Could ‘The Twilight Saga’ Eclipse Beat ‘Iron Man 2′ and ‘The Dark Knight’?

With Iron Man 2 set to hit theaters one month from today, some folks are beginning to ponder just how much the Marvel sequel will make at the box office, and whether or not it will break records. Is Iron Man popular enough now with the masses to do the sort of business we’d expect from a more established superhero like Batman, Superman or Spider-Man? Sure, Iron Man only has one movie under his belt, but that one movie was a giant hit with critics and moviegoers; it made Robert Downey Jr. a superstar, and it introduced us to a whole new big-screen superhero we can root for.

But was it enough to help the sequel beat The Dark Knight’s opening weekend box office record of $158 million? The LA Times thinks so, as they claim Iron Man 2 is tracking tremendously well; not only with fanboys and fangirls alike, but also with women in their ’20s and ’30s who wouldn’t necessarily be interested in a film like this if it weren’t for the whole Robert Downey Jr. factor. Thus, taking into account those early numbers, they feel Iron Man 2 could overthrow The Dark Knight on the weekend of May 7th. But, if it does, how long will that record last?

One film people aren’t talking about is The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, which, on June 30th, will become the first Twilight installment to hit theaters during the summer blockbuster season. And not only is it arriving during the summer (instead of in November, like the other two installments), but it’s doing so at one of the biggest times of the year: right before July 4th and right after school lets out for summer recess.

As it stands right now, New Moon is in third place for the highest grossing opening weekend with $141 million, but it didn’t have the luxury of opening during a crucial time right smack in the middle of the summer season. I think it’s fair to say that another $20 million isn’t too much of a long shot, right? And what about Iron Man 2 – does it really have the legs to take out The Dark Knight, or Spider-Man 3 (number 2 with $151 million)?
Will you be seeing both Iron Man 2 and The Twilight Saga: Eclipse on opening weekend, or will you hang back a week or so until the crowds disperse?