Expect local cineplexes to be packed tonight as Paramount Pictures debuts Marvel Ent.’s latest superhero epic, Iron Man, with late-night screenings. Though it’s still officially spring, the film kicks off the summer blockbuster season and is expected to give the nation’s theater chains a much-needed shot in the arm after several weak frames that saw top performers open in the ballpark of $20 million. Supported by positive reviews from the majority of critics, Iron Man is tracking well across a variety of demographics and is expected to pull in big bucks this weekend.
Based on the long-running Marvel comic book series, Iron Man stars Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark, a billionaire industrialist who changes his ways after a near-fatal encounter with terrorists and becomes an iron-clad superhero. Directed by Jon Favreau (Zathrua: A Space Adventure, Elf), the film also stars Gwyneth Paltrow as Stark’s personal assistant, Virginia “Pepper” Potts, and Terrence Howard as Jim “Rhodey” Rhodes, Stark’s best friend and a decorated military pilot. Jeff Bridges is also on board as a close business associate of Stark’s, a confidant and longtime employee at defense contractor Stark Industries. Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) served as the principle visual effects house.
Iron Man will have a week to bask in box office glory before Warner Bros.’s live-action adaptation of the classic cartoon Speed Racer drives into theaters in hopes of taking the box-office checkered flag on May 9. The following week sees the debut of Disney’s CG-laden The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian on May 16, and the highly anticipated Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull finishes out the busy month with a May 22 opening.
