$175 million: Iron Man has the second-highest opening weekend ever

Laremy jumped off to a commanding lead in this year’s Fantasy Summer Box Office contest, as his first pick Iron Man 3 hand rocketed its way to a $175.3 million opening in North America, good for second all time behind The Avengers $207.4 million last summer. But we all saw this coming, let’s not start acting like Laremy is some kind of sage here. Iron Man 3 is to this summer’s box office what Barry Sanders was to Madden ’92, and any butt-fingering chimpanzee worth his own back ticks would’ve chosen it first. (Look, you do not want Laremy to get a big head, trust me on this).

Iron Man 3‘s $175.3 million debut is a huge leap over Iron Man 2‘s $128.1 million [and Iron Man’s $98.6]. That’s a remarkable achievement given the dodgy history of three-quels—nearly all of them decline from their predecessor—and Iron Man 2′s questionable reputation. The main reason for this is simple: audiences viewed Iron Man 3 more as follow-up to The Avengers, which is almost universally beloved, than as a sequel to Iron Man 2. [BoxOfficeMojo]

I guess I can buy that the public saw it as a follow-up to The Avengers, since the average Joe Buttcrack and Charla Cheesesnack don’t think about stuff like Shane Black coming on to direct. Though for me, there’s a nice synergy to the idea that the best of the three Iron Man movies is also the highest opening. (*tattoos “SHANE BLACK 4 EVA” on chest with exacto knife*)

Weekend Top Ten and Fantasy standings below.

1. Iron Man 3 (Disney) – $173 million

2. Pain and Gain (Paramount) – $7.6 million ($34 mil.)

3. 42 (Warner Bros.) – $6.2 million ($78 mil.)

4. Oblivion (Universal) – $5.7 million ($76 mil.)

5. The Croods (Fox) – $4.2 million ($169 mil.)

6. The Big Wedding (Lionsgate) – $3.9 million ($14 mil.)

7. Mud (Roadside Attractions)- $2.1 million ($5.1 mil.)

8. Oz: The Great and Powerful (Disney) – $2.3 million ($229 mil.)

9. Scary Movie 5 (The Weinstein Company) – $1.5 million ($30 mil.)

10. The Place Beyond the Pines (Focus) – $1.2 million ($18.6 mil.)

[source: Indiewire]

FANTASY SUMMER BOX OFFICE STANDINGS

Laremy (First overall pick)

1. Iron Man 3 – $175.3

2. Man of Steel (Bomb)

3. Epic

4. 300: Rise of an Empire

Total: 175

Vince (2nd pick):

1. 6 Fast 6 Furious

2. Pacific Rim

3. The Wolverine

4. We are the Millers (Bomb)

Bret (3rd pick)

1. Star Trek 2

2. Despicable Me 2

3. Lone Ranger (Bomb)

4. After Earth

Brendan (4th pick)

1. Man of Steel

2. Hangover 3

3. The Internship

4. The Great Gatsby (Bomb)

Ben (5th):

1. Monsters University

2. Planes

3. World War Z

4. World War Z (Bomb)

I’m counting on you, Fast & Furious fans. Probably the first time in your lives that this has happened.

[banner picture via ABC News]