"Iron Man" garners commercial, critical buzz

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - "Iron Man" got an early start on the weekend by opening across North America on Thursday night amid rosy sales forecasts and glowing reviews.

Industry observers expect the Robert Downey Jr. superhero movie could reach $80 million through Sunday, marking a hugely profitable venture for its producer, Marvel Entertainment.

The movie cost about $150 million to make, while distributor Paramount Pictures ponied up $75 million for prints and advertising. The studio will be the first to get its money back, and will also get an unspecified distribution fee.

Theater owners usually take about half the gross, leaving Marvel with the rest. Assuming international sales will exceed the North American tally, and that DVD business will be strong, it's worth betting that the fledgling producer is looking at a nice payday from its first solo production. The film has already begun its international campaign, and will be playing in most countries over the weekend.

Meanwhile, most of the "Iron Man" reviews have been raves, and the Rotten Tomatoes Web site (www.rottentomatoes.com), which collects reviews, calculates an impressive 95% positive rating among critics. That makes "Iron Man" the best-reviewed film of the year and gives it the site's top rating ever for a superhero film.

The only other wide opener this weekend is Sony's female-targeted "Made of Honor," a romantic comedy that could reach the teen millions. Critics mostly hated it, with a 9% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter