Published: May 13, 2008 10:59 am         

'Iron Man' maintains tight grip on box office

LOS ANGELES — Warner Bros.’ “Speed Racer” downshifted to third place in its debut weekend with $18.6 million in box-office receipts while Marvel Studios’ “Iron Man” kept a lock on first with $51.2 million in ticket sales.

The Wachowski brothers’ anime-inspired racing movie came in about $1.6 million short of studio estimates Sunday, finishing way behind expectations. The studio, owned by Time Warner Inc., said the movie would have a tough time covering its $120 million budget.

“What Happens in Vegas,” 20th Century Fox’s comedy starring Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, meanwhile pulled down $20.2 million for second, slightly above estimates made early Sunday.

“Iron Man,” which stars Robert Downey Jr. in the title role, saw revenue slip a respectable 48 percent from its opening weekend, bringing its domestic sales to a total of $177.8 million. The film is being distributed by Paramount Pictures.

The top movies at U.S. and Canadian theaters Friday through Sunday, followed by distribution studio, gross, number of theater locations, average receipts per location, total gross and number of weeks in release, as compiled Monday by Media By Numbers LLC:

1. “Iron Man,” Paramount, $51,190,629, 4,111 locations, $12,452 average, $177,825,024, two weeks.

2. “What Happens in Vegas,” Fox, $20,172,474, 3,215 locations, $6,274 average, $20,172,474, one week.

3. “Speed Racer,” Warner Bros., $18,561,337, 3,606 locations, $5,147 average, $18,561,337, one week.

4. “Made of Honor,” Sony, $8,116,323, 2,734 locations, $2,969 average, $26,791,494, two weeks.

5. “Baby Mama,” Universal, $6,225,790, 2,627 locations, $2,370 average, $40,836,370, three weeks.

6. “Forgetting Sarah Marshall,” Universal, $3,837,240, 2,376 locations, $1,615 average, $50,781,745, four weeks.

7. “Harold & Kumar Escape From Guantanamo Bay,” Warner Bros., $3,106,424, 2,264 locations, $1,372 average, $30,667,308, three weeks.

8. “The Forbidden Kingdom,” Lionsgate, $2,169,323, 1,724 locations, $1,258 average, $48,530,104, four weeks.

9. “Nim’s Island,” Fox, $1,463,622, 1,601 locations, $914 average, $44,395,857, six weeks.

10. “Prom Night,” Sony Screen Gems, $1,012,986, 1,465 locations, $691 average, $42,785,107, five weeks.

11. “Redbelt,” Sony Pictures Classics, $1,012,435, 1,379 locations, $734 average, $1,109,674, two weeks.

12. “21,” Sony, $851,385, 978 locations, $871 average, $80,434,035, seven weeks.

13. “The Visitor,” Overture Films, $729,212, 217 locations, $3,360 average, $2,475,492, five weeks.

14. “Dr. Seuss’ Horton Hears a Who!,” Fox, $605,347, 770 locations, $786, $150,699,120, nine weeks.

15. “88 Minutes,” Sony, $534,104, 625 locations, $855 average, $16,460,014, four weeks.

16. “Drillbit Taylor,” Paramount, $508,095, 267 locations, $1,903 average, $31,760,807, eight weeks.

17. “Young At Heart,” Fox Searchlight, $388,928, 145 locations, $2,682 average, $1,444,646, five weeks.

18. “10,000 B.C.,” Warner Bros., $347,407, 409 locations, $849 average, $94,042,448, 10 weeks.

19. “Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed,” Rocky Mountain Pictures, $328,836, 402 locations, $818 average, $7,235,324, four weeks.

20. “Street Kings,” Fox Searchlight, $240,553, 297 locations, $810 average, $25,649,703, five weeks.