document_title: Iron Man 3

question_text: who played the president in iron man 3

question_tokens: who played the president in iron man 3

text: Iron Man 3

text: Plot[edit]

text: At a New Year's Eve party in 1999, Tony Stark meets scientist Maya Hansen, the inventor of experimental regenerative treatment Extremis that allows recovery from crippling injuries. Disabled scientist Aldrich Killian offers them a place in his company Advanced Idea Mechanics, but Stark rejects him. In 2013, Stark is having panic attacks due to his experiences during the alien invasion and subsequent Battle of New York.[N 1] Restless, he has built dozens of Iron Man suits, creating friction with his girlfriend Pepper Potts.

text: A string of bombings by a terrorist known as the Mandarin has left intelligence agencies bewildered by a lack of forensic evidence. Stark's security chief Happy Hogan is badly injured in a Mandarin attack, causing Stark to issue a televised threat to the Mandarin, who responds by destroying Stark's home with gunship helicopters. Hansen, who came to warn Stark, survives the attack with Potts. Stark escapes in an Iron Man suit, which his artificial intelligence J.A.R.V.I.S. pilots to rural Tennessee, following a flight plan from Stark's investigation into the Mandarin. Stark's experimental armor lacks sufficient power to return to California, and the world believes him dead.

text: Teaming with Harley, a precocious 10-year-old boy, Stark investigates the remains of a local explosion bearing the hallmarks of a Mandarin attack. He discovers the "bombings" were triggered by soldiers subjected to Extremis whose bodies explosively rejected the treatment. These explosions were falsely attributed to a terrorist plot in order to cover up Extremis's flaws. Stark witnesses Extremis firsthand when Mandarin agents Brandt and Savin attack him. Meanwhile, Killian resurfaces and kidnaps Potts and Hansen. American intelligence agencies continue to search for the Mandarin's location, with James Rhodes—the former War Machine, now re-branded as the Iron Patriot—lured into a trap to steal his Iron Man-like armor.

text: With Harley's help, Stark traces the Mandarin to Miami and infiltrates his headquarters using improvised weapons. Inside he discovers the Mandarin is actually an English actor named Trevor Slattery, who is oblivious to the actions carried out in his image. Killian, who appropriated Hansen's Extremis research as a cure for his own disability and expanded the program to include injured war veterans, reveals he is the real Mandarin behind Slattery's cover. After capturing Stark, Killian reveals that he has subjected Potts to Extremis in the hope that Stark will help fix Extremis's flaws while trying to save her. Killian kills Hansen when she tries to stop him.

text: Stark escapes and reunites with Rhodes, discovering that Killian intends to attack President Ellis aboard Air Force One. Stark saves some surviving passengers and crew but cannot stop Killian from abducting Ellis and destroying Air Force One. They trace Killian to an impounded damaged oil tanker where Killian intends to kill Ellis on live television. The Vice President will become a puppet leader, following Killian's orders in exchange for Extremis to cure his young daughter's disability. On the platform, Stark goes to save Potts, as Rhodes saves the president. Stark summons his Iron Man suits, controlled remotely by J.A.R.V.I.S., to provide air support. Rhodes secures the president and takes him to safety, while Stark discovers Potts has survived the Extremis procedure. However, before he can save her, a rig collapses around them and she falls to her apparent death. Stark confronts Killian and traps him in an Iron Man suit that self-destructs, but fails to kill him. Potts, whose Extremis powers allowed her to survive her fall, intervenes and kills Killian.

text: Stark orders J.A.R.V.I.S. to remotely destroy each Iron Man suit as a sign of his devotion to Potts, while the Vice President and Slattery are arrested. With Stark's help, Potts' Extremis effects are stabilized, and Stark promises to leave his life as Iron Man behind, undergoing surgery to remove the shrapnel embedded near his heart and throwing his obsolete chest arc reactor into the sea. He muses that, even without the technology, he will always be Iron Man.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man: A self-described genius, billionaire, playboy, and philanthropist with mechanical suits of armor of his own invention. Stark now struggles to come to terms with his near-death experience in The Avengers,[7][8] suffering from anxiety attacks. On making a third Iron Man film, Downey said, "My sense of it is that we need to leave it all on the field—whatever that means in the end. You can pick several different points of departure for that."[9] On following up The Avengers, Downey said they "tried to be practical, in a post-Avengers world. What are his challenges now?  What are some limitations that might be placed on him?  And what sort of threat would have him, as usual, ignore those limitations?"[10] Screenwriter Drew Pearce compared Tony to an American James Bond for both being "heroes with a sense of danger to them, and unpredictability" even if Stark was a "free agent" instead of an authority figure like Bond. He also likened Tony to the protagonists of 1970s films such as The French Connection, where "the idiosyncrasies of the heroes is what made them exciting."[11]
Gwyneth Paltrow as Virginia "Pepper" Potts: Stark's girlfriend, longtime associate, and the current CEO of Stark Industries.[7][12] Paltrow says of her character's relationship to Tony, "[She still] adores Tony, but she absolutely gets fed up with him. He gets caught in a feedback loop."[13] Kevin Feige commented on Pepper's role in the film: "The love triangle in this movie is really between Tony, Pepper and the suits. Tony, Pepper and his obsession with those suits, and the obsession with technology." Feige also stated that the film uses the character to play with the damsel in distress trope, and posits the question, "Is Pepper in danger or is Pepper the savior?"[14]
Don Cheadle as James "Rhodey" Rhodes / Iron Patriot: Stark's best friend, the liaison between Stark Industries and the U.S. Air Force in the department of acquisitions. Rhodes operates the redesigned/upgraded War Machine armor, taking on an American flag-inspired color scheme similar to the Iron Patriot armor from the comics.[8] Feige said of Rhodes and the armor, "The notion in the movie is that a red, white and blue suit is a bold statement, and it's meant to be. With Rhodey, he's very much the foil to Tony's eccentricities, and in this one you get to see this and be reminded of the trust and friendship between them in that great Shane Black buddy-cop fashion."[15] In the film, the president asks Rhodey to take up the moniker "Iron Patriot," and don the red, white, and blue suit, in order to be the government's "American hero" in response to the events in The Avengers.[16]
Guy Pearce as Aldrich Killian: The creator of the Extremis virus[17] and the founder and owner of the science and development organisation Advanced Idea Mechanics,[18] who adopts the mantle of the Mandarin as his own.[19][20] Killian develops Extremis to cure his own debilitating disability; in addition to his regenerative healing qualities, he has superhuman strength and the ability to generate extreme heat. Prolonged exposure to Extremis also grants him the ability to breathe fire. On taking the role, Pearce said, "I feel a little more experimental in what I'll take on these days, but I still don't know that I would want to play the superhero myself, since I'm playing a different kind of character in this film… The main difference was that, when I did The Time Machine, I was pretty much in all of it, so it was a really grueling experience. Prometheus and Iron Man are really kind of cameo stuff, so the experience of shooting them… I mean, on some level, it's tricky because you feel like a bit of an outsider. You don't really live the experience that you do when you're there all day every day with everybody. But at the same time, it can be more fun sometimes because you're just working in concentrated spurts."[21] Pearce described his character as a man "who came into this world with a number of physical disabilities. He's never been able to accept those limitations though and has spent most of his life trying to overcome them in any way he can. His tenacity and blind determination in fighting for a better life are seen by some as irritating, as he often comes across as obnoxious. He just won't accept the cards he was dealt, and being as intelligent as he is, has real drive to change and become a different person."[18] Shane Black specified, "Ultimately we do give you the Mandarin, the real guy, but it's Guy Pearce in the end with the big dragon tattooed on his chest."[19] He elaborated, "Do they hand me a blank check and say, 'Go break something!' Or, 'Go violate some long-standing comic book treaty that fans have supported for years?' No, but they'll say: 'Let's break something together.' So it's okay to come up with these crazy things, these far out ideas … and they'll fly. It's just that the Marvel guys have to be in the room."[22]
Rebecca Hall as Maya Hansen: A geneticist whose work helped Killian to create Extremis.[8][23][24] Hall said Hansen would be a "strong female character," and described her decision to take the role, saying, "I decided to do Iron Man 3 because I've never done the 'hurry up and wait' movie before. Even the studio movies I've done have been small studio movies, or indie films that we made on a wing and a prayer. I love those, but Iron Man is refreshing in a way because it's something out of my realm of experiences."[25] Hall confirmed that her character's role was greatly reduced in the final film, saying, "I signed on to do something that was a substantial role. She wasn't entirely the villain—there have been several phases of this—but I signed on to do something very different to what I ended up doing."[26]
Stéphanie Szostak as Brandt: A war veteran who becomes an assassin after her exposure to Extremis.[8][27] Describing Brandt, Szostak says, "… [Extremis] was a second chance at life. We talked about what you feel like and I think it almost makes you a fuller version of who you are, all your weakness and your qualities—just everything gets enhanced. I saw it as very freeing, almost you become your true-self and your fantasy-self all at once."[28] The writers originally envisioned Brandt as Killian's main henchman, which would return throughout the movie to fight Tony, but eventually that role was reassigned to Eric Savin.[29]
James Badge Dale as Savin: Killian's Extremis-powered henchman.[8][30] Dale stated that his character in the film was "loosely based on" the comic version of the character.[31] According to Dale, "Ben Kingsley is the mouthpiece. Guy Pearce is the brain. I'm the muscle."[32]
Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan: Tony Stark's former bodyguard and chauffeur, who now serves as Stark Industries' head of security department. Favreau, who served as both actor and director on the previous two Iron Man films, said participating in the new film was "like [being] a proud grandfather who doesn't have to change the diapers but gets to play with the baby."[33]
Ben Kingsley as Trevor Slattery: A British actor with substance-abuse problems whom Killian hired to portray the Mandarin, a terrorist persona in jammed television broadcasts, in which he is depicted as the leader of the international terrorist organization the Ten Rings.[8][34][35] Kingsley was filming Ender's Game when he was cast, and said that, "Quite soon I'll be with everybody and we'll be discussing the look and the feel and the direction of the character. It's very early days yet, but I'm so thrilled to be on board."[36] On his performance, Kingsley stated: "I wanted a voice that would disconcert a Western audience. I wanted a voice that would sound far more homegrown and familiar—a familiarity like a teacher's voice or a preacher's voice. The rhythms and tones of an earnest, almost benign, teacher—trying to educate people for their own good."[37] The Mandarin was initially set to appear in the first Iron Man film, but he was put off for a sequel as the filmmakers felt that he was "too ambitious for a first [film]."[38] On the character, Feige stated, "The Mandarin is [Iron Man's] most famous foe in the comics mainly because he's been around the longest. If you look, there's not necessarily a definitive Mandarin storyline in the comics. So it was really about having an idea."[15] Shane Black explains that Ben Kingsley's Mandarin is not Chinese in the film as he is in the comics in order to avoid the Fu Manchu stereotype: "We're not saying he's Chinese, we're saying he, in fact, draws a cloak around him of Chinese symbols and dragons because it represents his obsessions with Sun Tzu in various ancient arts of warfare that he studied."  The filmmakers also cited Colonel Kurtz from Apocalypse Now as an influence for the character.[39] The videos where the Mandarin gives historical background to the attacks expressed how it emerged as the product of "a think tank of people trying to create a modern terrorist."[29] Thus the Mandarin "represents every terrorist in a way," from South American insurgency tactics to the videos of Osama bin Laden.[39]

