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]
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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]