‘Iron Man 2’ has $133M debut
Los Angeles ? Tony Stark piloted to the top of the box office but not the record books.
“Iron Man 2,” the sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. as Marvel’s gadget-happy billionaire superhero, earned $133.6 million domestically on its opening weekend, according to distributor Paramount Pictures’ estimates Sunday. The opening rocketed past the original $98.6 million debut in 2008 and landed the record as the fifth-biggest opening weekend.
“Iron Man 2” has taken in $194 million overseas since it debuted in many international markets last week, bringing its worldwide total to over $327 million. While Hollywood blockbusters typically open around the same date in most countries, some get an overseas jump of a week or more on their U.S. debuts. The biggest opening came from China with $7.3 million.
The victory of “Iron Man 2,” which is only available in 2-D, comes at time when 3-D films like “Avatar” and “Alice in Wonderland” have recently dominated the box office. IMAX chairman and president Greg Foster said the $10.2 million earned by “Iron Man 2” from IMAX theaters set IMAX’s 2-D record, beating out the $8.5 million debut of “Star Trek” last year.
Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood. com:
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“Iron Man 2,” $133.6 million.
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“A Nightmare on Elm Street,” $9.1 million.
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“How to Train Your Dragon,” $6.7 million.
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“Date Night,” $5.3 million.
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“The Back-up Plan,” $4.3 million.
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“Furry Vengeance,” $4 million.
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“Clash of the Titans,” $2.3 million.
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“Death at a Funeral,” $2.1 million.
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“The Losers,” $1.8 million.
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“Babies,” $1.5 million.