“The Great Gatsby” eclipsed even the latest tracking Friday, delivering a healthy $19.4 million in its box office debut.
Holdover champ “Iron Man 3,” however, earned just enough to claim first place. The well-reviewed superhero sequel added $19.8 million to its domestic haul Friday, which now sits at a whopping $232.2 million.
Despite its tepid reviews and modest “B” CinemaScore, “Gatsby” is expected to remain strong throughout the weekend and easily crack the $50 million mark. But “Iron Man 3″‘s victory on Friday suggests that it might have to settle for second place on the overall weekend chart.
Other Friday performances: “Pain and Gain” (#3, $1.3 million), “Tyler Perry Presents Peeples” (#4, $1.2 million), “42” (#5, $1.1 million).