'Vegas' passes 'Speed' at box office

Final tally gives Fox the second spot

By PAMELA MCCLINTOCK

'What Happens in Vegas'

Final box office numbers for the weekend showed Twentieth Century Fox's comedy "What Happens in Vegas" speeding past Warner Bros.' event kid pic "Speed Racer" to take the No. 2 spot behind goliath "Iron Man."

Warners estimated on Sunday that "Speed Racer" would finish the weekend with an opening gross of $20.2 million, putting in at No. 2, just slightly ahead of "Vegas," which made an estimated $20 million.

Actual numbers released Monday showed that "Vegas" grossed $20.1 million, while "Speed Racer" grossed $18.6 million.

Fox, along with several other studios, suggested from the outset that Warners was being too aggressive in its estimate, and that actual B.O. numbers would show the two pictures switching positions.

"Speed Racer," directed by the Wachowski brothers and produced by Joel Silver, cost well over $100 million to produce.

"Vegas," toplining Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher, cost roughly $35 million to produce.

Paramount and Marvel Entertainment's "Iron Man" bested both films, despite being in its second weekend. The superhero tentpole made roughly $50 million over the weekend for a gross of $177.1 million in its first 10 days in release.

This article was updated on May 13, 2008.