Quick Takes: ‘Iron Man 2’ underperforms at box office

‘Iron Man’ lowers take

Turns out that “Iron Man 2” was a bit less popular with moms than expected, while “Babies” was a whole lot more.

The final North American weekend gross for the superhero sequel was $128.1 million, a bit below the estimated $133.6 million than Paramount Pictures released Sunday.

The film did $1 million better than expected overseas, however, grossing $58.4 million, instead of the estimated $57.2 million. So far, the movie has taken in $194.2 million in foreign markets.

Studios release estimated weekend grosses on Sunday mornings based on models used to predict that day’s ticket sales. Because this Sunday was Mother’s Day, however, executives said that day’s grosses were more difficult than usual to forecast.

That turned out to be good news for Focus Features, the specialty film label of Universal Pictures. Its documentary “Babies” had a much-bigger-than-expected Sunday, grossing $1.08 million, double the studio’s predicted $505,000. That pushed up the movie’s total weekend take from the expected $1.57 million to an actual $2.15 million.

—Ben Fritz

Miranda set for ‘Heights’

Lin-Manuel Miranda, the triple-threat talent who won a Tony for Broadway’s “In the Heights,” is set to return to the hit musical when it arrives this summer at the Pantages Theatre in Hollywood.

“In the Heights” will play at the Pantages from June 23 to July 11 as part of a national tour that is already underway. A spokesman for the Pantages said that Miranda is scheduled to appear only in the Hollywood engagement of the tour.

A film version of “In the Heights” is in the works at Universal with Miranda in the lead role and Kenny Ortega set to direct.

—David Ng

Whitney gets a major gift

New York’s Whitney Museum of American Art has received a gift of 367 works of art from a longtime benefactor, Emily Fisher Landau.

The pieces include works by Carl Andre,

Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Andy Warhol and Willem de Kooning.

The museum said it plans an exhibition of the works in early 2011.

—David Ng

Heart surgery for Walters

Barbara Walters said she will have surgery to replace a faulty heart valve later this week and take the summer off from “The View” to recuperate.

The television legend made the announcement on the air Monday. She said she’s known about her condition for a while, and decided with her doctors that this is the best time to have the heart surgery done.

Walters, 80, said she had not felt any symptoms from the narrowing of the heart valve, which can worsen and restrict the flow of blood to the heart. She said recovery generally takes one to three months, mostly

involving regaining strength.

Former First Lady Barbara Bush and comic Robin Williams had heart valve replacement surgery last year.

—Associated Press

‘Scrubs’ is scrubbed

NBC announced another new drama for its fall schedule Monday, picking up “Chase,” a drama about U.S. marshals hunting down America’s most dangerous fugitives.

Elsewhere, the CW’s “Nikita” is already hiring writers, so that seems definite for the fall. Not so lucky is the network’s revival of “Melrose Place,” which is being dropped.

ABC also has eliminated some of its question marks: “Scrubs,” “The Deep End,” “The Forgotten” and “Better Off Ted” are gone.

The five broadcast networks will officially unveil their fall schedules to advertisers in New York next week.

—Maria Elena Fernandez

Weenie Roast lists roster

The lineup of KROQ-FM’s popular summer showcase, the KROQ Weenie Roast, has been announced, and this year it features a heavy-hitting roster of, among others, breaking acts such as Temper Trap and Passion Pit, critically acclaimed artists such as Spoon and Silversun Pickups, and veteran bands looking to refresh their images for a new generation — Hole and Stone Temple Pilots.

The concert, at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, is set for June 5. Tickets go on sale Saturday at noon.

—Randall Roberts