Shoot me down, but I won't fall, I am...Iron Man (were you expecting Titanium???). But that's what it was like this weekend, as Iron Man 3 successfully brought the box office back to life after a sluggish first four months, and propelled the second-biggest opening of all-time with an amazing $174.1 million!!! Playing in 4,253 locations, the threequel and action blockbuster had the third-highest per-theater average ever with $40,946 per location (only Avengers and the Hannah Montana concert movie [which was in only 600 theaters] had higher averages on opening weekend), with 3D accounting for 45% of business. Everyone had strong expectations for this threequel, but the actual business (should estimates hold or surpass) ended up hitting the ceiling of expectations. As a result, the opening was nearly $50 million higher than Iron Man 2 (though that film had no 3D, so attendance was about the same or slightly lower), and it nearly matched the entire runs of Captain America: The First Avenger and Thor in three days (even though it fell around $30 million shy of Avengers).
So, the main question here is, how will Iron Man 3 play in the weeks ahead? Well, with an "A" CinemaScore and good reviews from critics, it should easily top next weekend before surrendering to another movie the following weekend. But it may not hold as well as Avengers in the long run as May 2012 wasn't as competitive as this May (You can't compare Dark Shadows, Battleship and Men in Black III to Star Trek into Darkness, Fast and Furious 6 and The Hangover - Part III). Plus, sequels tend to be more front-loaded than franchise-starters. As a result, Iron Man 3 will probably play until Man of Steel debuts on June 14, and probably close near or just north of $400 million domestically. The film was produced for around $200 million by distributor Marvel Studios/Walt Disney Pictures/Paramount Pictures.
Overseas, the pic continues to amaze, with another $175.9 million in its' second round overseas (adding in remaining foreign territories as well), for an overseas total of over $500 million so far, and a worldwide gross of a wow-worthy $680 million. That's about $30 million ahead of Avengers through the same point, and while Iron Man 3 won't reach Avengers $1.5 billion total (due to it grossing just 2/3 of it domestically), it could at least come close to that film's unbelievable $890 million overseas total. As a result, overall box office for the film could go as high as $1.3 billion, enough for fourth or fifth place on the all-time list. Totally amazing!!!
Right now, not one other film in 2013 looks like it will be able to challenge Iron Man 3 for tops on the year, though The Hobbit: Desolation of Smaug does (at least right now) look like its' the only film that could have a chance at coming close to Tony Stark worldwide (the first Hobbit earned over $1 billion worldwide).
Iron Man 3 took up 82% of business this weekend, and most holdovers suffered as a result. Last week's topper, Michael Bay's Pain and Gain, fell 63% to $7.5 million, for a not too bright $33.8 million gross in 10 days, and will finish as one of the director's least-grossing efforts. But with a budget of just over $25 million, a $45-$50 million finish is still a fine number overall. 42 had one of the better holds, down 43% to $6.1 million, for a $78.3 million gross in 24 days, and it now looks like the Jackie Robinson biopic will miss $100 million. Taking the harshest tumble was Tom Cruise's Oblivion, off 68% to $5.6 million, for a relatively weak $75.8 million in 17 days, and will too, miss the century mark, and will wind up behind 42 when final grosses are finished tabulating.
The Croods spent a seventh-straight weekend in the Top 5 by default, with a 38% decrease to $4.2 million, and a $168.7 million gross in 38 days. Two more weekends of zero competition should allow it to reach $180 million domestic, and it has passed $500 million worldwide, ranking second for 2013 behind Iron Man 3. The Big Wedding was down 49% to $3.9 million, for a 10-day gross of a forgettable $14.2 million, in what should be a finish just shy of $20 million.
Strange things happened in the next two spots. Independent release Mud expanded to nearly 600 theaters, and earned $2.2 million (off 3% from its' limited showing last week), for a $3,733 per-theater average. Since its' debut last week, the Matthew McCaugnahey movie has picked up $5.2 million. Playing as a back-end of double-feature shows with Iron Man 3, 2013's other domestic blockbuster, Oz the Great and Powerful returned to the Top 10, and was up 17% from last weekend, tallying $2.1 million, for a nine-week total of a strong $228.9 million, spending eight non-consecutive weeks in the list (the worldwide gross is at $485 million with very little to go).
Scary Movie 5 and The Place Beyond the Pines rounded out the Top 10 with 58% and 53% declines to $1.4 million and $1.3 million, for respective totals of $29.6 million (in 24 days) and $18.7 million (in 38 days).
Iron Man 3 topped the foreign box office with $175.9 million, for a worldwide gross of a mammoth $680 million in 10 days. There was very little other foreign news, though The Croods added another market or two and grossed another $9 million, pushing its' worldwide gross past $500 million (2nd for the year). G.I. Joe - Retaliation boosted its' foreign tally to $355 million, while Oblivion earned another $6.5 million for an early $220 million worldwide tally.