text: Paul Bettany reprises his role from previous films as J.A.R.V.I.S., Stark's AI system.[27] Ty Simpkins portrays Harley Keener,[27] a boy who becomes Stark's sidekick,[40] as part of a three-picture deal with Marvel Studios.[41] Ashley Hamilton portrays Taggart, one of the Extremis soldiers.[42] William Sadler plays President Ellis,[27][43] (named after Warren Ellis, who wrote the "Extremis" comics arc that primarily influenced the film's story)[44] and Miguel Ferrer plays Vice President Rodriguez. Adam Pally plays Gary, a cameraman who helps Stark.[45] Shaun Toub reprises his role as Yinsen from the first Iron Man film in a brief cameo,[46] and Stan Lee makes a cameo appearance as a beauty pageant judge.[44] Dale Dickey plays Mrs. Davis, mother of an Extremis subject that is framed as a terrorist.[47] Wang Xueqi briefly plays Dr. Wu in the general release version of the film.[48] A cut of the film produced for release exclusively in China includes additional scenes featuring Wang and an appearance by Fan Bingbing as one of his assistants.[49][50] Mark Ruffalo makes an uncredited cameo appearance, reprising his role as Bruce Banner from The Avengers, in a post-credits scene.[51] Comedians Bill Maher and Joan Rivers,[52][53] and Fashion Police co-host George Kotsiopoulos have cameo appearances as themselves on their respective real-world television programs,[54] as do newscasters Josh Elliott,[citation needed] Megan Henderson,[55] Pat Kiernan,[56] and Thomas Roberts.[57]

text: Production[edit]

text: Development[edit]

text:
"Truthfully, the way to go about doing a part 3, if you're ever in that position, as I'm lucky enough to be, is to find a way that the first two weren't done yet. You have to find a way to make sure that the story that's emerging is still ongoing and, by the time you've finished 3, will be something resembling the culmination of a trilogy. It's about, 'How has the story not yet been completely told?,' and I think we're getting there. I think we've really found ways to make this feel organic and new, based on what's come before, and that's what I'm happy about."
—Shane Black, director of Iron Man 3, on the film.[10]

tag: div

text: Following the release of Iron Man 2, a conflict between Paramount Pictures, which had distribution rights to certain Marvel properties, and The Walt Disney Company, Marvel Entertainment's then new corporate parent, clouded the timing and the distribution arrangement of a possible third film.[58] On October 18, 2010, Walt Disney Studios agreed to pay Paramount at least $115 million for the worldwide distribution rights to Iron Man 3,[59] with Disney, Marvel, and Paramount announcing a May 3, 2013 release date for the film.[60]

text: Iron Man and Iron Man 2 director Jon Favreau said in December 2010 that he would not direct Iron Man 3, opting to direct Magic Kingdom instead. He remained an executive producer of director Joss Whedon's crossover film The Avengers and also served as an executive producer of Iron Man 3.[61][62] Also in 2010, Downey reached out to Shane Black, who directed him in 2005's Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, to write and direct the film.[63] In February 2011, Black entered final negotiations to join the project,[64][65] and in March it was announced that Drew Pearce, who Marvel had originally hired for a Runaways script, would work with Black on the script.[66] Downey said, "Bringing in Shane Black to write and direct Iron Man 3 to me is basically the only transition from Favreau to a 'next thing' that Favreau and the audience and Marvel and I could ever actually sign off on."[9]

text: Writing[edit]

text: Shane Black described his take on the film as not being "two men in iron suits fighting each other," and more like a "Tom Clancy thriller," with Iron Man fighting real-world type villains.[65] Drew Pearce added that they would avert magic and space, with Iron Man 3 being "a techno-thriller set in a more real world than even The Avengers." The duo spent some time discussing themes and images and ideas before starting the script.[11] While writing, the focus was to avoid scenes of pure exposition, making every moment propel other narrative points forwards. Some elements from the comics were used even if in different connotations, such as making Rhodes wear Norman Osborn's Iron Patriot armor, and naming some characters with names from unrelated people in the Marvel Universe, such as Eric Savin and Jack Taggart.[29]

text: The film's plot is influenced primarily from "Extremis," the 2005–2006 Iron Man comics storyline written by Warren Ellis.[44] The first two acts would remain character-centric, albeit in Shane Black's words "more hectic, frenetic, and large scale" to fulfill its sequel obligations, with the third act going for more over-the-top action to what Drew Pearce described as "giving a sense of opera." The middle act was compared to Sullivan's Travels in having Tony meeting various people on his journey, and the writers made sure to not make the characters too similar. The initial draft had Maya Hansen herself leading the villainous operation, with the Mandarin and Killian emerging as antagonists in later versions of the script. During one of the writing sessions, Pearce suggested that the Mandarin was a fake, and Black agreed by going with making him an actor, which in turn Pearce detailed as an overacting British stage performer. Black explained: "Who would be fool enough to declare that is an international terrorist? If you're smart, whatever regime you're part of, you'd put a puppet committee and remain your house." In turn Killian would hide Slattery in "his own frat house, in kind of a drug-related house arrest" to keep the secret alive.[29]

text: According to Black, the reveal of the actual villain being Hansen was "like Remington Steele, you think it's the man but at the end, the woman has been running the whole show." The role was eventually shifted to Killian because of objections by Marvel Entertainment executives, who were concerned with apparent merchandising losses that could come with having a female villain. The roles of several other major female characters were also made smaller in the final film compared to earlier drafts.[67]

text: Both the opening and the ending of the film were reworked in various ways. First it would begin with a flashback to Tony's childhood. Then like Iron Man it would begin in medias res, with Tony crashing in Tennessee before a voiceover that would lead to how he got there, until it got changed to the final version. For the climactic tanker battle, it was originally considered that Brandt would show up in the James Bond tradition of the henchman coming back for the heroes. Instead they chose to use Killian himself, and have Pepper, whom he abused earlier, cause his downfall as a way of poetic justice. The final dialogue was originally written as "I am Tony Stark" to be a response to the first film's ending, but eventually it changed to "I am Iron Man" to enhance the mythical qualities.[29] On setting the film around Christmas, Black said "I think it’s a sense of if you’re doing something on an interesting scale that involves an entire universe of characters, one way to unite them is to have them all undergo a common experience. There’s something at Christmas that unites everybody and it already sets a stage within the stage, that wherever you are, you’re experiencing this world together. I think that also there’s something just pleasing about it to me." Pearce added that he would have wanted to see a third Iron Man film set at Christmas, adding that "when you’re telling a story about taking characters apart, it almost has more resonance if you put it at Christmas and if you’re also telling a story about lonelier characters as well. That loneliness is heightened at Christmas." Black also felt the character Harley Keener embodied the Ghost of Christmas Past for Stark.[68]

text: Pre-production[edit]

text: In September 2011, Marvel Studios reached an agreement to shoot the film primarily out of EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington, North Carolina. Michigan was also in contention to land the production, but the Michigan Film Office could not match North Carolina's tax incentives.[69] In April 2012, Ben Kingsley entered into negotiations to play a villain in Iron Man 3.[34] The following week, producer Kevin Feige revealed that Iron Man 3 would begin shooting in North Carolina "in five weeks," and said that it "is a full-on Tony Stark-centric movie… very much inspired by the first half of Iron Man … [H]e's stripped of everything, he's backed up against a wall, and he's gotta use his intelligence to get out of it. He can't call Thor, he can't call Cap, he can't call Nick Fury, and he can't look for the Helicarrier in the sky."[70] A few days later, The Walt Disney Company China, Marvel Studios, and DMG Entertainment announced an agreement to co-produce Iron Man 3 in China. DMG partly financed, produced in China with Marvel, and handled co-production matters. DMG also distributed the film in China in tandem with Disney.[71][72]

text: The next week, Guy Pearce entered into final talks to play Aldrich Killian, a character who is featured in the "Extremis" comic book story arc.[17] Chinese star Andy Lau became involved in negotiations to join the film, as a Chinese scientist and old friend of Stark's who comes to his aid.[73] Lau would later turn down the role, and Wang Xueqi was cast instead.[74][75] Jessica Chastain entered into discussions for a role in the film,[76] but bowed out due to scheduling conflicts.[23] In May, Rebecca Hall was cast in her place,[23] and her role was described as "a scientist who plays a pivotal role in the creation of a nanotechnology, known as Extremis."[24] Over the next few weeks, James Badge Dale was cast as Eric Savin,[30] Ashley Hamilton was cast as Firepower,[42] and Favreau returned to reprise his role as Happy Hogan from the first two films.[77] Stéphanie Szostak and William Sadler were also cast in the film, with Sadler playing the President of the United States.[43][78] Despite erroneous early reports that Cobie Smulders would reprise her role as Maria Hill from The Avengers in the film,[79] Smulders wrote on her verified Twitter page that this was not so.[80]

text: Filming[edit]

text: Filming began in Wilmington, North Carolina on May 23, 2012 at EUE/Screen Gems Studios,[81] with the working title Caged Heat.[82] Cinematographer John Toll opted to for the first time in his career work with digital cameras, as he found them more convenient for a visual effects-heavy production. Toll shot the film primarily on the Arri Alexa camera.[83] From June 4 through June 6, 2012, filming took place in Cary, North Carolina at the Epic Games headquarters[84] and SAS Institute,[85] with a large Christmas tree set up on the front lawn.[86] A scene was also shot at the Wilmington International Airport.[81] The Port of Wilmington served as a location for the oil tanker in the climactic battle, along with a soundstage recreation of the dock.[29] The crumbling house itself was filmed in a hydraulic-powered giubo platform that could bend and split into two pieces. All the interior footage had practical effects, including debris and explosions, with computer graphics used only to add exteriors and Iron Man's armor.[87][88]

text: From July 19 to August 1, 2012, filming took place on Oak Island, North Carolina, to "film aerial drops over the Atlantic Ocean."[89] They were done for the scene where Iron Man rescues the people falling from the Air Force One over Miami, which were originally envisioned done with green screen effects, but were changed to using actual skydivers as second unit director Brian Smrz knew the Red Bull skydiving team. Computer graphics were only employed to add clouds, the destroyed plane and matte paintings of the Florida coastline in the background, replace a stand-in with the Iron Man armor, and some digital compositing to combine different takes of the skydivers together.[90] Filming took place in Rose Hill, North Carolina in early August 2012,[91] and the town's name was incorporated into the script as the Tennessee city Stark visits.[88] On August 14, actress Dale Dickey said she had been cast in the film, and was currently shooting her scenes.[47] The following day, production was halted when Downey suffered an ankle injury.[92] During the break, Black and Pearce made more script revisions before shooting resumed by August 24.[93][94]

