Courtesy of Walt Disney Pictures, we have coverage on the Iron Man 3 World Tour's Munich, Germany stop which features Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow.
On director Shane Black.
Downey Jr: Some of you might know him from all the great movies he's written like Kiss Kiss, Bang Bang a film we did together. He was a great choice for reinvigorating the franchise. He's a very particular point of viewed, he's very offbeat, he's very smart and clever. It's hard to keep these movies fresh. I think we're going to be really pleased with what Shane did with the movie.
On Pepper Spoiler: [donning the Iron Man suit.]
Paltrow: It was fantastic.
Spoiler: [
I really enjoyed being in the suit ] and my son was on set that day and he thought it was the best thing that's ever happened to him. We took the kids to see a Justin Beiber concert the other day and he sort of put it together for the first time, he said 'Mom if we run into Justin Beiber by accident, he might know that you're in Iron Man.'
Robert Downey Jr. Very valuable.
Paltrow:
Spoiler:[
So the suit] did a lot for my relationship with my son.
Robert Downey Jr. explains his attire.
Downey Jr: I'm wearing the laderhosen today in honor of my mother's 79th birthday, just yesterday. She's of German descent, her surname from this part of the world is Shulk. Does that make sense? 'Shulk?' Shuolk?' Neither? It's real. It's for mom.
On Tony and Pepper relationship.
Downey Jr: What Jon Favreau said when the first Iron Man was successful - he said it's because Tony has a relationship and it's a relationship that even though it's a genre movie, you can kind of relate to it, it had some depth. Over the course of the movies, obviously, they haven't broken up, they're getting closer and closer so as the relationship gets deeper so do the issues and the challenges.
On Tony strength's and weaknesses.
Downey Jr: Well, I would say Pepper is his greatest strength because he's able to understand that she knows him better than he knows himself and of course weakness, for any character in a film or person is always their own ego. It always has you make decisions that are advisable, not to make. And as usual, Tony decides to take things into his own hands a little bit but he's more mature in this film. He still doesn't know what to get his girlfriend for Christmas but he wants to know.
On Pepper's evolution.
Paltrow: Pepper's actually had a really interesting journey over the course of the films because she started off very much as Tony's assistant and then caretaker and she's really evolved into a woman with real power and responsibility and she's really been given the space to step into herself. This movies great because now it goes to a physical level. I've had a lot of fun playing Pepper, I love her and it's been a great experience for me, especially to play this whole journey, I've never been in a movie that was a sequel, let alone a trilogy. It's great.
On Iron Man's place in cinema.
Downey Jr: I think there's nothing stupider than when kind-of talented people show up and talk about a genre movie like it's some sort of important work. We know that these are popular entertainment but we think about them in considerate ways, I remember talking about Pepper when we were doing The Avengers, I said, "I need Pepper in there" and then I tried to explain the plot of The Avengers to Gwyneth and she was like, "Just stop, I'll never understand this." Because it went so far away, as it was supposed to, from Jon Favreau's original vision that the Iron Man movies are based in a reality that seems tangible. You know, you could build this suit, these kinds of things could happen and we didn't want to jump the shark with Avengers but I remember I also thought in some development meeting, "If the sky opened up and there was a wormhole and I saw aliens, wouldn't I be just a little bit nervous, after that." And that sort of led to some of the challenges.
On the changing landscape of American cinema.
Paltrow: When I was in my 20s, before I had children and I was doing lots of movies, the movies that were being made would never get made today. The Talented Mr. Ripley, Shakespeare In Love, Sliding Doors, even Shallow Hal which was a mid-budget comedy, they just don't do that anymore. Great Expectations, movies that are geared towards adults, that aren't exploding, people just don't flock to go see those kinds of movies anymore or more importantly, I think the studios don't think they will so that whole market had evaporated. Now, you do a movie that has a $5 million budget or a $5 trillion dollar budget, there seems to be no middle ground anymore. That's why it's nice if you're someone like me who wants to be home and only do one movie a year and raise your kids, it's really nice to be part of a franchise like this where you can go, pop in, work and have fun - and as Robert was saying, we do know this is pop, but at the same time, when you're working with high caliber people like Robert and Don Cheadle, the rush of working with actors like that is the same as if we're doing an Off-Broadway play. It doesn't matter really that it's a big, pop culture movie because you're not doing it with some 26 yr old, shirtless guy who doesn't really have a lot to say, you're doing it with Robert Downey Jr. So it is artistically fulfilling - by the way, him without a shirt is awesome, don't get me wrong.
