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Gatsby posts impressive US box office opening weekend, Iron Man 3 still ahead

Despite mixed reviews, Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby has posted an impressive box office opening weekend in the US, raking in $US51.1 million.

However the adaptation of F. Scott Fitzgerald’s novel failed to match the success of Iron Man 3, starring Robert Downey Jr and Gwyneth Paltrow, which took US$72.5 million in North American cinemas for its second weekend. 

This brings the box office total for Iron Man 3 to almost US$950 million internationally after only three weeks, making the third instalment of the popular franchise the number 21 film ever in the global box office. 

Gatsby still exceeded expectations by distributor Warner Bros, who estimated the film, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Carey Mulligan, would only amass $35-40 million in its opening weekend. 

The Great Gatsby Sydney premiere will be held on May 22, with the film hitting Australian cinema screens on May 30.