Thor storms box office with $165 million opening
Marvel's blockbuster Thor: Ragnarok is heading for a stellar opening weekend with US$121 million (S$165 million) at 4,080 North American locations.
Currently showing here, its debut weekend trails only Beauty And The Beast (US$174.8 million), Guardians Of The Galaxy Vol. 2 (US$146.5 million) and It (US$123.4 million) .
Moviegoing has been battered this year by a subpar second half that pulled down 2017 grosses by 5 per cent, but it should rebound somewhat thanks to Thor: Ragnorak and the upcoming Justice League and Star Wars: The Last Jedi.
"November has been a hotbed for blockbusters and is as important to any given year as even the hottest summer months and has been the launch pad for some of the biggest franchises in box office history including Harry Potter..." said Mr Paul Dergarabedian, senior media analyst at comScore.
"Now Thor joins the rarefied air that is the US$100 million November opening club, becoming only the ninth film to ever reach this threshold and the first to do it within the first part of the month."
Thor: Ragnarok wound up over-performing recent estimates, which had been in the US$100 million to US$118 million range.
The movie will finish far above its predecessors, nearly doubling the 2011 opening of Thor at US$65.7 million and coming in 41 per cent above the 2013 sequel Thor: The Dark World at US$85.7 million.
It has also taken in US$306 million overseas, including US$109 million in its international launch two weeks ago in 52 per cent of foreign markets. - REUTERS
Get The New Paper on your phone with the free TNP app. Download from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store now
