Iron Man proved its mettle at the North America box office

Comic book adventure “Iron Man” proved its mettle at the North America box office, kicking off the summer movie season with estimated weekend ticket sales of $100.75 million and marking an unlikely commercial rebound for its star, Robert Downey Jr.
The tally far exceeded expectations of an opening in the $70 million to $80 million range for the three-day period beginning Friday. All told, the movie grossed $104.25 million, counting receipts from Thursday evening previews, according to studio figures issued on Sunday.

“Iron Man’s” U.S.-Canadian haul fell just shy of the $114.8 million grossed by “Spider-Man” in the first weekend of May 2002 – a tally that stands as the biggest domestic opening ever for a non-sequel film.

Drawing largely favorable reviews, “Iron Man” stars Downey, 43, as billionaire industrialist and playboy Tony Stark, who wrestles with a mid-life crisis as he invents a high-tech suit of armor that transforms him into a superhero. The film was directed by Jon Favreau.

“Iron Man” easily marks Downey’s biggest picture yet, at least in commercial terms. Best known for his Oscar-nominated turn as Charlie Chaplin in the 1992 biopic “Chaplin,” his career floundered in the 1990s when he succumbed to drug addictions that ultimately landed him in prison for a year.

1. Iron Man Paramount $100,750,000
2. Made of Honor Sony Pictures $15,500,000
3. Baby Mama Universal $10,332,000
4. Forgetting Sarah Marshall Universal $6,132,000
5. Harold and Kumar Warner Bros. $6,015,000
6. The Forbidden Kingdom Lionsgate $4,200,000
7. Nim’s Island Fox – Walden $2,750,000
8. Prom Night Screen Gems $2,500,000
9. 21 Sony Pictures $2,100,000
10. 88 Minutes Sony Pictures $1,600,000