Comic book translations have been Hollywood’s staple for a few years now, since 2000’s X-Men made them hip again. It makes sense; especially from a fiscal point of view; tap into pre-existing awareness and fond memories and fans will likely go see it, regardless of how good or bad pre-release word is - if only just to see how bad it could be. But while cinema goers with even just an avid interest in comic books were looking forward to The Dark Knight, Iron Man came out of nowhere, with barely a trailer to telegraph its imminent arrival.

Word of mouth spread about the surprising quality of the film and the killer casting of reformed Hollywood bad boy Robert Downey Jr. By the end of the theatrical showings, Iron Man had smashed assumptions and became the surprise hit of the summer, both financially and creatively.



Link: Tweaktown