Hong Kong (CNN) -- "Iron Man 3" has set a new box office record in China, taking 130 million yuan ($21 million) on its opening day.
The appeal may have something to do with additional scenes added into the Chinese version of the film. The extra four minutes of footage feature product placement for a Chinese-branded milk drink and two new characters, Dr Wu and his assistant, played by top Chinese actors Wang Xueqi and Fan Bingbing, respectively.
Gitesh Pandya, editor of BoxOfficeGuru.com, described the scenes as "borderline propaganda" in an interview with CNN's Andrew Stevens. But the inclusion of the scenes, he said, gave the film access to the Chinese market that other Hollywood studios lack.
The Walt Disney Company and Marvel Studios teamed up with Beijing-based DMG Entertainment for the third installment of the Iron Man series. DMG Entertainment is also a co-distributor in China, where some filming took place.
China's Hollywood dream
With China surpassing Japan as the world's second largest movie market last year, studios that successfully appeal to Chinese audiences can reap sizeable profits. But navigating around the country's censorship and other restrictions has proved a challenge for some.
