Its opening weekend tally will not beat that of last summer’s “The Avengers,” but “Iron Man 3” is nonetheless pacing towards a dominant debut at the domestic box office.
The blockbuster earned $68.3 million Friday en route to a three-day total in the $165-170 million range. Though below the $207.4 million mark set by “Avengers,” the total could compete for the all-time second place spot, which currently belongs to “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2” and its $169.2 million.
“Iron Man 2” earned $51.2 million in its debut Friday, so the latest in the Marvel franchise is sure to rank as the best-opening “Iron Man” movie.
Crushed by the addition of “Iron Man 3,” “Pain and Gain” earned only $2.4 million for second place. “42” followed with $1.8 million.
