New York: Superhero sequel 'Iron Man 3' rocketed to the
top of U.S. and Canadian box office charts, kicking off Hollywood's
summer movie season with an estimated $175.3 million in weekend ticket
sales for the second biggest opening of all time.
The
movie from Walt Disney Co's (DIS.N) Marvel studio stars Robert Downey
Jr. as Tony Stark, a billionaire businessman with a superhero alter-ego.
'Iron
Man 3' finished behind Marvel's 'The Avengers,' which debuted one year
ago with $207.4 million, and ahead of the July 2011 release of 'Harry
Potter and the Deathly Hallows - Part 2,' which earned $169.2 million
over its first three days.
The 'Iron Man' mania
trounced all other movies. Dark action comedy 'Pain & Gain' finished
in second place, grossing $7.6 million, according to studio estimates
on Sunday. Baseball drama '42' took the No. 3 slot with $6.2 million.
'Pain
& Gain' was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc
(VIAB.O). Warner Bros., a unit of Time Warner Inc (TWX.N), distributed
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