text: Cast and crew began arriving in Florida on October 1, to shoot scenes on Dania Beach and around South Florida.[95] That same day, Downey returned to the set after his ankle injury.[96] In early October, scenes were shot at a replica of the Malibu restaurant Neptune's Net,[97] and filming took place on location at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.[98] Scenes were shot during the daytime inside the Miami Beach Resort at Miami Beach on October 10 and 11.[99] The production returned to Wilmington in mid-October for additional filming.[100] On November 1, scenes were shot at the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens.[101] Filming in the United States wrapped on November 7 in Wilmington.[102]

text: Filming began in Beijing, China on December 10. Filming was scheduled to wrap a week later on December 17, 2012.[48] The China filming did not include the main cast and crew.[102] In January 2013, it was reported that a film crew led by Shane Black would begin location scouting in Hyderabad and Bengaluru, India between January 20 and 24.[103] Also in January, Cheadle confirmed that reshooting was taking place in Manhattan Beach.[104] Shooting also took place on the week of January 23, 2013 at TCL Chinese Theatre in Hollywood.[105] A major part of the content filmed in the reshoots regarded the Mandarin, with Drew Pearce saying that in early cuts, the character "didn't feel real enough—there wasn't a sense of him being [part of] the real world, mostly because he was just looking down a lens and threatening the world."[11] A report on actual production costs for films from FilmL.A. Inc., indicated a gross budget of $200 million, with a net of $178.4 million for Iron Man 3 after tax incentives from North Carolina and Florida.[2]

text: Post-production[edit]

text: Chris Townsend served as visual effects supervisor for the film, which featured over 2,000 visual effects shots and was worked on by 17 studios, including Weta Digital, Digital Domain, Scanline VFX, Trixter, Framestore, Luma Pictures, Fuel VFX, Cantina Creative, Cinesite, The Embassy Visual Effects, Lola, Capital T, Prologue and Rise FX.[87] Townsend said that from January 2013 through the end of filming in April, the collective crew had one day of downtime, otherwise working seven days a week and 14 to 18 hours a day.[106]

text: Digital Domain, Scanline VFX and Trixter each worked on separate shots featuring the Mark 42 armor, working with different digital models. The studios shared some of their files to ensure consistency between the shots. For the Mark 42 and Iron Patriot armors, Legacy Effects constructed partial suits that were worn on set. Townsend explained that "Invariably we'd shoot a soft-suit with Robert then we'd also put tracking markers on his trousers. He would also wear lifts in his shoes or be up in a box so he'd be the correct height—Iron Man is 6'5". During shooting we used multiple witness cams, Canon C300s, and we had two or three running whenever there was an Iron Man or Extremis character." The artists studied time lapse photography of decaying fruit and vegetables and actual phenomena such as the aurora borealis as reference for the effect of the glowing Extremis characters.[87] The heads-up display features of the helmet were inspired by visualization techniques from MRI diagnostic pattern recognition and graph theory, particularly by the connectogram, a circular graph that maps all of the white-matter connections of the human brain.[107]

text: The film's production was delayed following Downey's leg injury, and for certain shots they were forced to create a double for Downey. Townsend explained that "The collective VFX [supervisors] and unit leads ran into a room as soon as the incident happened to try to ascertain what sequences could they shoot." Certain shots were filmed with a body double on set, and Weta Digital created a digital body double for others.[106]

text: A total of three hours and 15 minutes of footage were shot before editing, where it was brought down to 130 minutes (119 without the credits),[29] marking the longest stand-alone Iron Man film.[44] Post-production also had a 3D conversion[108] and a digital remaster for the IMAX release.[109] Todd-AO mixed the sound in Dolby Atmos to enhance the immersive experience.[110]

text: Music[edit]

text: The film is scored by Brian Tyler, who signed on in October 2012.[111] According to Tyler, he was approached more for his "thematic" scores such as The Greatest Game Ever Played, Annapolis, and Partition rather than his "modern" action scores such as The Fast and Furious films, with Kevin Feige asking a theme that was recognizable and featured those dramatic tones.[112] To employ the "deeply thematic component with a strong melody," the score employs mostly orchestra sounds. The main theme for Iron Man focuses on horns and trumpets,[113] to be "both a march and anthem." Tyler mentioned that John Williams' work in Raiders of the Lost Ark was the first thing he thought of as an influence, and the cue for the Well of Souls in Raiders influenced the Extremis motif, as Tyler felt it should enhance an spiritual side for having a "technology so advanced that nears magic." Echoing the Mandarin's amalgamated personality, his theme was religious music "that borrows from many cultures," from "Monastic, Gothic, and Christian chants to music from the Middle-East."[112] The score was recorded with the London Philharmonic Orchestra at Abbey Road Studios.[113] Tyler is the third primary composer to score an Iron Man film, following Ramin Djawadi of Iron Man and John Debney of Iron Man 2.

text: Along with Tyler's soundtrack album, Hollywood Records released a concept album inspired by the film, Heroes Fall. It features twelve original alternative rock and indie rock songs, with only one appearing in the film itself, Awolnation's "Some Kind of Joke."[114]

text: Release[edit]

text: Iron Man 3 was distributed worldwide by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures1 with the exception of China, where it was released by DMG Entertainment, and Germany and Austria, where it was released by Tele München Group.[71] The Chinese version of the film offers specially prepared bonus footage made exclusively for the Chinese audience.[50] This version features a four-minute longer cut of the film, with a scene showing Dr. Wu on the phone with Iron Man visible on a television screen behind him, as well as a longer scene of Dr. Wu operating on Stark. The extra material also features product placement for various Chinese products.[5]

text: The film's premiere happened at the Grand Rex in Paris, on April 14, 2013, with Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow in attendance.[115][116] While the UK premiere of the film was originally set for April 17, the funeral of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher taking place in that date made the event be pushed to the following day.[117] Downey, Ben Kingsley and Rebecca Hall were present for the advance screening at London's Odeon Leicester Square.[118] The El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles hosted the United States premiere of Iron Man 3 on April 24.[119] The film opened in 46 countries through April 22–24,[120] with the United States release, in 4,253 screens, happening one week later.[121] Regal Cinemas, AMC Theatres and Carmike Cinemas put presale tickets on hold, two weeks before the US premiere. The cinemas were in a contract dispute with Disney, who wished to receive more of the ticket sale profit than they currently did, largely based on the projected premiere-weekend intake Iron Man 3 was expected to have. Carmike was the first to come to terms with Disney.[122] It was later reported that Cinemark Theatres had also stopped selling presale tickets, and Regal Cinemas had removed all marketing material for the film from its locations.[123] On April 25, 2013, Regal, AMC and Disney ended their dispute, which allowed Regal and AMC to proceed with selling presale tickets again.[124][125]

text: IMAX screenings began on April 25, 2013 internationally and May 3 in the United States.[109] The film was shown in the 4DX format, featuring strobe lights, tilting seats, blowing wind and fog and odor effects in selected countries.[126][127] In Japan, the technology opened its first room at the Korona World theatre in Nagoya, Japan with the release of the film.[128]

text: Marketing[edit]

text: In July 2012, at the San Diego Comic-Con International, a new Iron Man armor from the film, the Mark XLII, was on display on the convention floor, along with the Marks I-VII from the first two Iron Man films and The Avengers.[129] A panel was held, during which Shane Black, Robert Downey Jr., Don Cheadle, Jon Favreau and Kevin Feige discussed making the film, and several minutes of footage from the film were shown.[33] The first television advertisement aired during Super Bowl XLVII on the CBS network in the United States.[130] On March 25, 2013, Marvel and Disney revealed on the official Iron Man Facebook page, "Iron Man 3: Armor Unlock," to reveal suits Stark has made before the events of the film.[131] In January 2013, Marvel Comics released a two-issue comic book prelude by writers Christos Gage and Will Corona Pilgrim with art by Steve Kurth and Drew Geraci. The story set between the second and third Iron Man films centers on War Machine, revealing why he was absent during the battle in New York of The Avengers.[132]

text: Like with the first two films, Audi again provided product placement with various vehicles.[133] Oracle also returned from Iron Man 2, showcasing both the Oracle Cloud and the Oracle Exadata server.[134] Verizon FiOS and TCL's flat panel televisions and Alcatel One Touch smartphones are also featured in the film,[135] and the Chinese cut also shows a Zoomlion crane and Yili milk.[136] Promotional deals were arranged with Subway and the Schwan Food Company,[135] and tie-ins included Lego sets,[137] Hasbro action figures,[138] and a mobile phone game by Gameloft.[139]

text: Disney also promoted the film at its domestic theme parks. Disneyland's Innoventions attraction received a Stark Industries exhibit beginning April 13, and Monorail Black of the Walt Disney World Monorail System was given an exterior Iron Man scheme.[140][141] The exhibit, entitled Iron Man Tech Presented by Stark Industries, features the same armor display that was shown at the 2012 San Diego Comic-Con, with the Marks I-VII and the new Mark XLII. In addition, there is a simulator game, titled "Become Iron Man," that uses Kinect-like technology to allow the viewer to be encased in an animated Mark XLII armor and take part in a series of "tests," in which you fire repulsor rays and fly through Tony Stark's workshop. The game is guided by J.A.R.V.I.S., who is voiced again by Paul Bettany. The exhibit also has smaller displays that include helmets and chest pieces from the earlier films and the gauntlet and boot from an action sequence in Iron Man 3.[142]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Iron Man 3 was released by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment in digital download form on September 3, 2013. This was followed by the film's release on Blu-ray, 3D Blu-ray, DVD, digital copy, and on demand on September 24, 2013.[143] The home video release includes a Marvel One-Shot short film titled Agent Carter starring Hayley Atwell as Peggy Carter from Captain America: The First Avenger.[144] It debuted atop the DVD and Blu-ray charts in the United States, and second in the rental charts behind World War Z.[145] As of  January 31, 2014[update], Iron Man 3 is the eighth-best-selling DVD of 2013, earning more than $79 million in sales in the U.S.[146][147]

text: The film was also collected in a 13-disc box set titled "Marvel Cinematic Universe: Phase Two Collection", which includes all of the Phase Two films in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It was released on December 8, 2015.[148]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Iron Man 3 grossed $409 million in North America and $805.8 million in other countries for a worldwide total of $1.215 billion, outgrossing both of its predecessors combined. Worldwide, it became the fifth-highest-grossing film, the second-highest-grossing film of 2013, the second-highest-grossing film of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (behind Marvel's The Avengers),[149] the highest-grossing film of the Iron Man film series,[150] the sixth-highest-grossing film distributed by Disney.[151] It achieved the sixth-largest worldwide opening weekend with $372.5 million.[152] On the weekend of May 3–5, 2013, the film set a record for the largest worldwide weekend in IMAX with $28.6 million.[153] On its 23rd day in theaters, Iron Man 3 became the sixth Disney film and the 16th film overall to reach $1 billion.[154] It is the first Iron Man film to gross over $1 billion, became the second Marvel film to do so after The Avengers,[44] and was the fourth-fastest film to reach the milestone. As part of the earlier distribution agreement made with Disney in 2010, Paramount Pictures received 9% of the box office gross generated by Iron Man 3.[155] Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $391.8 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film.[156]

