The producers of the latest Transformers movie are being sued by a Chinese tourism company for breach of contract, according to state media.
The Chongqing Wulong Karst Tourism Co Ltd said in a statement that the producers had failed to show its logo prominently in the film as promised.
The company said it would file a case against Paramount Pictures and one of the movie’s Chinese partners.
The Beijing-based 1905 Internet Technology company, the Chinese company also being sued, said in a statement on its website that Wulong had not paid them on time.
The Chongquing Wulong Karst Tourism Co Ltd said it is suing for unspecified damages.
The Chongquing Wulong Karst Tourism is suing Transformers producers for unspecified damages
The company said it was not clear to viewers that the shots of the scenic spot in Transformers: Age of Extinction were of Wulong, because they were interspersed with scenes from Hong Kong.
It also said that other tourist spots were claiming that the famous Karst peaks were theirs.
Last month, a Beijing property developer said it had filed a case alleging that Paramount and two of its Chinese associates had not featured images of its hotel in trailers and movie posters as promised, and had reneged on a pledge to hold the film’s premiere at its hotel.
Soon after, Paramount and the developer said they had come to an agreement over the dispute.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, the fourth movie in the Transformers franchise has now become China’s biggest film.
Its cumulative total now stands at $222.74 million, overtaking the record held by James Cameron’s Avatar, which took $221.9 million. It was released in China in January 2010.
The success of the latest Transformers film has been boosted by the inclusion of Chinese actors Li Bingbing and Han Geng, along with product placement featuring various Chinese goods.
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Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4th of July weekend.
The movie took $36.4 million, trouncing Melissa McCarthy’s latest comedy, Tammy, which took $21.2 million.
Takings were down 44% compared to last year.
Independence Day weekend is traditionally marked by the release of “tentpole” movies – from Back to the Future to Terminator 2 and Men In Black.
Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office on an unusually quiet 4th of July weekend
Last year’s major release was animation Despicable Me 2, which went on to take $368 million, making it the fourth-biggest movie of the year in the US. But this year, there was no major release to coincide with the holiday.
Michael Bay’s Transformers, the fourth in the series, has a cast led by Mark Wahlberg.
It has received generally poor reviews from critics, as has Tammy.
The only other major new release was the horror movie Deliver Us From Evil, starring Eric Bana. It opened in third place with $9.5 million.
The box office will be hoping for a boost next weekend with the release of Dawn of the Planet of the Apes, starring Andy Serkis and Gary Oldman. It is expected to be one of the summer’s big hitters.
North American box office Top 5:
- Transformers: Age of Extinction – $36.4 million
- Tammy – $21.2 million
- Deliver Us From Evil – $9.5 million
- 22 Jump Street -$9.4 million
- How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $8.8 million
Source: Rentrak
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Transformers: Age of Extinction has topped the North American box office, taking $100 million, the biggest opening weekend of the year so far.
The fourth installment in Michael Bay’s franchise also added another $201.3 million from 37 international territories, including $90 million in China alone.
Transformers: Age of Extinction stars Mark Wahlberg as a mechanic who helps the shape-shifting Autobots fight a new enemy.
Made for a reported $200 million, Age of Extinction met industry predictions for its opening weekend.
The new installment topped Dark of the Moon, the third film in the series, which took in $97.9 million in its opening weekend in 2011, but failed to eclipse the $108.9 milion debut of the second film, Revenge of the Fallen.
Transformers: Age of Extinction has scored the biggest opening weekend of the year so far
Transformers: Age of Extinction is expected to secure a strong second week of release, coinciding with the 4th of July weekend.
The three previous Transformer outings starring Shia LeBeouf as a teenager who befriends robot Optimus Prime, generated nearly $2.7 billion worldwide.
Elsewhere on the chart, 22 Jump Street held firm at number two with $15.4 million, with animation How To Train Your Dragon 2 at three with $13.1 million in box office takings.
Last week’s chart topper, Kevin Hart’s comedy Think Like a Man Too, fell to four with $10.4 million.
Angelina Jolie’s Maleficent was at five with $8.2 million, bringing its total domestic US gross to more than $201 million and its international haul to $586 million.
North American box office Top 5:
1. Transformers: Age of Extinction – $100 million
2. 22 Jump Street – $15.4 million
3. How To Train Your Dragon 2 – $13.1 million
4. Think Like A Man Too – $10.4 million
5. Maleficent – $8.2 million
Source: Rentrak
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