A legal battle begins to brew between Chongqing Wulong Karst Tourism Group and Paramount Pictures Company as Chongqing’s Third Intermediate People’s Court heard the arguments presented by the two parties on April 26, reported China.org.
Wulong Karst Tourism filed a lawsuit against Paramount in July 2014, asking more than 20 million yuan from the American film studio and from 1905 (Beijing) Network Technology Co. Ltd., the one that provided production aid to Paramount when it filmed in mainland China.
It was only in late April that the Chongqing court heard the case.
Paramount allegedly committed a breach of contract when it failed to honor a product placement deal where a logo showing the words “China Wulong” should appear in the 2014 sci-fi film, “Transformers: Age of Extinction.”
According to CCTV News, Wulong Karst Tourism signed a deal with Paramount in Oct. 2013 regarding the display of those words. It even paid 4.8 million yuan as a product placement fee and gave Paramount permission to shoot scenes at the Wulong Karst Landscapes National Geological Park, which it operates.
Wulong Karst Tourism now sues both companies for 180 million yuan ($27.8 million), more than triple of the amount it originally asked, reported South China Morning Post.
The hearing lasted for six hours, and the court decided to give its verdict on another date.
Michael Bay’s $210-million Mark Wahlberg-starrer grossed $1.1 billion worldwide, according to Mojo Box Office. In China alone, it already earned $219.2 million in just a span of 11 days.
Bay, who also co-produced the film, shot some of the scenes at Tiansheng Sanqiao or the Three Natural Bridges located in the town of Xiannushan in Wulong County, Chongqing Municipality.
The Three Natural Bridges rest in one of the three scenic areas of the Wulong Karst Landscapes National Geological Park, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
In the movie, Autobot leader Optimus Prime engaged in a brief battle with Grimlock, a robot that transforms into a tyrannosaurus and the head of the Dinobots, at the Three Natural Bridges.
For moviegoers not familiar with this tourist attraction in Chongqing, China, the place could be surmised as just another forest.
After Prime succeeded in convincing the Dinobots to join forces with the Autobots, they all raced toward the city where the real battle happens to help the other Autobots. In that part of the film, these robots were seen traversing a lush forest of green trees then suddenly a panoramic view of an urban landscape filled with towering buildings emerges in the big screen.
The place that served as the final battleground where these Transformers went to was Hong Kong.
Based from those scenes, it gives the impression that the forest--the Three Natural Bridges actually--is in Hong Kong.
Bay also filmed parts of the fourth installment of the “Transformer” franchise in Hong Kong. He and his crew spent 10 days shooting scenes at the former Crown colony, according to SCMP.
Writing for SCMP, Jeremy Blum said that “to a large extent,” Paramount was successful in “giving local viewers [Hong Kong residents] the sense of amazement that comes from seeing larger-than-life Hollywood characters prancing about in their hometown.”
Sooner or later, the public will know if Paramount will also succeed in court.