Volcano cancels 'Iron Man 2' London premiere

(Paramount Pictures France)

Where are Iron Man's superpowers now? With the Icelandic volcanic ash wreaking havoc on air travel throughout the world, Marvel studios will switch the planned premiere of Iron Man 2, scheduled for April 26, from London to Los Angeles.

Since the uncertainty of air travel might mean the star-studded red carpet gala lineup would not be able to fly into Europe, the studio is scrambling to make arrangements in Hollywood for appearances by the starring cast: Robert Downey Jr, Gwyneth Paltrow, Don Cheadle, Scarlett Johansson, Mickey Rourke, Samuel L. Jackson and director Jon Favreau.

A special screening will still take place at London's Vue Westfield, where the original premiere was arranged, without the stars.

Distribution of the film which opens worldwide April 28 in advance of its May 7 US release, should be unaffected, since copies were delivered a week ago, before the volcano erupted.

An increasing number of copies of Hollywood films are delivered digitally to cinemas via satellite, making air traffic unimportant. Most major studio use digital-delivery systems for international outlets, press and marketing materials.

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RC