VIsqo Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Marvel turns 'Iron Man' into gold with $100M-plus debut Sunday May 4 1:45 PM ET "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. ___ On the Net: http://www.mediabynumbers.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted May 4, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 Thats way too much money!!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Daniel Posted May 4, 2008 Report Share Posted May 4, 2008 I havent seen it yet, some old dude was trying to tell me to go and see it on my way home and he kept following me so I got turned off seeing the movie a bit. One of my mates said it was good though. And those are massive numbers at the box office. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted May 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 And in resession times... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ale Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 'Iron Man' deserves all this money and more. I loved it. It's a pretty good movie, with a great performance by Robert Downey Jr. and a solid script. It's a mix of fun and action with the best special effects, and people love that. I recommend it. I'm a big fan of superheroes movies, so I can't wait to see 'The Incredible Hulk'. It looks pretty good. 'Spider-Man 3' disappointed me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpinJack AJ Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 I'm not the biggest fan of Marvel heroes but i'm definitely gonna see this. The animated movie kinda disappointed me. I took a girl 2 see Made of Honor this weekend and it waz a really good romantic comedy. Better than i expected. I chose not 2 see Iron Man as my way 2 not support any other summer flicks that would compare with Hancock. If i can help it The Dark Knight will be the only BIG movie that i see it's opening weekend. I'm glad 2 hear the good reviews. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted May 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 FIGHT THE POWER LIKE AJ!!! LOL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JumpinJack AJ Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 One man can make a difference....and that man's me! ha ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted May 5, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 :iagree: :lolsign: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bart5 Posted May 5, 2008 Report Share Posted May 5, 2008 Iron man was a lot better than I expected, definitely go see it!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KevTastic Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 I agree, i was just going as a part of a group for a mates birthday, turned out i was hooked by the film. Its funny, smart and got good special effects. Thats what you want in a super hero movie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cozmo D Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 some old dude was trying to tell me to go and see it on my way home and he kept following me so I got turned off seeing the movie a bit. :1-eek: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VIsqo Posted May 6, 2008 Author Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Im gonna go see it tonight! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ale Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Im gonna go see it tonight! Enjoy! :thumbsup: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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