'Iron Man' beats strong 'Gatsby' in box office showdown

Fellman said the picture, which has been accorded the prestigious opening night slot at this week's Cannes Film Festival, was now well-positioned for a long run into the summer as an alternative to traditional action movies.

The majority of ticket buyers were female by 59 percent to 41 percent, and 31 percent of ticket buyers were under age 25, Warner Bros. said.

"We're going to have a nice, long healthy run," he told Reuters.

DiCaprio's performance was widely praised, but the movie, which cost about $105 million to produce, received a mixed reception from critics. As of Saturday, 48 percent of reviews recommended the film on the Rotten Tomatoes website.

But in its opening weekend, the film very nearly eclipsed the total $57.4 million take of Luhrmann's most successful film, "Moulin Rouge," which went on to win several Academy Awards.

Elsewhere over the weekend, dark action comedy "Pain & Gain" starring Mark Wahlberg placed a distant third with $5 million at US and Canadian theaters.

Comedy "Peeples," the other new nationwide release, finished fourth with $4.9 million. Produced by Tyler Perry, the film stars Craig Robinson and Kerry Washington in the story of a well-off family's reunion that is interrupted when a man arrives to seek their daughter's hand in marriage.

Baseball drama "42" finished in fifth place with $4.7 million.

"Star Trek Into Darkness," which opens domestically on Wednesday, took in $31.7 million in seven international territories including Britain, Mexico, Australia and Germany, Paramount Pictures reported.

"Pain & Gain" was released by Paramount Pictures, a unit of Viacom Inc. Lions Gate Entertainment distributed "Peeples," and Warner Bros. distributed "42."