Superhero Hype! |
| | Rejected Iron Man Movie Armor Concepts - Rejected Iron Man Movie Armor Concepts - Screen Rant |
| | Quint interviews Jon Favreau about all things IRON MAN... - Quint interviews Jon Favreau about all things IRON MAN and even a little something about JOHN CARTER OF MARS!!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news. |
| | Regency plans 'Party' for Bibb - The Hollywood Reporter |
| | Howard flying to 'Iron Man' - Howard flying to 'Iron Man' |
| | EIGHT WEEKS TO IRON MAN - CHUD.com - Currently Undergoing Massive Beneath the Hood Improvements. |
| | 'Iron Man' Director Jon Favreau Admits He Appears In Flick - 'Iron Man' Director Jon Favreau Admits He Appears In Flick ... But What About Hilary Swank, Sam Jackson? | MTV.ca | News |
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