“Real Steel” was literally a tough one to beat at the box office, with the action film starring Hugh Jackman, beating the competition to take the number 1 spot with a decent $27.3 million.  George Clooney’s political drama “The Ides of March,”was a distant second with $10.4 million.

1. “Real Steel” (Disney/DreamWorks): $27.3 million.

2. “The Ides of March” (Sony/Cross Creek): $10.4 million.

3. “Dolphin Tale” (Warner Bros./Alcon): $9.2 million.

4. “Moneyball” (Sony): $7.5 million.

5. “50/50” (Summit/Mandate): $5.5 million.

6. “Courageous” (Sony): $4.6 million.

7. “The Lion King 3-D” (Disney): $4.6 million.

8. “Dream House” (Universal/Morgan Creek): $4.5 million.

9. “What’s Your Number?” (Fox/New Regency): $3.1 million.

10. “Abduction” (Lionsgate): $2.9 million.

In the specialty market, the sequel “Human Centipede 2: Full Sequence” grossed $54,000 from 18 screens. Other newcomers included “The Women on the Sixth Floor” which debuted on six screens in New York and Los Angeles and grossed $26,150; and Emilio Estevez’s “The Way” – starring his father Martin Sheen opened on 33 screens grossing $132,411.