The Walt Disney Company is to co-produce Iron Man 3 in China in a further sign of Hollywood's headlong scramble to deepen its ties to the world's biggest market for movies after the US.
The US entertainment conglomerate said it was partnering Chinese production company DMG Entertainment to bring the popular superhero franchise to China. DMG will co-finance the film and jointly produce it in China, where much of the action will be set.
The first Iron Man film, starring Robert Downey Jnr as the Marvel Comics superhero, made $581-million worldwide when it was released in 2008. Iron Man 2 earned $624-million worldwide in 2010.
Stanley Cheung, managing director of Disney's Greater China operation, said: "The co-production of Iron Man 3 in China is testimony to the importance of this audience to Disney ."
Dreamworks Animation and Disney Animation have recently announced joint ventures with Chinese studios.
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