Box office report for May 17, 2010: Iron Man defeats Robin Hood to stay No. 1
“Iron Man 2″ fought off the release of the latest rendition of “Robin Hood” to top the box office for the second straight week, according to the Associated Press.
The superhero sequel starring Robert Downey Jr. took in $53 million domestically over the weekend. The Paramount Pictures release has made more than $212 million in its first two weeks.
“Robin Hood,” which stars Russell Crowe working up with director Ridley Scott for the fifth time, debuted at No. 2 with an estimated $37.1 million. The Universal Pictures blockbuster, a sort of prequel to the Robin Hood legend, co-stars Cate Blanchett as Marian.
“Robin Hood” posted a huge opening internationally, making $74 million outside North America for a total of $111.1 million this weekend, according to the AP.
Paul Dergarabedian, box office analyst for Hollywood.com, told the AP the film’s relevance to today’s economy also was part of its appeal.
“There are a lot of things to crow about here, no pun intended,” Dergarabedian said. “The theme of stealing from the rich and giving to the poor resonates particularly well with worldwide audiences today.
The aesthetic similarity between “Robin Hood” and 2000′s “Gladiator” — the first film Crowe and Scott made together, which won the best-picture Oscar — was a bonus for filmgoers, he added.
Among the other new releases, the Summit Entertainment romance “Letters to Juliet” came in at No. 3 with $13.75 million. The film stars Amanda Seyfried as a New York journalist who travels to Verona, the setting for Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet.”
Another romantic comedy, Fox Searchlight’s “Just Wright,” opened in fourth place with $8.5 million. Queen Latifah plays a physical therapist who ends up treating — and falling for — an injured NBA All-Star played by hip-hop artist Common.
Here are the weekend’s top 10 movies, according to the AP:
1. “Iron Man 2,” $53 million.
2. “Robin Hood,” $37.1 million.
3. “Letters to Juliet,” $13.75 million.
4. “Just Wright,” $8.5 million.
5. “How to Train Your Dragon,” $5.1 million.
6. “A Nightmare on Elm Street,” $4.7 million.
7. “Date Night,” $4 million.
8. “The Back-Up Plan,” $2.5 million.
9. “Furry Vengeance,” $2.3 million.
10. “Clash of the Titans,” $1.3 million.
- BAM
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I loved Robin Hood! I’m also surprised that it came in #2 in the movies that made the most $. I also saw Clash of the Titans, and it was good. It didn’t add up to my expectations though. I’m stunned to see it be at the bottom, it looks like the remake was a big disappointment! Iron Man 2 was pretty good as well. Robin Hood was my favorite! I loved it!