text: Iron Man 3 became the 13th-highest-grossing film, the second-highest-grossing 2013 film,[157] as well as the fourth-highest-grossing comic-book and superhero film.[158][159] By the end of its opening day, Iron Man 3 made $68.9 million (including $15.6 million from late Thursday shows),[121] achieving the seventh-highest-grossing opening day.[160] By the end of its opening weekend, the film earned $174.1 million, making it the fourth-highest opening weekend of all time (behind Jurassic World, The Avengers, and Avengers: Age of Ultron). Of the opening-weekend audience, 55% was over 25 years old, and 61% were males, while only 45% of the gross originated from 3-D screenings. Opening-weekend earnings from IMAX amounted to $16.5 million.[161] It topped the box office during two consecutive weekends and achieved the fifth-largest second-weekend gross with $72.5 million.[162]

text: Iron Man 3 became the fifth-highest-grossing film, the second-highest-grossing 2013 film, the second-highest-grossing superhero and comic-book film, and the fifth-highest-grossing film distributed by Disney.[163] The film earned $13.2 million on its opening day (Wednesday, April 24, 2013) from 12 countries.[164] Through Sunday, April 28, it earned a five-day opening weekend of $198.4 million from 42 countries.[165] The film's opening-weekend gross included $7.1 million from IMAX venues.[166] It set opening-day records in the Philippines (surpassed by Man of Steel), Taiwan,[164] Singapore, Vietnam, Malaysia,[167] China,[168] Ukraine,[169] Russia and the CIS,[170] both single- and opening-day records in Thailand and South Africa,[171] as well as a single-day record in Hong Kong.[172] It also scored the second-biggest opening day in Argentina (only behind Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2).[173] The film set opening-weekend records in the Asia Pacific region, in Latin America, and in individual countries including Argentina (first surpassed by Fast & Furious 6, when including weekday previews),[174] Ecuador,[175] Hong Kong, Indonesia, Vietnam, Taiwan, the Philippines, Malaysia, Singapore,[165] Thailand, South Africa, and the United Arab Emirates.[169] It also achieved the second-largest opening weekend in Mexico,[176] Brazil,[177] and Russia and the CIS.[170] In India, it had the second-best opening weekend for a Hollywood film after The Amazing Spider-Man.[178] IMAX opening-weekend records were set in Taiwan, the Netherlands, Brazil, and the Philippines.[166] It is the highest-grossing film in Indonesia, Malaysia,[179] and Vietnam[180] and the second-highest-grossing film in Singapore and the Philippines (behind The Avengers).[181] It topped the weekend box office outside North America three consecutive times.[182]

text: In China, where part of the production took place, the film set a midnight-showings record with $2.1 million, as well as single-day and opening-day records with $21.5 million (on its opening day).[168] Through its first Sunday, the film earned an opening-weekend total of $64.1 million,[183] making China's opening the largest for the film, followed by a $23.1 million opening in Russia and the CIS, and a $21.2 million opening in the UK, Ireland and Malta.[184] With total earnings reaching $124 million,[185] it was the highest-grossing American film in China in 2013, and the country is the film's highest-grossing market after North America, followed by South Korea ($64.2 million) and the UK, Ireland, and Malta ($57.1 million).[180][184]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes reported a 80% approval rating with an average rating of 7/10 based on 300 reviews. The website's consensus reads, "With the help of its charismatic lead, some impressive action sequences, and even a few surprises, Iron Man 3 is a witty, entertaining adventure and a strong addition to the Marvel canon."[186] Metacritic gave a score of 62 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[187]

text: In an early review by the trade magazine The Hollywood Reporter, Todd McCarthy said that, "After nearly crashing and burning on his last solo flight in 2010, Iron Man returns refreshed and ready for action in this spirited third installment… [that] benefits immeasurably from the irreverent quicksilver humor of co-writer and director Shane Black.[188] Calling the film "darker and more serious than its predecessors," Kenneth Turan of the Los Angeles Times credited Black for "chang[ing] this billion-dollar-plus franchise's tone for the better while keeping the same actor as Tony Stark. … There is quite a bit of Black's trademark attitude and humor here as well, things like a throwaway reference to the sci-fi classic Westworld and a goofy character who has Tony Stark's likeness tattooed on his forearm. Black and company throw all kinds of stuff at the audience, and though it doesn't all work, a lot of it does and the attempt to be different and create unguessable twists is always appreciated."[189] Rafer Guzman of Newsday characterized Iron Man as "the anti-Batman, all zip and zingers. He's also, suddenly, rather family-friendly. Some of the movie's best moments are shared by Stark and latchkey kid Harley (Ty Simpkins), who mock their budding father-son relationship while acting it out."[190] Psychology Today concluded that the film presented an accurate portrayal of Tony Stark's posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms.[191] Michael Arbeiter of Hollywood.com praised the film as "Marvel's First True Action-Comedy", commenting that "Tony's camaraderie with preteen tech geek Harley Keener is one gigantic superhero/'90s-kid-sidekick laugh riot (the friggin' kid's name is Harley Keener… is there anything more '90s-kid-sidekick-sounding than that?!)."[192]

text: Nick De Semlyen of the UK film magazine Empire had criticisms, even while giving the film four of five stars. Finding it "a swinging caper with wit, balls, heart and exploding baubles," he said the villainous "super-soldiers who can regenerate body parts and survive astounding damage [are] visually interesting … but their motivation is murky and unconvincing."[193] Likewise Joshua Rothkopf of Time Out New York bestowed 3 of 5 stars, saying, "Black has massively upped the verbal sparring and kept the broad inventiveness of comic-book malleability in mind. … The most wonderful of Black's surprises harkens back to his '80s reputation for character revision and is simply too good to ruin here." But, he asked, "[W]hy, finally, are we down at the docks—in the dark, no less—for one of those lumbering climaxes involving swinging shipping cranes? The energy bleeds out of the film; it's as if the producers were scared the crowd would riot over not enough digital fakeness."[194]

text: Reacting more negatively, Stephen Whitty of The Star-Ledger found the film "slickly enjoyable" for the visual effects, but said, "[T]here's something empty about the film. Like Tony's suits, it's shiny and polished. But this time, there's nobody inside… This movie has neither the emotionalism of the first film, nor the flashy villains of the second… Tony's relationship with girlfriend Pepper Potts is in inexplicable jeopardy—and then simply fixes itself. A supposedly cute kid sidekick—a true sign of authorial desperation—is introduced, and then dropped."[195] Michael Phillips of the Chicago Tribune echoed this, saying, "[I]n a gleefully cynical bid for a preteen audience (a few years too young for the violence in Iron Man 3, I'd say), Stark befriends a bullied 8-year-old [sic] (Ty Simpkins) who becomes his tag-along and sometime savior… Stark no longer needs to be in the Iron Man suit. He's able to operate the thing remotely when needed. The movie's like that too. It's decent superhero blockbustering, but rather remote and vaguely secondhand. At this point, even with Black's flashes of black humor, the machinery is more or less taking care of itself, offering roughly half of the genial wit and enjoyment of the first Iron Man."[196]

text: Accolades[edit]

text:
Awards

Association

Date of ceremony

Category

Recipients and nominees

Result

Ref.

Golden Trailer Awards

May 5, 2013

Best in Show

Iron Man 3 "Not Afraid"

Won

[197]

Summer 2013 Blockbuster Trailer

Iron Man 3 "Not Afraid"

Won

Best Action

Iron Man 3 "Not Afraid"

Nominated

Best Sound Editing

Iron Man 3 "Not Afraid"

Nominated

Best Summer Blockbuster 2013 TV Spot

Iron Man 3 "Escape"

Nominated

BMI Film & TV Awards

May 15, 2013

Film Music

Brian Tyler

Won

[198]

Teen Choice Awards

August 11, 2013

Choice Movie: Action

Iron Man 3

Won

[199][200]

Choice Movie Actor: Action

Robert Downey Jr.

Won

Choice Movie Actress: Action

Gwyneth Paltrow

Nominated

Choice Movie: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Iron Man 3

Nominated

Choice Movie Actor: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Robert Downey Jr.

Nominated

Choice Movie Actress: Sci-Fi/Fantasy

Gwyneth Paltrow

Nominated

Choice Movie: Villain

Ben Kingsley

Nominated

Choice Movie: Chemistry

Don Cheadle and Robert Downey Jr.

Nominated

People's Choice Awards

January 8, 2014

Favorite Movie

Iron Man 3

Won

[201]

Favorite Movie Actor

Robert Downey Jr.

Nominated

Favorite Movie Actress

Gwyneth Paltrow

Nominated

Favorite Movie Duo

Robert Downey Jr. and Gwyneth Paltrow

Nominated

Favorite Action Movie

Iron Man 3

Won

Favorite Action Movie Star

Robert Downey Jr.

Won

Golden Tomato Awards

January 9, 2014

Best Comic Book Film

Won

[202]

Critics' Choice Movie Awards

January 16, 2014

Best Visual Effects

Nominated

[203]

Best Action Film

Nominated

Best Actor in an Action Movie

Robert Downey Jr.

Nominated

Best Actress in an Action Movie

Gwyneth Paltrow

Nominated

Visual Effects Society Awards

February 12, 2014

Outstanding Visual Effects in an Effects Driven Feature Motion Picture

Christopher Townsend, Mark Soper, Guy Williams and Bryan Grill

Nominated

[204]

Outstanding Created Environment in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

John Stevenson‐Galvin, Greg Notzelman, Paul Harris and Justin Stockton  (for Shipyard)

Nominated

Outstanding Virtual Cinematography in a Live Action Feature Motion Picture

Mark Smith, Aaron Gilman, Thelvin Cabezas and Gerardo Ramirez

Nominated

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture

Michael Maloney, Francis Puthanangadi,Justin Van Der Lek, Howard Cabalfin (for Barrel of Monkeys sequence)

Nominated

Outstanding Compositing in a Feature Motion Picture

Darren Poe, Stefano Trivelli, Josiah Howison and Zach Zaubi (for House Attack sequence)

Nominated

Motion Picture Sound Editors Golden Reel Awards

February 16, 2014

Best Sound Editing: Sound Effects & Foley in a Feature Film

Mark Stoeckinger, Andrew DeCristofaro

Nominated

[205][206]

Cinema Audio Society

February 22, 2014

Outstanding Achievement in Sound Mixing – Motion Picture – Live Action

Jose Antonio Garcia, Michael Prestwood Smith, Michael Keller, Joel Iwataki, Gregory Steele and James Ashwill

Nominated

[207]

Awards Circuit Community Awards

February 28, 2014

Best Visual Effects

Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick

Nominated

[208]

Academy Awards

March 2, 2014

Best Visual Effects

Christopher Townsend, Guy Williams, Erik Nash and Dan Sudick

Nominated

[209]

Kids' Choice Awards

March 29, 2014

Favorite Movie

Iron Man 3

Nominated

[210][211]

Favorite Male Buttkicker

Robert Downey Jr.

