Last week, we showed you some unofficial set photos from Iron Man 3. Disney has now released the first official set photo, and while it won't blow anyone's mind, it's still nice to see all the various Iron Man armor lined up. For some reason, Tony Stark even has the Iron Man: Mach-1 armor, which I thought was lost in the desert. I also wish a couple of the pods didn't have the full armor, but just a suitcase or some bracelets.Hit the jump to check out the set photo. The film stars Robert Downey Jr., Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Rebecca Hall, James Badge Dale, Ashley Hamilton, and Guy Pearce. Iron Man 3 opens May 3, 2013.Here's the press release Disney sent along with the photo to announce the start of production:
Following in the footsteps of the record-breaking Marvel Studiosâ release âMarvelâs The Avengers,â production on the highly anticipated film âIron Man 3,â directed by Shane Black, has commenced production in Wilmington, North Carolina. The production schedule will also include locations in Raleigh/Durham, North Carolina, Miami, Florida and China.
Based on the ever-popular Marvel comic book series, first published in 1963, âIron Man 3â returns Robert Downey Jr. (âIron Man,â âMarvelâs The Avengersâ) as the iconic Super Hero character Tony Stark/Iron Man along with Gwyneth Paltrow (âIron Man,â âIron Man 2,â) as Pepper Potts, Don Cheadle (âIron Man 2â) as James âRhodeyâ Rhodes and Jon Favreau (âIron Man,â âIron Man 2â) as Happy Hogan. Set for release in the U.S. on May 3, 2013, Marvelâs âIron Man 3â marks the second feature to be fully owned, marketed and distributed by Disney, which acquired Marvel in 2009.
âIron Man 3â continues the epic, big-screen adventures of the worldâs favorite billionaire inventor/Super Hero, Tony Stark aka âIron Man.â Marvel Studiosâ President Kevin Feige is producing the film. Executive producers on the project include Jon Favreau, Louis DâEsposito, Alan Fine, Stan Lee, Charles Newirth, Victoria Alonso, Stephen Broussard and Dan Mintz.
The creative production team on the film includes two-time Oscar®-winning director of photography John Toll, ASC (âBraveheart,â âLegends of the Fallâ), production designer Bill Brzeski (âThe Hangover,â âDue Dateâ), editors Jeffrey Ford, A.C.E. (âMarvelâs The Avengers,â âCaptain America: The First Avengerâ) and Peter S. Elliot (âFantastic 4: Rise of the Silver Surferâ), and costume designer Louise Frogley (âQuantum of Solace,â âContagionâ).
Marvel Studios most recently produced the critically acclaimed âMarvelâs The Avengers,â which set the all-time, domestic 3-day weekend box office record at $207.4 million. The film, which is currently in release, continues to shatter box office records and is The Walt Disney Studiosâ highest-grossing global and domestic release of all time and marks the studiosâ fifth film to gross more than $1 billion worldwide.
In the summer of 2011, Marvel successfully launched two new franchises with âThor,â starring Chris Hemsworth, and âCaptain America: The First Avenger,â starring Chris Evans. Both films opened #1 at the box office and have grossed over $800 million worldwide combined. In 2010 âIron Man 2,â starring Robert Downey Jr., Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson and Mickey Rourke, took the #1 spot in its first weekend with a domestic box office gross of $128.1 million.
In the summer of 2008, Marvel produced the summer blockbuster movies âIron Manâ and âThe Incredible Hulk.â âIron Man,â in which Robert Downey Jr. originally dons the Super Heroâs powerful armor and stars alongside co-stars Terrence Howard, Jeff Bridges and Gwyneth Paltrow, was released May 2, 2008, and was an immediate box office success. Garnering the number one position for two weeks in a row, the film brought in over $100 million in its opening weekend. On June 13, 2008, Marvel released âThe Incredible Hulk,â marking its second number one opener of that summer.