Tony Stark's big return to theaters brought in a massive $175.3 million in its debut.
Box office estimates had the third film in the franchise earning anywhere from $135-$170 million.
Though it didn't duplicate the success of last year's "The Avengers" which brought in an astounding record-breaking $207 million opening weekend, "Iron Man 3" now sits second on the list, beating out "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2."
The film has now earned $680 million worldwide, and is well on its way to becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time. (To rival "The Avengers," it will need to earn at least $1.5 billion.)
Here are the top five grossing weekends at the box office:
| Movie | Distributor |
Opening Weekend |
Worldwide Box Office |
| "Marvel's The Avengers" | Disney | $207.4 million | $1.5 billion |
| "Iron Man 3" | Disney | $175.3 million | $680 million to date |
| "Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2" | Warner Bros. | $169.2 million | $1.3 billion |
| "The Dark Knight Rises" | Warner Bros. | $160.9 million | $1 billion |
| "The Dark Knight" | Warner Bros. | $158.4 million | $1 billion |
Disney will announce its second quarter earnings this Tuesday.