SATURDAY PM: 'IRON MAN' ROCKETS FOR $100 MIL WEEKEND
SATURDAY AM: This is why Hollywood keeps making movies from comic books. Now it's official: Marvel's Iron Man opened with $38.5 million at Thursday's and Friday's box office for what will be $95 million in total domestic gross for the full 3 1/2 day release (including Thursday night's $5 million haul from advance screenings in 2,500 theaters, plus Friday-Saturday-and-Sunday's monster take in 4,105 venues).
The PG-13 blockbuster distributed by Paramount logged in No. 1 as the best 2008 film opening, but also should finish among the Top 2 or Top 3 summer movies of the year as it kicks off the all-important May through August popcorn season. The $140 mil production self-financed by Marvel also broke the record for the second biggest non-sequel opening of all time behind only Spider-Man 1. "Especially when we've had a horrid March and April, this shows people are ready to go to the movies," an insider says. I understand the Cinemascore was an A, and an A-plus with younger groups: 18 to 24, and under 25. The movie like most comic book pics understandably skewed more male: I just saw the Cinemascore figures, and that gender gap was wide Friday night: 71% male-29% female filmgoers. (Interestingly, Iron Man insiders cite internal figures claiming it was 60%-40% "which bodes well for female audiences finding the movie and loving it.")
The other major movie opening, Sony's Made Of Honor starring Patrick Dempsey, did respectably considering all the competition: I'm told it opened to $5.6M Friday from 2,729 venues for what should be a $16M FSS.
FRIDAY 9 PM UPDATE: Sources just told me that Marvel's Iron Man will make $30-plus million for Friday's domestic box office gross and should have an $80+ million North American weekend. (One rival studio thinks the pic did $32M Friday and will earn high $80sM, if not $90M, for the 3-day FSS.) Distributor Paramount is milking this monster hit for all it's worth: it has attached the new trailer for its Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull to the showings of Iron Man.
OVERSEAS UPDATE: Sources tell me that, in over 47 international territories, Iron Man made $30 million total over Wednesday and Thursday. This does not include the UK, where Iron Man debuts today, or Japan, where it opens in September.
FRIDAY AFTERNOON: Thursday night's take from advance screenings at about 2,500 theaters for Marvel's Iron Man was a very big $5 million, sources tell me. And impressively that number was reached with almost no advance specific marketing at all to the preshows. The studio's 3-day weekend estimate when the pic expands to 4,105 venues is now $65M-70M, or $75M for the 3 1/2 days. This makes Iron Man and its unconventional leading man Robert Downey Jr (which may be one secret to the film's success) the second biggest Marvel comic book character in a movie behind only Sony's Spider-Man franchise. Iron Man will also be posting the biggest movie opening of 2008 as it kicks off the all-important summer popcorn season.
My main story will be updated all weekend:
'IRON MAN' FIRST SUMMER STRONGMAN
But can it beat Aquaman?
Comment by Hmmm — May 2, 2008 @ 5:43 pm
Nothing will be Vincent Chase and Aquaman..but of course that was before Medellin..
Comment by assistant@gma.com — May 2, 2008 @ 6:10 pm
Well, since all of that was bolded, I’ll take that to mean it’s important. Is that accurate?
Comment by Got It — May 2, 2008 @ 6:53 pm
What’s incorrect about the article is that this is going to make $90+ this weekend… Everything else is spot-on though.
Comment by craig — May 2, 2008 @ 7:49 pm
TOLDJA! Not weak with women.
TOLDJA! Not hurt by GTA4.
Comment by milo — May 2, 2008 @ 7:55 pm
I saw it, and it rocks
Fun fun.. Be sure to sit through all the closing credits, nice little bit at the end you won’t want to miss.
Comment by VOguy — May 2, 2008 @ 8:25 pm
Wouldn’t this actually be the 3rd most popular Marvel franchise? I know Spiderman is 1st, but I believe X-Men would be 2nd. Unless she is not counting X-Men because it is group of main characters and not just one….
Comment by Mark — May 2, 2008 @ 9:14 pm
Interesting about how comics books films are in style. The process of writing a comic book is the process of writing a story in storyboard format and conducive to a good screenplay. But the real reason they work, I think, is because the dipshit studio execs without an artistic clue weren’t around to rewrite the comic books or give them “notes”.
Still as ever, they can’t fathom the fact that it takes real talent to put together good films, as opposed to Hitlerian MBAs with marketing reports. It’s such a shame that so many stupid people have money and power.
Comment by Jon Raymond — May 2, 2008 @ 10:20 pm
Stan Lee just got rich (again!)
Comment by Big John — May 2, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Iron Man was originally developed at New Line, where the brilliant creative executives didn’t know what to do with it. Could this film have been a long overdue hit for them? Way to go, New Line. I wonder if Bewkes knew that.
Comment by R. N. Smith — May 2, 2008 @ 10:33 pm
Stan’s not THAT rich. He did work at getting a producer credit and makes tons, but he doesn’t own Iron Man (which he created with Don Heck I believe) so I wouldn’t say he’s the big rich guy in all of this.
Comment by Quentin Beck — May 2, 2008 @ 11:46 pm
Yeah, but when it was at New Line John Cassevetes was directing. Bleh. Thank god that fell apart. Favreau gave this a sense of fun no one else would have.
Comment by Writer — May 3, 2008 @ 9:21 am
Congrats to Downey…inspiration to those at rock bottom that there is always a way back from hell. Being by far the most talented actor of his generation didn’t hurt, but still, not many would have made it back from those depths. Smart complex guy that transcends the dopey, deep as a beauty pageant contestant knee-jerk liberal actor cliche too. Well done.
Comment by Mikey — May 3, 2008 @ 10:46 am
SHIELD, THE AVENGERS, I cannot wait go D BOY GO.
Comment by db — May 3, 2008 @ 12:03 pm
I saw it here in Paris opening day just to support Downey, Jr.’s continuing recovery. He’s a fine actor, and did a credible job with a dated, unbelievable character (the playboy millionaire stereotype–Hi, Hef!) in a comic book script with multiple flaws. I presume he’ll make the sequel, too, and finally be loved in H’wood.
Comment by Anonymous — May 3, 2008 @ 1:24 pm
Paramount actually marketed this film very well, color me surprised.
Comment by Tom — May 3, 2008 @ 1:45 pm
>>>Paramount actually marketed this film very well, color me surprised.
The only “marketing” I saw was what I happened to bump up against in my online travels. This baby needed not much of a push.
How Good Is The Movie Iron Man?
Downey better get that Oscar.
Comment by Mike Cane — May 3, 2008 @ 4:02 pm
Yes, Jon Raymond. It’s a good thing comic books don’t have to deal with movie executives. Because comic publishers and editors never force writers and artists to deliver insipid stunt plots, or to feature, change, or kill off characters based on absurd marketing whims. After all, comic books spring forth fully-formed from the minds of the creators to land on the newsstand with no meddling by the suits. Ever.
Comment by Obadiah — May 3, 2008 @ 7:48 pm
Loved the film, saw it Thursday at the 8pm showing at the Century City AMC. I would watch RDJ sleep frankly and I am female so I was not so hot about the topic but color me all wrong, I loved it!!! A funny, interesting way to pump up a sorta lackluster comic book hero, give him RDJ to embody, a good script and away I went. I loved that I got the backstory to Ironman first and not when they had made 4 sequels and then to squeeze out more money finally make a prequel.
I hope Downey rides this one all the way
And Ms. Paltrow did not suck at all…
Comment by Cillie — May 3, 2008 @ 10:19 pm