“A Nightmare on Elm Street” was the domestic box-office winner over the weekend, grossing $32.2 million in North America, but “Iron Man 2” — released a week earlier in the rest of the world — filled its overseas coffers to the tune of $100.2 million.

So … that’s impressive. And a bit of a gamble, since foregoing a simultaneous worldwide release just means exposing yourself to piracy. Camcorder copies of “Iron Man 2” are already circulating online, and I’d wager you’ll be able to buy them on the street in certain North American markets ** cough hack Canal Street snort cough ** well before the film opens there on Friday.

We’re not talking about another “Wolverine” thing here, where a studio screener was released online, but still. The movie’s out there, and if I’ve learned anything from living in Toronto’s Chinatown, where sidewalk vendors sell dodgy pirate discs to tourists from sidewalk blankets, it’s that people don’t worry too much about quality. They just want to own something they’re not supposed to.

Me, I’m waiting for the press screening. And I’m jealous of all those European critics who saw the film last week. Come to think of it, I’m jealous of all the Europeans, full stop; I’m really looking forward to “Iron Man 2”.