Won

Favorite Movie Actor

Robert Downey Jr.

Nominated

Location Managers Guild of America

March 29, 2014

Outstanding Achievement by a Location Professional – Feature Film

Ilt Jones

Won

[212][213]

Saturn Awards

June 26, 2014

Best Comic-to-Film Motion Picture

Iron Man 3

Won

[214]

Best Actor

Robert Downey Jr.

Won

Best Supporting Actor

Ben Kingsley

Won

Best Performance by a Younger Actor

Ty Simpkins

Nominated

Best Music

Brian Tyler

Nominated

text: Future[edit]

text: Possible sequel[edit]

text: In March 2013, Black stated that Downey's original contract with Marvel Studios, which expired after the release of Iron Man 3, may be extended in order for the actor to appear in a second Avengers film and at least one more Iron Man film. He said: "There has been a lot of discussion about it: 'Is this the last Iron Man for Robert [Downey, Jr.]?' Something tells me that it will not be the case, and [he] will be seen in a fourth, or fifth."[215] In April 2013, Cheadle stated that Iron Man 3 could be the final film in the series, saying, "The door is always left open in these kinds of movies especially when they do as well as they have done. I know there was talk of making sure we did this one right, and if it worked it could be the last one. There's room for more to be done with these characters. We're getting to a sweet spot with Tony and Rhodey, anyway."[216] In September 2014, in regards to a fourth film, Downey said, "There isn't one in the pipe … No, there's no plan for a fourth Iron Man."[217] In April 2016, Downey stated that he was open to reprising his role in a potential fourth Iron Man film.[218]

text: Marvel One-Shot[edit]

text: In February 2014, Marvel released the One-Shot film, All Hail the King, on Thor: The Dark World's home media, featuring Kingsley reprising his role as Trevor Slattery, and continues Slattery's story from the end of the film.[219]


document_title: The Ultimate Gift

question_text: the gift of money in the ultimate gift

question_tokens: the gift of money in the ultimate gift

root

text: The Ultimate Gift

text: Plot[edit]

text: This article's plot summary may be too long or excessively detailed. Please help improve it by removing unnecessary details and making it more concise. (June 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

tag: table

text: When his rich grandfather, Howard "Red" Stevens (James Garner), dies, Jason (Drew Fuller) does not expect to inherit anything from his multi-billion-dollar estate. He strongly resents his grandfather because his father had died while working for him. There is an inheritance, in fact, but it comes with a condition: Jason must complete 12 separate assignments within a year in order to get it. Each assignment is centered around a "gift". Gifts of work, money, friends and learning are among the dozen that Jason must perform before he is eligible for the mysterious "Ultimate Gift" his grandfather's will has for him. Red's attorney and friend, Mr. Hamilton (Bill Cobbs), and his secretary, Miss Hastings (Lee Meriwether), attempt to guide Jason along the path his grandfather wishes him to travel.

tag: p

text: On his return after completing the first task, everything he values is suddenly taken away from him – luxury apartment, his restored muscle car, and all his money – and he is left homeless. His trendy girlfriend, Caitlin (Mircea Monroe), ditches him when his credit card is rejected at a fancy restaurant. After his mother (Donna Cherry) tells him she cannot help him, as part of the agreement, he miserably wanders the city alone. While sleeping in a park, he encounters a woman, Alexia (Ali Hillis), and her outspoken daughter, Emily (Abigail Breslin). Jason befriends the two, and then asks them to go to the attorney's office and confirm themselves as his "true friends" in order to pass his assignment, but afterwards Jason walks away and ignores Emily's request to see him again. However, Jason accidentally discovers that Emily is suffering from leukemia, and sees a chance to develop a strong bond with someone.

text: From that point, he tries his best to help Emily have a great life while it lasts, and Emily encourages a romance between Jason and her mother. Another of his tasks requires him to travel to Ecuador and study in a library his father and grandfather built to help the people there. This brings him to address his resentment over the death of his father there, and he makes a trip into the mountains with a local guide to see where it happened. Jason learns from his guide that the story he had always believed about his father's death was a lie, fabricated by his grandfather out of guilt and shame for trying to push Jason's father into the oil business. Jason and the guide are captured there and taken hostage by militants for several weeks, until Jason manages to ensure their escape. He returns to America and discovers that Emily's condition has deteriorated, so he arranges for Gus the ranch-hand to host a belated Christmas celebration at his home for them.

text: Upon completing his twelve tasks, Jason is given a sum of $100-million to do with whatever he pleases, and all of his property is returned to him. His former girlfriend, knowing that he has regained his wealth, makes an attempt to win him back but he declines her offer. With his inheritance, Jason chooses to build a hospital, called Emily's Home, for patients with terminal illnesses, but before the building begins, Emily dies. After the groundbreaking for Emily's Home, Jason is recalled to the law firm for one more meeting and told he has exceeded the expectations of his dead grandfather, and he is given the final gift of over $2-billion, rewarding Jason not only for his completing the tasks, but for using the $100-million to help others. That night, Jason is seen sitting on a bench in the park, when Alexia joins him. He thanks her for the help that she and her daughter gave him. Then they kiss, as a butterfly, representing Emily, flies around them.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Drew Fuller as Jason Stevens
Bill Cobbs as Theophilus Hamilton
Abigail Breslin as Emily Rose

James Garner as Howard "Red" Stevens
Ali Hillis as Alexia

tag: ul

text: Production and release[edit]

text: Production costs and underwriting[edit]

text: The film was financed with $14 million from the Stanford Financial Group,[4][5] wealth management firm based in Houston. Stanford showed the film to prospective clients at private screenings and according to an executive of the firm, they were able to track a number of multimillion-dollar relationships that resulted because of the film.[6]

text: Advanced screenings[edit]

text: This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2015) (Learn how and when to remove this template message)

text: Because of the philanthropic message of the film, charities in a handful of communities sponsored advance screenings of The Ultimate Gift to coincide with National Philanthropy Day 2006. Among such regional screenings was one in Richmond, Virginia, organized in partnership by The Community Foundation Serving Richmond and Central Virginia Bon Secours Health Care Foundation, Richmond Jewish Foundation and the Association of Fundraising Professionals. Professor Paul Schervish of Boston College was among those in attendance for the event. Another pre-screening took place on February 22, 2007, in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, under the auspices of the United Way of Southeast Missouri. In addition, organizations such as Bernhardt Wealth Management of McLean, Virginia have held private screenings for their clients. Bernhardt Wealth Management hosted such a screening on February 24.

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: The Ultimate Gift was given mixed reviews from film critics. "Though The Ultimate Gift avoids religious speechifying, it's dramatically inert with flat direction" says Rotten Tomatoes. The Ultimate Gift has a 32% overall approval (59 reviews with a 5.1/10 average critic rating).[7] On Metacritic, the film has a user score of 8.9 out of 10 based on 25 reviews, and a critic metascore of 49 out of 100.[8]

text: The New York Times' reviewer said, "Reeking of self-righteousness and moral reprimand, [the movie] is a hairball of good-for-you filmmaking..... [T]he movie's messages are methodically hammered home."[9] Christianity Today felt the film warranted 3.5 out of 4 stars and called it "lovingly crafted ... but never manages to build up much mystery, suspense, tension, or narrative steam."[10] Joe Leydon of Variety magazine was favorably impressed and noted that "discussions of faith and God are fleeting, almost subliminal — without stinting on the celebration of wholesome family values."[11] William Arnold of the Seattle Post-Intelligencer wrote: "Its sincerity, optimism and air of open-minded tolerance go down well, and it makes a nice change-of-pace." He lauded its "tight and often compelling" screenplay, sparkling dialogue and "first-rate" production values.[12]

text: Box office and home media[edit]

text: The Ultimate Gift opened quietly with receipts of $1.2 million on its first weekend. As a result, many theaters dropped the film, causing a drastic slide in screens and ticket sales.[citation needed] As of May 6, the movie had grossed a total of just over $3.4 million.[1]

text: DVD sales were $9.55 million in the first two months following its release.[1]

text: Soundtrack[edit]

text: Mark McKenzie wrote the film's incidental music. At the film's climax, "Something Changed" is highlighted, a song composed by Contemporary Christian Music-singer Sara Groves.[13] Other songs include "Gotta Serve Somebody" by Bob Dylan, "The Thrill is Gone" by B.B. King, and "Crazy" by Patsy Cline.[14]


document_title: Sons of Anarchy

question_text: what shakespeare play is sons of anarchy based on

text: Sons of Anarchy

text: Series overview[edit]

text: Each season involves parallel plot lines that intertwine and overlap, centering on both the personal and family life of Jackson "Jax" Teller (Charlie Hunnam) and on SAMCRO (Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original). SAMCRO is involved with gun-running in the western United States, and deals with rival gangs, politicians and the authorities. As vice president and later president of SAMCRO, Jax struggles to manage the club and the legacy of its founder, his late father John. SAMCRO is said to resemble the Hells Angels Motorcycle Club; the series includes appearances from David Labrava (Happy), Chuck Zito (Frankie Diamonds), Rusty Coones (Quinn), and Sonny Barger (Lenny "The Pimp" Janowitz) who are real Hells Angels members.

text: Season 1 (2008)[edit]

text: The series begins with the destruction of a warehouse the club uses to store and assemble guns, which is their main source of income, by a rival MC right before the overdose of Jax's Methamphetamine-addicted ex-wife Wendy. An emergency C-section is performed, and their son Abel is delivered ten weeks prematurely. Jax finds his father's memoirs when he visits a storage unit to collect some old baby clothes. John Teller, Jax's father, was one of the founders of SAMCRO, and the book describes his trials with and hopes for the club. Jax's mother, Gemma Teller-Morrow, is now married to the President of SAMCRO, Clay Morrow. Jax's best friend Opie has just been released from prison for serving time for a club-related crime. The first season deals with Jax trying to reconcile things happening to the club with what he reads in his father's memoirs, Opie trying to take a lesser role in the club, and local and federal law enforcement trying to shut down SAMCRO.

text: Season 2 (2009)[edit]

text: White separatists called the League of American Nationalists (LOAN) arrive in Charming.[10] LOAN's leader Ethan Zobelle and Zobelle's enforcer, A.J. Weston, seek to drive the Sons of Anarchy from Charming. To send a message to SAMCRO, Zobelle orchestrates to have Gemma kidnapped and gang raped by Weston and two others. Due to the improper handling of an internal problem, the rift between Clay and Jax continues to widen as Jax challenges most of Clay's decisions and comes to a head when a lone car bomb nearly kills another member of SAMCRO. The second season sees SAMCRO battling LOAN for control of Charming, Jax and Clay veering further apart in their individual visions for the club, and evading the ever-present threat of the ATF.

