'Real Steel' expected to K.O. box office

'Real Steel''The Ides of March'DreamWorks' rock 'em sock 'em robot pic "Real Steel" won't have any trouble knocking out its competition at the weekend's domestic B.O. -- just how hard it'll hit is tough to predict, however.The consensus seems to put the film at around the mid-$20 millions, while fellow wide opener, Sony's George Clooney political drama "The Ides of March," is expected to range between $10 million and $14 million."Real Steel," which Disney launches today at 3,440 locations, including 270 in Imax, is tracking best with families and fanboys, the two most difficult demos to pigeonhole. Pics targeted to fanboys have seen a malaise in the market lately (consider pics like "Fright Night" and "Conan the Barbarian"). Family turnout, meanwhile, is notoriously hard to predict, since tykes aren't accounted for by tracking services.With "The Lion King" in 3D and "Dolphin Tale" performing exceptionally well, "Real Steel" could benefit from the market's family momentum.Warner Bros.' "Dolphin Tale" surged to No. 1 last weekend, during which "Lion King" dropped 52% in its third outing -- a nice-enough hold, considering Disney marketed the re-release as a two-week engagement. "Dolphin Tale" has cumed almost $40 million domestically; "Lion King," $81 million.Overseas, "Real Steel" could manage an upset over "The Smurfs."The film launches day-and-date in approximately 24% of the international market, including Australia, Mexico, Russia and Taiwan. "Smurfs," which has won overseas B.O. for eight straight weeks (last weekend it collected $10.7 million), narrowly beat "Abduction's" $10.1 million weekend gross.Limited Stateside releases include Emilio Estevez's Martin Sheen starrer "The Way," from Producers Distribution Agency, at 33 locations, while IFC's horror sequel "Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence" opens at 18 playdates and the Weinstein Co.'s 1980s-set Juno Temple starrer "Dirty Girl" at nine.With "Real Steel," Friday night screenings will be telling, since fanboys are often first-responders and will gauge how well the film plays to that demo overall. Disney isn't as concerned about the family aud reaction, since the studio screened the pic extensively, with families rating the film best."Real Steel" carries a relatively modest pricetag of $110 million after tax rebates, especially for a special effects-heavy tentpole.Clooney's "Ides of March," meanwhile, was fully financed by Cross Creek Pictures for a reported $12.5 million. Sony acquired U.S. rights to the film last November. Set during a presidential primary, with Ryan Gosling as the campaign manager to Clooney's candidate, pic should appeal to mostly over-25 audiences. Appeal for stars, including Evan Rachel Wood, could attract some younger moviegoers.Sony is using as a comp Clooney's "Michael Clayton," which earned $10.4 million during its first weekend in wide release in 2007. That film grossed $49 million domestically. Contact Andrew Stewart at andrew.stewart@variety.com