Friday box office - Paramount and Marvel weep as Iron Man 2 grosses 'just' $52.4 million for pathetic, shameful, non-record opening Friday.

Fifteen years ago today, $52.4 million would have been a record opening weekend. Ten years ago, $52.4 million would have been the sixth-biggest opening weekend of all-time. Five years ago today, $52.4 million would have been a record for an opening day and single day. Today, Iron Man 2 has grossed $52.4 million on its first day of national release, which includes $7.5 million in midnight showings. That's the seventh-biggest single day of all-time, the fifth-biggest Friday take, and the second-largest day in May and thus also the second-largest summer kick-off day in history, behind Spider-Man 3's $59.8 million Friday haul three years ago. Sure, the film has absolutely no chance of breaking the three-day opening weekend record (The Dark Knight, at $158.4 million). But the film rose 49% from the opening day take of the first Iron Man, which grossed $35.2 million two years prior (the first picture had $3.5 million worth of Thursday screenings, for what it's worth). That's close to the 50% rise from X-Men ($20.7 million first day) to X2: X-Men United ($31.2 million first day). It's also superior to the 44% rise from The Fellowship of the Ring ($18.2 million opening Wednesday) to The Two Towers ($26.1 million opening Wednesday). The final weekend will likely fall somewhere between $118 million (2.25x weekend multiplier) to $144 million (2.75x weekend multiplier). So let's split the difference, call 2.5x (it inexplicably got an 'A' from CinemaScore audience polls) and say $131 million for the fifth-biggest opening weekend of all time. I don't care what arbitrary tracking polls indicated, the first person to scream 'disappointment' or 'failure' because it didn't break any concrete records gets punched in the face... hard (not by me, I abhor violence, I'll have Allison kick your ass). More tomorrow or Monday morning when the final numbers come in.

Scott Mendelson