text: Season 3 (2010)[edit]

text: Gemma has been hiding in Rogue River, Oregon with Tig at the home of Gemma's father, Nate (Hal Holbrook), who suffers from dementia. Gemma struggles when she takes Nate to his new assisted living home, and he pleads to be taken back to his house. She returns to Charming to reunite with her grandson, unaware he has been kidnapped. The return of A.T.F. agent Stahl twists the facts about the murder of Donna, Stahl attempts to make a deal with Jax behind the club's back. Father Kellan Ashby's sister, Maureen, contacts Gemma at Ashby's request and tells her Abel is safe in Belfast. Upon learning of her grandson's abduction, Gemma suffers a cardiac arrhythmia and collapses in the Teller-Morrow lot. After the club returns from Ireland and brings home Abel, agent Stahl double crosses Jax and tells the club about the side deal Jax made with her, unaware that Jax and the club had it planned all along knowing Stahl would back out of the deal. Jax, Clay, Bobby, Tig, Juice and Happy are hauled away to jail. While Opie, Chibbs, and the Prospects are all en route following Stahl. Opie kills Stahl to avenge the death of his wife, Donna.

text: Season 4 (2011)[edit]

text: The imprisoned SAMCRO members leave the penitentiary after their 14-month stay and are met by Lieutenant Eli Roosevelt of the San Joaquin Sheriff's Department, the new law enforcement present in Charming. They also discover Hale has become the mayor. US Attorney Lincoln Potter seeks Lieutenant Roosevelt's help to build a RICO case against SAMCRO.

text: Season 5 (2012)[edit]

text: In retaliation for the death of Veronica Pope (Laroy's girlfriend, who was also the daughter of powerful Oakland kingpin Damon Pope), the Niners attack SAMCRO and ambush a cargo shipment. With the death of Piney Winston and the growing conflict between the Niners and SAMCRO, along with several home invasions targeting people linked to the Club, Jax is forced to meet with Damon Pope, to face a new threat unlike anything SAMCRO has ever faced.

text: Season 6 (2013)[edit]

text: Following the arrest of Tara and Clay, Jax struggles to hold SAMCRO together while Tara is imprisoned. Toric approaches both Tara and Clay and offers them deals in exchange for giving up SAMCRO; both initially refuse, but Clay later relents when confronted with being thrown into the prison's general population and assuredly being killed by inmates paid off by Damon Pope's men as a retaliation for Pope's murder. Juice returns to Charming after helping Bobby relocate after stepping down as VP, which angers Chibs, who doesn't believe Juice has been punished enough for talking to cops and later beats him. With the growing romance between Gemma and Nero, the death of Clay Morrow, and death of Tara, the tables get turned and club starts to go in a new darker direction.

text: Season 7 (2014)[edit]

text: Jax struggles with his recent loss and turns himself in to the authorities. While in jail, Jax makes decisions that radically alter the direction of the club and uses it to exact revenge. Another member's death fuels the hate and lies created by Gemma and Juice, who are on the run and hiding from the club. After Jax learns the truth, he works to make things right with all parties involved. The series ends with Jax making the ultimate sacrifice to complete his part of the story of SAMCRO and fulfill his father's vision.

text: Cast and characters[edit]

text: Sons of Anarchy is the story of the Teller-Morrow family of Charming, California, as well as the other members of Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original (SAMCRO), their families, various Charming townspeople, allied and rival gangs, associates, and law agencies that undermine or support SAMCRO's legal and illegal enterprises.

text: Main[edit]

text:
Character
Actor
Seasons

1
2
3
4
5
6
7

Jax Teller
Charlie Hunnam
Main

Gemma Teller Morrow
Katey Sagal
Main

Bobby Munson
Mark Boone Junior
Main

Alex "Tig" Trager
Kim Coates
Main

Filip "Chibs" Telford
Tommy Flanagan
Main

Kip "Half-Sack" Epps
Johnny Lewis
Main

Tara Knowles
Maggie Siff
Main

Clarence "Clay" Morrow
Ron Perlman
Main

Opie Winston
Ryan Hurst
Recurring
Main

Piney Winston
William Lucking
Recurring
Main

Juan Carlos "Juice" Ortiz
Theo Rossi
Recurring
Main

Wayne Unser
Dayton Callie
Recurring
Main

Wendy Case
Drea de Matteo
Special Guest

Special Guest
Main

Happy
David Labrava
Guest
Co-star
Recurring
Main

Ratboy
Niko Nicotera

Recurring
Main

Nero
Jimmy Smits

Special Guest
Starring

text: Recurring[edit]

text:
Emilio Rivera as Marcus Alvarez
Tory Kittles as Laroy Wayne (seasons 1–4)
Taylor Sheridan as Deputy Chief David Hale (seasons 1–3)
Jamie McShane as Cameron Hayes (seasons 1–3)
Dendrie Taylor as Luann Delaney (seasons 1–2)
Glenn Plummer as Deputy Sheriff Vic Trammel (seasons 1–2)
Julie Ariola as Mary Winston (seasons 1–2)
Taryn Manning as Rita "Cherry" Zambell (seasons 1 & 3)
Sprague Grayden as Donna Winston (season 1)
Jay Karnes as Agent Joshua Kohn (season 1)
Keir O'Donnell as Lowell Harland, Jr. (season 1)
Ally Walker as Agent June Stahl (seasons 1–3)
Jeff Wincott as Jimmy Cacuzza (guest season 1,5 & 6)
Mitch Pileggi as Ernest Darby (seasons 1–2; special guest season 3; guest season 6)
Michael Ornstein as Chuck Marstein (seasons 2–7; guest season 1)
Adam Arkin as Ethan Zobelle (season 2)
Kenneth Choi as Henry Lin (seasons 2–3 & 5–6; guest season 1; special guest season 7)
Kurt Sutter as "Big" Otto Delaney (seasons 2–6 (uncredited); guest season 1 (uncredited))
Patrick St. Esprit as Elliott Oswald (seasons 2–4; guest seasons 1 & 6)
Marcos de la Cruz as Estevez (seasons 2–3; guest season 1)
Winter Ave Zoli as Lyla Winston (seasons 2–7)
McNally Sagal as Margaret Murphy (seasons 2–6)
Kristen Renton as Ima (seasons 2–6)
Titus Welliver as Jimmy O'Phelan (seasons 2–3)
Bellina Logan as Fiona Larkin (seasons 2–3)
Henry Rollins as AJ Weston (season 2)
Callard Harris as Edmond Hayes (season 2)
Sarah Jones as Polly Zobelle (season 2)
Jeff Kober as Jacob Hale, Jr. (seasons 3–6; guest season 2)
Christopher Douglas Reed as Philip "Filthy Phil" Russell (seasons 3–6)
Robin Weigert as Ally Lowen (seasons 3–6)
Michael Beach as T.O. Cross (seasons 3 & 7; guest season 5)
Hal Holbrook as Nate Madok (season 3; guest season 7)
Jose Pablo Cantillo as Hector Salazar (season 3)
James Cosmo as Father Kellen Ashby (season 3)
Zoe Boyle as Trinity Ashby (season 3)
Andrew McPhee as Keith McGee (season 3)
Arie Verveen as Liam O'Neill (season 3)
Pamela J. Gray as Agent Amy Tyler (season 3)
Marcello Thedford as Lander Jackson (season 3)
Joel Tobeck as Donny (season 3)
Darin Heames as Seamus Ryan (season 3)
Q'orianka Kilcher as Kerrianne Larkin-Telford (season 3)
Monique Gabriela Curnen as Amelia Dominguez (season 3)
Michael Fairman as Lumpy Feldstein (season 3)
Bob McCracken as Brendan Roarke (seasons 4 & 6–7; guest season 3)
Frank Potter as Eric Miles (season 4; co-star season 3)
Walter Wong as Chris "V-Lin" Von Lin (seasons 4–6)
Timothy V. Murphy as Galen O'Shay (seasons 4–6)
Merle Dandridge as Rita Roosevelt (seasons 4–5)
Benito Martinez as Luis Torres (season 4; special guest season 5)
David Rees Snell as Agent Grad Nicholas (season 4)
Billy Brown as August Marks (seasons 5–7)
Reynaldo Gallegos as Fiasco (seasons 5–7)
Chuck Zito as Frankie Diamonds (season 5)
Chris Browning as GoGo (season 5)
Kurt Yaeger as Greg "The Peg" (season 5)
Wanda De Jesus as Carla (season 5)
LaMonica Garrett as Deputy Sheriff Cane (seasons 6–7; co-star seasons 4–5)
Rusty Coones as Rane Quinn (seasons 6–7; co-star season 5)
Kim Dickens as Colette Jane (seasons 6–7)
Kenny Johnson as Herman Kozik (seasons 2-4)
Douglas Bennett as Orlin West (seasons 6–7)
Jacob Vargas as Allesandro Montez (seasons 6–7)
Scott Anderson as Connor Malone (seasons 6–7)
Steve Howey as Hopper (season 6)
Michael Shamus Wiles as Jury White (season 7; guest seasons 1 & 6)
Marya Delver as Officer Candy Eglee (season 7; co-star seasons 1–3 & 6)
Mo McRae as Tyler (season 7; guest seasons 5–6)
Hayley McFarland as Brooke Putner (season 7; guest season 6)
Marilyn Manson as Ron Tully (season 7)
Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Sticky (season 7)[11]
Ivo Nandi as Oscar "El Oso" Ramos (season 7)
Ron Yuan as Ryu Tom (season 7)
Brad Carter as Leland Gruen (season 7)
April Grace as Loutreesha Haddem (season 7)
Arjay Smith as Grant McQueen (season 7)
Matthew St. Patrick as Moses Cartwright (season 7)
Tony Curran as Gaines (season 7)

text: Elements[edit]

text: Concept[edit]

text: The Sons of Anarchy (SOA) is an outlaw motorcycle club with many charters in the United States as well as overseas. The show focuses on the original and founding ("mother") charter, Sons of Anarchy Motorcycle Club, Redwood Original,[12] referred to by the acronym SAMCRO[13] or Sam Crow, located in the fictional town of Charming, California, adjacent to the Teller-Morrow auto mechanic shop. Its nickname is reflected in the original title for the show, Forever Sam Crow.[14] Led by President Clay Morrow, the club 'protects' and controls Charming through close community relationships, bribery, and violent intimidation. In the early seasons they are vehement about keeping "hard" drugs and drug dealers out of Charming. They also do not tolerate sex criminals. The club's leadership are supporters of the IRA.

text: SAMCRO founders[edit]

text: John Teller and Piermont "Piney" Winston co-founded SAMCRO in 1967 on returning from the Vietnam War.[15] When John's wife Gemma becomes pregnant with their second son, Jackson (Jax), they settle in Gemma's hometown of Charming. Six of the "Redwood Original 9", or "First 9", members were Vietnam vets, with only Lenny Janowitz alive at the end of the series.

