LOS ANGELES - "Speed Racer" was lapped in its opening weekend at the box office as "Iron Man" continued to fire its jets with $50.5 million in ticket sales, according to studio estimates Sunday.
The anime-inspired race movie edged into the No. 2 spot with $20.2 million, slightly ahead of the 20th Century Fox comedy "What Happens in Vegas," which debuted at $20 million.
"Our tracking was stalled toward the end," said Dan Fellman, president of Warner Bros. theatrical distribution, about market surveys before the "Speed Racer" opening.
Fellman added "Speed Racer" would have difficulty recouping its $120 million budget.
"Unfortunately it didn't perform to our expectations," he said.
"Speed Racer" was panned by many film critics and was made by the Wachowski brothers, best known for the "Matrix" franchise.
"What Happens in Vegas," a romantic comedy that cost $35 million and stars Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, shot the gap between the action flicks, said Chris Aronson, senior vice president at 20th Century Fox.
"We were sandwiched between the comic book movie of 'Iron Man' and 'Speed Racer,'" Aronson said. "We come along with a character-driven movie in what is now considered summer and it's just a great result."
Revenue for Marvel Studios' "Iron Man" slipped just 49 percent in its second week in theaters, a respectable showing considering its massive opening, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of tracking firm Media By Numbers LLC.
"'Iron Man' is basically pulling everybody's audience. It's really dominating the marketplace," he said.
