A hotel chain in China is suing two product placement brokers claiming foul over a deal with Paramount Pictures release “Transformers: Age of Extinction.” The sci-fi movie will premiere China and in the U.S./Canada June 27. The big-budget fourth installment of the “Transformers” series is rated PG-13 in the U.S.
Beijing Pangu Investment Co., which owns a dragon-shaped hotel
seen in the movie, is miffed the movie’s China premiere was held in Hong Kong June 22—and not its flagship Pangu Plaza Hotel in Beijing—and the hotel says it should have been placed in trailers and publicity photos. Further, Pangu claimed it was rebuffed from making movie merchandise and having its hotel house an exhibit of movie merchandise, as promised. Pangu said it contributed $1.6 million to the film, in exchange for benefits not received.
Pangu’s lawsuit seeks the draconian remedy of removing scenes of its hotel from the movie–which is just about to premiere. It’s not clear if Paramount Pictures is directly blamed by Pangu.
The Hollywood Reporter quotes a Paramount studio representative saying the hotel is shown prominently in the movie, which fulfills the product placement obligation.
LATE ADDITION: June 24 a Bloomberg story says the hotel lawsuit is amicably resolved–see link at bottom…
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