How much money can "Iron Man 3" make?

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How much money can "Iron Man 3" make?

Writer: Elaine Ewe

"Marvel's Iron Man 3" will see dark times for billionaire playboy Tony Stark.

Before the world explodes into Iron Man frenzy, we take a leaf from Marvel's marketing book to capitalize on the hype into writing, by listing out to you, the unassuming reader who may or may not be a fan of Tony Stark or Iron Man or Marvel superheroes in general, Marvel's money-making scheme.

Of course, we are not saying that only Iron Man is subjected to this treatment, Andrew Niccol's "The Host" based on Stephanie Meyer's novel of the same name also had a Lotus Evora Chrome showcase in Malaysia, in addition to reprints of the novel. However, we can argue that "Marvel's Iron Man 3" takes money-making to a whole new level. Read on below to find out what movie-related merchandise that you can spend your hard-earned cash on!

"Iron Man 3" figurines

We won't be able to list out every single "Iron Man 3" figurine or toy that are coming out because there will be pirates making cheap versions to sell in night markets, but this is one sweet figurine that we think will give collectors a run for their money. The Mark XLII 1/6 scale figurine is as detailed as it gets, with battle-damaged parts that are interchangeable with not-battle-damaged parts. Maybe an enterprising fan could reverse-engineer a real-life suit of armour using this as a basis?

"Iron Man 3" LEGO toy sets

It is almost customary for every blockbuster franchise to get a dedicated LEGO set these days, and "Marvel's Iron Man 3" is no exception. There are three different versions we know of so far: the Malibu mansion attack, the Extremis Sea Port battle, "Iron Man vs. The Mandarin Ultimate Showdown". If you have bought anything from LEGO before, then you would know that these do not come cheap.

Simulated "Marvel's Iron Man" experience

If you are living in the Philippines and Singapore, you get to participate in a special "Become Iron Man" experience courtesy of Marvel Studios held at SM Malls across the country for the former and at Bugis Junction for the latter. By using motion-sensor technology, selected fans can take on the role of Tony Stark to assemble the Mark 42 armour and test the repulsors and flight system, guided by Tony Stark's computerized personal assistant, Jarvis. And yes, you have to pay for this, a minimum of Php 300 in a single receipt purchase of any Marvel merchandise at the event in Philippines, to be exact. There doesn't seem to be any charges for Singapore, but you have to pay travel expenses to visit the country anyway.

Smell-enhanced "Marvel's Iron Man" experience

We cannot testify as to what Tony Stark smells like, but we wager that if you are a billionaire reading this, he would smell like you. Meanwhile, the non-billionaire theatregoers in Japan are about to find out as the film will be shown in a theatre in Nagoya in 4DX. This "fourth dimension" experience will offer wind, fog, tilting seats, and odour effects. The odour-enhanced screenings will cost an additional 1,300 yen (about USD 13) on top of the regular ticket price for 3D films and an additional 1,000 yen (around USD 10) for 2D screenings.

Two different versions of "Marvel's Iron Man"

Let us get this straight; there are no two different films for "Marvel's Iron Man 3", but two different versions. As Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures will not be distributing to China but DMG Entertainment, there will be a special Chinese version of the film with specially prepared bonus footage made exclusively for the Chinese audience. An example of what to expect from the bonus footage will be the appearance of Chinese actress Fan Bingbing in the Chinese version of the film, but not in the English version. We speculate that this is going to make more money for Marvel because they can then release a version of the Blu-Ray that includes both versions and fans will be forced to buy it.

Safe to say, we have solved the question of who has more money: "Marvel's Iron Man 3"!