Suit up. Not only has Iron Man 3 just begun principle photography in North Carolina but after the thundering success of The Avengers, Shane Black’s superhero threequel has received some more dough from Marvel Studios, who are clearly still on a Hulk high.
News from Latino Review states that Tony Stark and friends will return to the big screen for a fourth time with a budget bump of approximately $60 million. Iron Man 3 was originally inked in at roughly $140 million which was in line with the original and Avengers lead-ups The Incredible Hulk, Thor and Captain America: The First Avenger.
I always tug at my hair after learning certain movies are going into production with astronomical budgets (see: John Carter, Dark Shadows and Battleship) that would be nearly un-recoupable under the best of circumstances. It irks me even further when studios deem it necessary to toss additional funds around for no apparent reason. If that cash went towards hiring some class actors or shooting on-site at some amazing locations then I would be more than pleased. However, you can’t tell me that money is going to anything else other than special effects.
Thankfully for Iron Man 3, the cast which includes the likes of Guy Pearce, Ben Kingsley, Don Cheadle (and of course Robert Downey Jr.) is exceptional and the guidance of director/writer Shane Black inspires nothing but confidence. Let’s just hope a bigger budget will help to create bigger ideas and not a bigger headache.