Iron Man 3 rockets to the top!
If there was any question whether Marvel's characters could draw crowds in solo adventures post-AVENGERS, it was answered this weekend in full force as IRON MAN 3 hammered box office records with a $175.3 million opening.
That staggering domestic debut zips past the $169.1M opening of the previous #2 record holder HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS PART 2, but it stalled short of the colossal first weekend of Marvel's own super-extravaganza THE AVENGERS, which holds the #1 title with $207.4 million.
In addition to the spectacular North American opening, IRON MAN 3 has also generated more than half a billion from international audiences since it was released around the globe over a week ago, already putting its worldwide total at $680.1 million.
The Shane Black-directed entry in the Stark saga was also helmet-and-shoulders above the impressive openings of both IRON MAN ($98.6M) and IRON MAN 2 ($128.1M). For a bit more Marvel perspective, IRON MAN 3's first weekend was nearly that of the domestic totals of shell-head's fellow Avengers CAPTAIN AMERICA ($176.6M) and THOR ($181M).
Even without Marvel's other colorful heroes joining Robert Downey Jr.'s brash genius on the screen, crowds seemed to enjoy the third IRON MAN and graded it with a strong "A" CinemaScore, which means that the armor-clad heavyweight should crush competition for some time… at least until the crew of the Enterprise returns in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS.
There's not much to say about the rest of the chart, as everyone else got lost in IRON MAN 3's jetwash and couldn't get beyond seven figures. Michael Bay's bodybuilding crime caper PAIN & GAIN dropped around 62% of its opening weekend business, putting it in a distant second place with $7.6 million. The baseball biopic 42 is still rounding third with $6.2 million, and could even trot to $100 million before it runs out of breath.
Tom Cruise's sci-fi epic OBLIVION has drifted below Jackie Robinson to fourth place with $5.7 million, followed by CG cavepeople clan THE CROODS in fifth with $4.2 million (and $517M worldwide). THE BIG WEDDING and SCARY MOVIE 5 still struggle while Matthew McConaughey's drama MUD took advantage of the situation by adding an extra 200 screens and sneaking onto the Top 10 with $2.1 million, just ahead of the resurfaced OZ THE GREAT AND POWERFUL.
Outside the chart, G.I. JOE: RETALIATION, OLYMPUS HAS FALLEN and JURASSIC PARK 3D have made their exit, while the fact-based hitman story THE ICEMAN had a decent limited release opening with a $23k per-screen average.
Next weekend, IRON MAN 3 has to face director Baz Luhrmann's ostentatious adaptation of THE GREAT GATSBY and the comedy TYLER PERRY PRESENTS PEEPLES, plus the limited release of the Eli Roth-produced earthquake-horror flick AFTERSHOCK.
Would you be interested in an IRON MAN movie if Robert Downey Jr. didn't return? VOTE HERE!
| # | MOVIE TITLE | WKND $ | TOTAL $ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iron Man 3 | $175.3 M | NEW |
| 2 | Pain and Gain | $7.6 M | $33.9 M |
| 3 | 42 | $6.2 M | $78.3 M |
| 4 | Oblivion | $5.7 M | $75.9 M |
| 5 | The Croods | $4.2 M | $168.7 M |
| 6 | Mud | $2.1 M | $5.1 M |
| 7 | The Big Wedding | $3.8 M | $13.2 M |
| 8 | Oz the Great and Powerful | $1.8 M | $228.5 M |
| 9 | Scary Movie 5 | $1.4 M | $29.6 M |
| 10 | The Place Beyond the Pines | $1.2 M | $18.6 M |