text: SAMCRO attire[edit]

text: Club members wear vests known as kuttes. The SOA patch on the back is a Grim Reaper holding a crystal ball with the Anarchist circle-A symbol, and wielding the Reaper's traditional scythe, the handle of which has been replaced by the M16 rifle that the founders wielded in Vietnam. Only full members can wear the "patch". Other smaller patches have specific meanings, such as "Men of Mayhem" worn by club members who have spilled blood on the club's behalf, "First 9", worn by the original nine members, and those for the President/Vice President/Sergeant at Arms/Secretary. Kelli Jones was the costume designer for all the seasons. Due to its popularity, replicas of the vests, with the same style of top pockets, zips and button clasps, have become popular on various auction sites.[citation needed]

text: Vehicles[edit]

text: The Sons ride customised Harley-Davidson Dyna motorcycles. Each rider customises his own bike to his individual style; however, they all paint their bikes black and most sport T-bar style handlebars. A patchholder's bike usually sports the Sons of Anarchy letters, the club's Grim Reaper logo, or the circled "A" club logo. In later seasons, several members switch to more touring-oriented models. For instance, Jax is often seen on a Street Glide. Prospects are not permitted to paint their bikes black until they get patched in.

text: Jax is also seen driving a silver Dodge Ram 1500 throughout the show. His mother (Gemma Teller Morrow) is usually seen driving a Cadillac XLR-V and an Escalade. Later in Season 6 she is seen driving a Lincoln Navigator (all are painted black).

text: Throughout season 7 Jax is seen refurbishing his father's bike, a stock 1946 Harley Davidson, equipped with the correct Knucklehead motor and hardtail cradle frame. The bike which he rides in the Season 7 finale's last scenes is fitted with an Evolution motor, and late-model swing arm frame.

text: The Mayans MC also ride Harley Davidson motorcycles (Panheads, Shovelheads and Evolutions). The biggest difference between their bikes and the Sons' lies in ape hanger bars, fender skirts and bikes of all colors.

text: Nero Padilla errs when referring to the year of his blue Impala SS. While he mentions the "lack of child safety features in 1964", it is actually a 1963 Impala SS.

text: Activities and affiliates[edit]

text: Some members have day jobs in local industries; most work at the Teller-Morrow garage as mechanics, but they primarily make money by illegally importing weapons and selling them to various gangs, and making protection runs for local businesses by defending valuable truck shipments against hijacking. During Season 4 they start to mule cocaine for the Galindo cartel in exchange for cash and protection. In later seasons they manage a porn studio and an escort business, both legitimately.

text: SAMCRO keeps meth traffickers and drug dealers out of Charming, which puts them at odds with the meth-distributing white supremacist Nordics (AKA Nords), headed by Ernest Darby. This earns them respect and admiration from the townspeople, who believe the Sons do more to protect their town than its own police. SAMCRO also has to deal with a rival, Oakland-based motorcycle club (MC), the Mayans led by Marcus Alvarez (played by Emilio Rivera, who also appeared in The Shield as Mexican drug dealer Navarro Quintero). Other groups in SAMCRO's orbit include the San Francisco–based Chinese mafia Lin Triad, led by Henry Lin; the Italian American Cacuzza crime family; the Russian mob led by Viktor Putlova; the Real IRA (aka RIRA) of Ireland, which supplies them with illegal Russian-made guns; the "One-Niners", an African American street gang (which also appeared on The Shield, thus possibly putting the two in the same fictional universe) to whom SAMCRO sell weapons; and various affiliates in the state prison system, where many members of the club have been incarcerated at one time or another. These gangs serve important roles in either being enemies of the clubs or soon to be partners with the MC to bring in more money.

text: SAMCRO properties[edit]

text: In the series premiere, the Mayans torch the facility the SAMCRO used for storing and assembling guns, forcing the club to buy land for and build another facility. The clubhouse, described above, includes a living area with multiple rooms (where members sometimes crash for the night), a fully operational bar, a pool table, a kitchen, a workout room, and the "chapel", a room with an elaborate redwood conference table that has a reaper logo carved into the top, where the patched members meet to discuss club business and vote on major decisions. The club owns a secluded cabin in the woods and a warehouse outside of town (which was bought from but is still maintained by club associate Elliot Oswald), where they have stored weapons and cocaine for the Galindo Cartel. The club also rents an old soda fountain/candy shop that is used as the clubhouse in seasons 6 and 7 after the Teller/Morrow clubhouse was destroyed in an explosion. They also spend time at Red Woody, the club's porn studio (run by Lyla), and Diosa and Diosa Norte, the club's two escort agencies.

text: Shakespearean influence[edit]

text: Sons of Anarchy has commonly been called "Hamlet on Harleys".[16] Similar to Hamlet, Jax's father was usurped by his father's SAMCRO "brother", who then married Jax's mother. There are also intermittent hints at an Oedipal complex between Jax and Gemma, reflecting 20th-century interpretations of the relationship between Hamlet and his mother Queen Gertrude. Jax's murder of the innocent Jury in season 7 mirrors Hamlet's murder of the innocent Polonius in that it ultimately leads to his downfall.

text: Sutter has said of the Shakespeare element, "I don't want to overplay that but it's there. It was Jax's father who started the club, so he's the ghost in the action. You wonder what he would have made of the way it turned out. It's not a version of Hamlet but it's definitely influenced by it."[17] Ron Perlman believed they were "going to stick to the structure of Hamlet all the way to the end (of the series)."[18]

text: Numerous episode titles refer to Hamlet including:

text:
Season 1, Episode 9, "Hell Followed". This refers to Act 1, Scene 4 of Hamlet in which Hamlet follows his father's ghost, unsure of whether he comes from hell.
Season 4, Episode 12, "Burnt and Purged Away". This quote is taken from Act I, Scene 5 of Hamlet, in which the ghost of Hamlet's father explains to Hamlet that he is doomed to suffer in Purgatory until he has paid for all of his sins.
Season 4, Episodes 13–14, "To Be, Act 1" and "To Be, Act 2". These refer to the famous To be, or not to be soliloquy.
Season 5, Episode 11, "To Thine Own Self". This quote references Polonius' advice to his son Laertes.
Season 7, Episode 9, "What a Piece of Work Is Man". This refers to Hamlet's What a piece of work is a man speech in Act II, Scene 2.
Season 7, Episode 11, "Suits of Woe". This is from Act 1, Scene 2, "I have that within which passeth show, these but the trappings and the suits of woe."

text: In the Season 1 premiere, Gemma is shown cleaning Jax's house, and he notes that she is always cleaning. This behavior, combined with her ambitions and (sometimes murderous) machinations, have prompted some reviewers and commentators to liken her to Lady Macbeth.[19][20]

text: SAMCRO hierarchy[edit]

text:
Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7
After Season 7

President
Clarence "Clay" Morrow
Jackson "Jax" Teller
Filip "Chibs" Telford

Vice President
Jackson "Jax" Teller
Bobby "Elvis" Munson
Filip "Chibs" Telford
Alex "Tig" Trager

Sgt-at-Arms
Alex "Tig" Trager
Filip "Chibs" Telford
Happy Lowman

text: Production[edit]

text: Crew[edit]

text: The series was created by Kurt Sutter. Sutter was also the showrunner, the series' most prolific writer, and a regular director; he directed each season finale. Sutter had previously worked as an executive producer for the FX series The Shield. The Sons of Anarchy's' other executive producers are father and son team Art Linson and John Linson; Jim Parriott served as an executive producer and writer for the first season only.

text: Paris Barclay joined Sons of Anarchy as an executive producer in the fourth season, after directing episodes in the first and second season. In addition to serving as Executive Producer in the fourth, fifth, and sixth seasons, Barclay directed three episodes each season, including the season 4 and 5 premieres, the top two highest-rated telecasts in the history of FX.[5]

text: Jack LoGiudice served as a consulting producer and regular writer for the first season. He became co-executive producer for the second season, then left the series to work on The Walking Dead.

text: Dave Erickson also worked as a consulting producer for the first and second seasons, and then took over as co-executive producer for the third season. The series' other regular writers are supervising producer Chris Collins and co-producer Regina Corrado. Shawn Rutherford joined as consulting producer for seasons 6 and 7.

text: Sutter drew regular directors from The Shield including Stephen Kay, Gwyneth Horder-Payton, Guy Ferland, and Billy Gierhart.

text: Filming[edit]

text: Although Sons of Anarchy is set in Northern California's Central Valley (with some scenes in the Bay Area), it was filmed primarily at Occidental Studios Stage 5A in North Hollywood. Main sets located there included the clubhouse, St. Thomas Hospital, and Jax's house. The production rooms at the studio used by the writing staff doubled as the Charming police station. External scenes were often filmed nearby in Sun Valley and Tujunga.[21] Interior and exterior scenes set in Northern Ireland during season 3 were also filmed at Occidental Studios and surrounding areas. A second unit shot footage in Northern Ireland used in the third season.[22]

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
Season
Episodes
Originally aired
Viewers
(in millions)

First aired
Last aired

1
13
September 3, 2008 (2008-09-03)
November 26, 2008 (2008-11-26)
2.21[23]

2
13
September 8, 2009 (2009-09-08)
December 1, 2009 (2009-12-01)
3.67[24]

3
13
September 7, 2010 (2010-09-07)
November 30, 2010 (2010-11-30)
N/A

4
14
September 6, 2011 (2011-09-06)
December 6, 2011 (2011-12-06)
5.45[25]

5
13
September 11, 2012 (2012-09-11)
December 4, 2012 (2012-12-04)
N/A

6
13
September 10, 2013 (2013-09-10)
December 10, 2013 (2013-12-10)
7.48[26]

