'Iron Man 2' blasts past original with US$133.6m

LOS ANGELES (AP):

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 the gadget-happy billionaire superhero, earned US$133.6 million domestically on its opening weekend, according to distributor Paramount Pictures' estimates yesterday. The opening blasted past the original US$98.6 million debut in 2008 and landed the record as the fifth-biggest opening weekend.

"We're thrilled with the combination of the way it's playing across the board," said Don Harris, Paramount's vice-president of distribution. "It's playing as a fanboy movie, but it's also playing as family movie too. I even know a bunch of people who are planning to take their mothers to see Iron Man 2 on Mother's Day, which really made me chuckle."

its biggest opening

Iron Man 2 has taken in US$194 million overseas since it debuted in many international markets last week, bringing its international total to more than US$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 US debuts. The biggest opening came from China with US$7.3 million.

"It's a perfect kick-off to the summer of 2010," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "It literally sets the tone for the entire summer movie season. To have the fifth biggest opening week of all time certainly sends a message that this summer season is going to make its mark. Audiences really do get caught up in that."

The film continues the story of Stark, a genius who builds metal suits loaded with gadgets. In the follow-up, the superhero employs the assistance of his long-time friend and fellow crime fighter James Rhodes, played by Don Cheadle, to battle 'baddies' such as Whiplash, a nasty villain with his own high-tech arsenal, played by Mickey Rourke.

Iron Man 2 was untouchable at the box office. The previous weekend's number-one movie, the Warner Bros remake of A Nightmare on Elm Street, fell to second place with US$9.1 million, clawing to a total of US$48.5 million. DreamWorks Animation's How to Train Your Dragon remained in third place with US$6.7 million, bringing its total to US$201 million.

This week's top movies

1. Iron Man 2, US$133.6 million.

2. A Nightmare on Elm Street, US$9.1 million.

3. How to Train Your Dragon, US$6.7 million.

4. Date Night, US$5.3 million.

5. The Back-up Plan, US$4.3 million.

6. Furry Vengeance, US$4 million.

7. Clash of the Titans, US$2.3 million.

8. Death at a Funeral, US$2.1 million.

9. The Losers, US$1.8 million.

10. Babies, US$1.5 million.