Downey Jr: Twenty-three years ago.
Paltrow: No right now, he has the best butt in the world, I recommend you touching it on the way out.
Downey Jr: Great idea.
Paltrow: I think that's how we've managed to maintain the artistry, even in something that this giant and crazy because there are really good actors in it. Rebecca Hall is really great, Ben Kingsley, we have an amazing group of people to play with.
Downey Jr: It's funny too, we're talking about a post-industry change that is in the midst of changing again. I think we're all only catching up with how things are established now based on what 5, or 7, or 10 years ago. But there's an influx of new stuff, there are great films coming out of Europe, great films coming out of the East and there's some indication that a different caliber of movie making was coming back into vogue just last year in North America. So you know, it's life.
On the onscreen chemistry they share.
Paltrow: He's my favorite person to work with, I love him so much as a person and an actor.
Downey Jr: Ok.
Paltrow: He doesn't feel the same way about me.
Downey Jr: It's crazy, were pretty intertwined, we hang out. Some people, they're only close when they're in front of cameras or they're talking about how close they are even though they never hang out together. We make a point of spending time together.
Paltrow: We hang out a lot. I'm very close with his wife, I worship his child, my children worship him.
Downey Jr. Thank you.
Paltrow: It was very fun actually because my children loved him before they had any idea who he was so it was really fun when my son realized what was happening and so I think he loves you even more if that's possible.
How Pepper copes with Tony's womanizing past.
Paltrow: I think Pepper has to maintain a little bit of grit when it comes to Tony. I have a very close friend who is married to Rob Lowe and it's a little bit of a similar thing. She'll refer to his past and it's a very specific, 'Yeah, well, I'm sure you
knew Rob in the 80s.' It's kind of that thing, when Pepper is with a guy like Tony who's done everything and everyone, she has to keep some humor about it. Like my friends, what they have is a really strong and amazing connection, I think that's what Tony and Pepper are. Despite everything, they really belong together but it's her defense and sense of humor.
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New IRON MAN 3 Details From Robert Downey Jr.
Based on Warren Ellis' Extremis storyline and following the box-office shattering events of Marvel's The Avengers, Tony Stark (Robert Downey Jr.) has become the target of global terrorist The Mandarin (Sir Ben Kingsley) who has secretly been the mastermind behind most of the tragedies in Tony's life. Isolated from his fellow Avengers, Tony will have to devise his most advanced armor yet if he hopes to save the woman he loves, Pepper Potts (Gwyneth Paltrow). Standing beside Tony as he takes on Mandarin's villainous allies and Ten Rings subordinates will be War Machine James Rhodey (Don Cheadle) who was conspicuously absent during the Chituari invasion in New York. Based on a screenplay by Shane Black (Lethal Weapon, Kiss Kiss Bang Bang) and Drew Pearce (Godzilla, Sherlock Holmes 3).
Running Time: 2 hr 10 min (confirmed)
Release Date: May 3, 2013
MPAA Rating: PG-13 (confirmed)
Starring: Robert Downey Jr, Ben Kingsley, Gwyneth Paltrow, Rebecca Hall, Don Cheadle, William Sadler, James Badge Dale, Yvonne Zima, Stephanie Szostak
Directed by: Shane Black
Written by: Shane Black (screenplay) Drew Pearce (screenplay) Stan Lee (comic book) Jack Kirby (comic book) Don Heck (comic book) Larry Lieber(comic book)