"Iron Man" was pure gold at the box office.
The Marvel Comics adaptation, starring Robert Downey Jr. as the guy
in the metal suit, hauled in $100.7 million during its opening
weekend and $104.2 million since debuting Thursday night, the second-
best premiere ever for a nonsequel, according to studio estimates
Sunday.
The film also scored overseas with $96.7 million in 57 countries
where it began opening Wednesday, putting its worldwide total at $201
million. The movie, distributed by Paramount, is the first release by Marvel
Studios, which has begun financing its own productions after such
studio-backed hits as the "Spider-Man, " "X-Men" and "Fantastic Four"
flicks.
"We could not have hoped for a better way for Marvel Studios to blast
off," said David Maisel, chairman of the unit, a division of Marvel
Entertainment, which stands to pull in a greater share of box office
receipts and merchandising money by financing movies itself.
Debuting in second place with $15.5 million was Sony's romantic
comedy "Made of Honor," starring "Grey's Anatomy" heartthrob Patrick
Dempsey as a man who tries to woo his best pal after she asks him to
be "maid of honor" at her wedding.
"Iron Man," which won rave reviews from many critics, features Downey
as billionaire arms designer Tony Stark, a boozy womanizer who builds
a high-tech suit and becomes a superhero, mending his ways after he's
taken captive and sees firsthand the devastation his weapons cause.
The film is directed by Jon Favreau, and also stars Gwyneth Paltrow,
Jeff Bridges and Terrence Howard.
Despite the huge "Iron Man" opening, Hollywood's overall business was
down compared to the same weekend last year, when "Spider-Man 3" had
a record debut of $151.1 million. The top 12 movies took in $154.1
million, off 15 percent from a year ago.
"Nonetheless, `Iron Man' did better than expected," said Paul
Dergarabedian, president of box office tracker Media By
Numbers. "This is certainly the shot in the arm the marketplace has
needed."
Movie attendance this year is running 6 percent behind that of 2007,
so the arrival of "Iron Man" may jump start the box office as the
busy summer season begins.
"If that first May movie is a big hit, it tends to lead to a big
summer," said Rob Moore, Paramount vice chairman. "There hadn't been
a big event movie yet this year. So you have the first event movie of
summer, and people go `And I hear it's really good. All right, I'm
in.'"
"Iron Man" was the 10th biggest opening of all time and the fourth
biggest for a superhero movie. Among nonsequels, it came in behind
only the first "Spider-Man, " which premiered with $114.8 million.
"If we have to, we're happy to come in second to another Marvel
property," Maisel said. "It emphasizes how lucky we are to have such
a powerful brand that's not loved by just comic book fans but also
general movie fans."
The next Marvel production arrives in June with "The Incredible
Hulk," distributed by Universal and starring Edward Norton.
In limited release, David Mamet's martial-arts drama "Redbelt" opened
solidly with $68,646 in six theaters. Released by Sony Pictures
Classics, "Redbelt" stars Chiwetel Ejiofor as an honorable instructor
caught up in corruption in the world of mixed martial-arts
competitions.
Paramount Vantage's "Son of Rambow," a comic tale of two British boys
making their own "Rambo" movie, also opened well with $52,549 in five
theaters.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian
theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be
released Monday.
1. "Iron Man," $100.7 million.
2. "Made of Honor," $15.5 million.
3. "Baby Mama," $10.3 million.
4. "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," $6.1 million.
5. "Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay," $6 million.
6. "The Forbidden Kingdom," $4.2 million.
7. "Nim's Island," $2.8 million.
8. "Prom Night," $2.5 million.
9. "21," $2.1 million.
10. "88 Minutes," $1.6 million.
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