SUMMER MOVIES ARRIVE

The calendar says that it’s only the beginning of May, just three weeks into spring, but it’s officially summer again so far as the movie industry is concerned, with the first weekend on target to set, if not a record, then something pretty close to it thanks to the opening of Iron Man 2. Some box-office forecasters say that the movie ought to exceed the domestic record of $158.4 million set by Warner Bros.’ The Dark Knight in July 2008. Even conservative estimates suggest that it will exceed the original’s $98.6-million debut. The film kicks off after midnight tonight in about 1,000 theaters before moving into a record 4,380 theaters on Friday night, making it the widest release ever.