A tourism firm is taking the studio to court for $27m, claiming that a promised use of its logo in 2014’s Age of Extinction film never took place

A Chinese tourism company is suing Paramount Pictures, claiming that its logo failed to be placed in Transformers: Age of Extinction, the fourth film in the franchise.

Tilda Swinton cast as Tibetan to placate China, says Doctor Strange writer Read more

According to the Hollywood Reporter, state-backed Wulong Karst Tourism says it paid $750,000 in order to have its logo featured in scenes shot in the area. Local press claim that Paramount, and co-producers the China Movie Channel, have accepted that the inclusion didn’t happen, but plan to make up for it.

Director Michael Bay has reportedly made an advert for the resort and props have been left at the site, which could be used to increase tourism, apparently.

The company is taking both Paramount and the China Movie Channel to court for $27.7m. The case was originally started in 2014 but is only being heard now. A verdict has yet to be delivered.

The film was a big hit in China, making $320m and becoming the country’s fourth-biggest film of all time. It’s one of a number of US films that have benefited from Chinese funding. Others include sci-fi thriller Looper, boxing drama Southpaw, action sequel Fast & Furious 7 and Adam Sandler comedy Pixels.

The case follows the news that Doctor Strange screenwriter C Robert Cargill claims the casting of Tilda Swinton as a Tibetan character was made to placate Chinese audiences, given the country’s importance in terms of global box-office returns. Although in a new statement, Marvel has denied this.

“Marvel has a very strong record of diversity in its casting of films and regularly departs from stereotypes and source material to bring its MCU [Marvel cinematic universe] to life,” said the studio in a statement issued to Mashable. “The Ancient One is a title that is not exclusively held by any one character, but rather a moniker passed down through time, and in this particular film the embodiment is Celtic.”

Next year, China’s box office takings are expected to surpass those of the US for the first time, with a projected total of over $10bn.