'Iron Man 3' filming puts Triangle on star watch
More crowds gathered in Cary on Wednesday as production of Marvel Studio's blockbuster "Iron Man 3" continued at the Epic Games studios.
Filming was also creating traffic issues, as Cary police shut down a section of Weston Parkway between Chapel Hill Road and Harrison Avenue until 3 p.m.
Since filming began Monday, superhero fans and the local media have gotten a little taste of Hollywood. Star Don Cheadle, who plays James "Rhodey" Rhodes, was reportedly at the shoot in Cary Monday, and Gwyneth Paltrow, who plays Tony Stark's long-time assistant, tweeted her arrival to the area Tuesday afternoon.
"Just arrived in Raleigh, N.C. to start Ironman 3!" Paltrow tweeted around 6 p.m. "Any restaurant recommendations?"
On Wednesday, Paltrow posted a picture of herself online with the caption: "Day 1 on IM3. Pepper Potts! So happy to be here."
Movie fans from as far as New York have been outside Epic Games, trying to get a glimpse of the secretive production protected by tents and screens.
"I'm a huge fan of Robert Downey, and I hope to see him and get an autograph," said fan Genesis Soto, who traveled from Winston-Salem.
Wednesday morning, Soto went into a Cary hotel where she heard the stars were staying. "They said, 'You can't be here. I'm sorry,' so we turned around," Soto said.
Fan Derek Unger said star-gazing is fine, but he wants to see some action.
"Explosions would be an added bonus, but hey, anything involving action. Actors are cool, but I'm all about the action," he said.
EUE/Screen Gems Studios in Wilmington is serving as the base for the high-profile movie starring Robert Downey Jr., but it's also being shot at locations in the Triangle, Miami and China.
"Iron Man 3" will be shot over the next 10 months and will be released in 2013. State government officials expect that its production will create about 1,550 jobs and generate more than $80 million for North Carolina.
The movie was drawn to North Carolina, in part, by a 25 percent tax credit for production companies spending a minimum of $250,000 that the state has offered since 2010.