7
13
September 9, 2014 (2014-09-09)
December 9, 2014 (2014-12-09)
4.60

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical reception[edit]

text:
Metacritic ratings per season

Season 1
Season 2
Season 3
Season 4
Season 5
Season 6
Season 7

Rating
68[27]
86[28]
84[29]
81[30]
72[31]
74[32]
68[33]

text: Sons of Anarchy has received very favorable reviews over the course of its run, with many singling out Katey Sagal's performance. On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the first season scored 68/100, the second season scored 86/100, the third season scored 84/100, the fourth season scored 81/100, the fifth season scored 72/100 and the 6th season scored 74/100.[34][35][36][37]

text: In 2013, a collection of essays on the series was published.[38]

text: Season one[edit]

text: The first season received positive reviews from industry critics. It scored a 68 on Metacritic, indicating "generally favorable reviews" Matthew Gilbert of The Boston Globe said the first season had "real potential".[39] The New York Times' Gina Bellafante spoke highly of the cast's acting ability, particularly Sagal’s portrayal of Gemma. Brian Lowry of Variety gave a mixed review, admiring Sutter's creation of the club and the town of Charming but observing the early episodes lacked direction.[40]

text: Season two[edit]

text: The second season saw a substantial increase in positive reviews. Writing for Chicago Tribune, Maureen Ryan called the second season "engrossing". She elaborated that "the pacing is better [and] the plotting is tighter" and commends Sagal and Perlman for their performances.[41] Variety’s Stuart Levine stated that the new season was "compelling"; he also complimented the acting skill of Perlman, Sagal, Hunnam and Siff.[42] James Poniewozik of TIME called Sagal's performance "devastatingly powerful" and named the series on his list of Top 10 Shows of 2009.[43]

text: Season three[edit]

text: Some critics felt the third season was dragged down by the previous season's cliffhanger.[44][45] James Poniewozik of TIME called the season three premiere "breathtaking" and praised Sagal’s performance with Holbrook.[46] He later stated that Abel's disappearance helped return the show to its central problem: Jax's allegiance to the club.[47] Entertainment Weekly’s Ken Tucker agreed that Holbrook and Sagal’s scenes were "beautiful". He also commented that the series handled themes of loyalty and family especially well.[48] Maureen Ryan commented that the third season divided critics and fans alike, suggesting the expanded Belfast cast made it harder for the audience to invest in the characters' journeys.[49] Ryan later questioned the credibility of Hector Salazar's story, noting that he was inferior to other villainous characters such as Stahl, Zobelle and Weston. However, she praised Ally Walker's performance, comparing her character to The Shield's Vic Mackey.[50] Critic Alan Sepinwall said the season was "interesting but uneven", noting that the plot gained traction in later episodes.[51][52] Tim Goodman of The Hollywood Reporter said "Sutter should be applauded for shaking things up", calling the slower pace a "creative necessity".[53]

text: Season four[edit]

text: Alan Sepinwall stated that the fourth season risked predictability by returning to a successful formula of storytelling, but he nonetheless preferred those episodes to those of season three.[54] Maureen Ryan reviewed the fourth season positively. She praised the addition of Lincoln Potter (played by Ray McKinnon), comparing the character's quality to that of Breaking Bad's antagonist, Gustavo Fring.[55] The A.V. Club called the fourth season more "focused" and "operatic". A.V. Club reviewer Zack Handlen was fond of the season but felt disappointed with the finale, saying it featured a "lousy case of dictated convenience, of an arbitrary and unbelievable reveal used to shift characters around to where the writers want them to be for next season, as opposed to where they might land organically." However, the review did praise Charlie Hunnam's performance in the finale.[56][57] TIME said the fourth season was the strongest since season two, but the show needed to end sooner rather than later. TIME also agreed that the finale's contrivances were sometimes too visible, stating "it's the principle: you can only turn up alive at your own funeral so many times before it starts to lose its impact."[58]

text: Season five[edit]

text: Season five received favorable reviews and has a rating of 72 on the review aggregator site Metacritic.[59] Ken Tucker of Entertainment Weekly praised the series by calling it a "richly detailed portrait of self-righteous villainy". The series had a rating of 8.6/10 on the review site IMDB.

text: Season six[edit]

text: Season six received generally favorable reviews and scored a 74 out of 100 on Metacritic.

text: Season seven[edit]

text: Season seven received generally favorable reviews and scored a 68 out of 100 on Metacritic.

text: Ratings[edit]

text: The seventh season's premiere on September 9, 2014 received the highest ratings in the series' history. The episode was watched by 6.20 million viewers.

text:
Season
Timeslot (ET)
Episodes
Premiered
Ended
Average viewers
(in millions)

Date
Premiere viewers
(in millions)
Date
Finale viewers
(in millions)

Season 1
Wednesday 10:00 pm
13
September 3, 2008

November 26, 2008
2.21[60]
2.2[61]

Season 2
Tuesday 10:00 pm
13
September 8, 2009
4.29[62]
December 1, 2009
4.33[62]

Season 3
13
September 7, 2010
4.13[62]
November 30, 2010
3.6[63]
3.23[64]

Season 4
14
September 6, 2011
4.94[65]
December 6, 2011
4.24[66]

Season 5
13
September 11, 2012
5.37[67]
December 4, 2012
4.66[68]
4.40[69]

Season 6
13
September 10, 2013
5.87[67]
December 10, 2013
5.17[70]
4.60[71]

Season 7
13
September 9, 2014
6.20
December 9, 2014
6.40[72]
4.45

text: Awards and nominations[edit]

text: Sons of Anarchy was nominated for Outstanding Achievement in Drama at the 2010 TCA Awards.[73] Katey Sagal received the Golden Globe Award for Best Actress – Television Series (Drama) at the 68th Golden Globe Awards for her role in the third season.[73] She also received a nomination for a 2010 Satellite Award in the category of Best Actress – Television Series (Drama), as well as a TCA nomination for the Individual Achievement in Drama.[73] Sons of Anarchy (Season 5) received a Screen Crush Award for having the best TV series in 2012. Also in 2012, Paris Barclay was nominated for an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Direction in a Drama Series for his direction of the Season 4 Premiere "Out". In 2013, Rockmond Dunbar won an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series for his portrayal of Sheriff Eli Roosevelt. For the 5th Critics' Choice Television Awards, Charlie Hunnam received a nomination for Best Actor in a Drama Series and Walton Goggins received a nomination for Best Guest Performer in a Drama Series for the seventh season.[74]

text: Music[edit]

text: Soundtracks[edit]

text: Three EP soundtracks have been released by 20th Century Fox Records, on iTunes, featuring songs from each series. The first five-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: North Country – EP, was released on September 8, 2009 and featured the full version of the Emmy Award nominated[75] theme song "This Life".[76] A second five-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: Shelter – EP, was released on November 24, 2009 while a third six-song EP, entitled Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone - EP, was released on November 23, 2010.

text: In November 2011, selected highlights from the EPs and new tracks were released in Songs of Anarchy: Music from Sons of Anarchy Seasons 1–4, followed up by Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 2 released in November 2012, Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 3 released in December 2013, and Sons of Anarchy: Songs of Anarchy Vol. 4 released in February 2015.

text:
[show]Sons of Anarchy: North Country – EP

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Artist
Length

1.
"This Life"
Curtis Stigers, Dave Kushner, Bob Thiele Jr., Kurt Sutter
Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
2:22

2.
"Slip Kid"
Pete Townshend
Anvil and Franky Perez
3:49

3.
"John the Revelator"
Traditional
Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
5:34

4.
"Forever Young"
Bob Dylan
Audra Mae & The Forest Rangers
3:13

5.
"Girl from the North Country"
Dylan
Lions
4:11

text:
[show]Sons of Anarchy: Shelter – EP

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Artist
Length

1.
"Ruby Tuesday"
Jagger/Richards
Katey Sagal
3:23

2.
"Fortunate Son"
John Fogerty
Lyle Workman & The Forest Rangers
3:26

3.
"Someday Never Comes"
Fogerty
Billy Valentine & The Forest Rangers
4:06

4.
"Burn This Town"
Matt Drenik
Battleme
3:13

5.
"Gimme Shelter"
Jagger/Richards
Paul Brady & The Forest Rangers
4:53

text:
[show]Sons of Anarchy: The King is Gone - EP

No.
Title
Writer(s)
Artist
Length

1.
"No Milk Today"
Graham Gouldman
Joshua James & The Forest Rangers
4:01

2.
"Bird on the Wire"
Leonard Cohen
Katey Sagal & The Forest Rangers
5:05

3.
"Travelin' Band"
Fogerty
Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
2:18

4.
"Miles Away"
Paul Taylor
The Forest Rangers feat. Battleme & Slash
4:49

5.
"Hey Hey, My My"
Neil Young, Jeff Blackburn
Battleme
2:52

6.
"This Life" (Celtic Remix)
Stigers, Kushner, Thiele Jr., Sutter
Curtis Stigers & The Forest Rangers
0:39

text: Other media[edit]

text: Comic book[edit]

text: In 2013, Boom! Studios began publishing a Sons of Anarchy comic book. As of September 2015, 25 issues have been published.[77] Issue 25 is the final issue. A new comic book prequel, Sons of Anarchy: Redwood Original, was released on August 3, 2016.

text: Novel series[edit]

text: Sons of Anarchy: Bratva, the first in a planned series of SOA novels to be written by Christopher Golden, was published in 2014.[78]

text: Potential prequel[edit]

text: A prequel series, detailing the origin of the club, is planned. Sutter stated in an August 2014 interview that the prequel would focus on the "First 9" members of the club and be set around the time of the Vietnam War. He added that the prequel would likely consist of a miniseries or "maybe 10 episodes or two 8 episodes seasons". At the conclusion of the prequel, Sutter plans to release John Teller's manuscript, titled The Life and Death of SAMCRO.[79]

text: Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect[edit]

text: Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect was an episodic adventure video game developed by Silverback Games and published by Orpheus Interactive.[80][81] The game was originally slated to have ten episodes and to be released on Microsoft Windows, OS X, iOS, and Android.[82] The first episode was released on February 1, 2015 for iOS only, and was met with mixed reviews.[83] but has not seen an update since, and, although a season pass is being offered, no further episode was ever released.[84] On April 7, 2016, refunds were issued to everyone who purchased the game or the season pass, and the game had been removed from the App Store.[81]

text: Despite the apparent cancellation and refunds, the game's publisher has not officially said anything about the development state of the nine unreleased episodes. Silverback Games has distanced themselves from the project, claiming to be "just a consultant" and having no knowledge of the state of the game or of Orpheus Interactive.[85]

text: A Sons of Anarchy game was originally planned to be developed by a studio of Rockstar Games for PC and console platforms,[86] but was canceled shortly after in 2012.[87] Another video game based on Sons of Anarchy was announced in February 2014,[88] confirmed for mobile platforms in August,[89] and the name Sons of Anarchy: The Prospect revealed in December of that year.[90] The game was set to have never-before seen graphics for mobile devices,[91] but failed to deliver those when the first episode was launched on February 1, 2015.[92]

text: Spin-off[edit]

text: As of May 11, 2016, a spin-off series is in the works titled Mayans MC.[93] The pilot will begin shooting in March, directed by Sutter from a script he co-wrote with Elgin James.[94] On February 13, 2017, Edward James Olmos will star as Felipe Reyes, the once strong Mexican patriarch and EZ’s father.[95] On January 5, 2018, FX picked up the series with an order of 10 episodes which is set to premiere sometime in 2018.[96]

text: Broadcast[edit]

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text: Sons of Anarchy premiered in Australia on the Showcase in 2009 while in New Zealand it appeared on TV3 on October 20, 2010 and it has been announced it is moving to the Box. The show premiered in the UK on 5 USA in 2009, before being dropped after the sixth season. The show will air in its entirety on Spike from April 2015.[97] In the Republic of Ireland, the show aired on RTÉ Two from 2009. It premiered in Canada on Super Channel October 20, 2008. In India, season 6 is airing from September 26, 2013, only on Star World Premiere.