'Thor: Ragnarok' Delivers $121M Domestic Opening Along with Record China Debut
Disney and Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok got the 2017 holiday movie season started in strong fashion, debuting with over $120 million as the Marvel Cinematic Universe continues to fill theaters. Additionally, STX's A Bad Moms Christmas brought in over $20 million for its five-day start, but it's the road ahead that will tell the full story as it hopes to play well into the holiday season. Overall, the top twelve delivered a combined $166 million, which is a massive improvement over last week but still falls short of the $183 million for the same weekend last year, which not only featured the $85 million debut of Doctor Strange, but openings for Trolls and Hacksaw Ridge.
With an estimated $121 million, Disney and Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok delivered the seventh largest opening for a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, topping the $117 million debut for Spider-Man: Homecoming earlier this year. On average, films in the MCU deliver 2.72x multipliers, which would put Ragnarok's domestic run over $330 million if it merely holds to the average, but we're expecting it to play a bit better thanks in large part to strong reviews and opening weekend audience reception.
To go along with the film's "A" CinemaScore, opening weekend audiences were 56% male vs. 44% female, and of the overall audience, 63% were over the age of 25. One sign Disney and Marvel has to enjoy, beyond the fact Ragnarok debuted with $35+ million more than Thor: The Dark World, is audience demos were closer to a 50/50 split than its predecessor, whose opening weekend audience was 62% male.
Internationally, in its second weekend the film is now playing in nearly the entire international marketplace as it debuted in Germany, Russia, Mexico, China and Japan and brought in an estimated $151.4 million for an overseas gross of $306 million since opening last weekend. Overall, this pushes the film's global cume to $427 million.
Among Thor's new markets this weekend, the estimated $55.6 million opening in China is the largest ever for a November release as is the film's estimated $5.2 million debut in India. Additional openings saw an estimated $10.8 million in Mexico, $8.9 million (including previews) in Germany, $3.5 million in Japan and $3.7 million in Russia. At this point in the release cycle, Disney estimates Thor: Ragnarok is tracking +8% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, +28% ahead of Doctor Strange and +59% ahead of Thor: The Dark World based on current exchange rates.
Ragnarok signifies the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its performance has now pushed the franchise over $13 billion globally and over $5 billion domestically.
Finishing in second, STX's A Bad Moms Christmas brought in an estimated $17 million over the three-day for a $21.5 million five-day domestic gross after opening on Wednesday. To no surprise, the film skewed heavily female, as women made up 82% of the opening week audience and 87% of that audience was 25 years or older. The demos are very close to the original which played to an audience that was 89% female and of the overall audience 86% were 25 years or older. The film scored a "B" CinemaScore compared to the "A" for the 2016 original.
Looking forward, the question will be to see how the film plays over the coming weeks and throughout the holiday season. Bad Moms played for 13 weeks following its late July debut where it brought in $23.8 million in its first three days and went on to gross over $113 million domestically with a massive 4.75x multiplier. While we're not expecting the sequel to match that performance, the next few weekends could prove very profitable for the $28 million production.
Internationally, Bad Moms Christmas brought in $6.67 million over the last five days, including $3 million in Australia (5% ahead of Bad Moms) and $2.4 million in the UK (21% ahead of its predecessor). Next week the film will open in Germany on November 9.
In third, Lionsgate's Jigsaw brought in an estimated $6.7 million, dropping 59.7% in its second weekend as it's domestic cume now stands at $28.8 million after ten days in release.
Right behind Jigsaw, Lionsgate's release of Tyler Perry's Boo 2! A Madea Halloween brought in an estimated $4.65 million as its cume now stands just shy of $43 million after 17 days in release.
Finishing in fifth position is WB's Geostorm, bringing in an estimated $3 million as its domestic cume now stands at $28.7 million after 17 days in release.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Atlas's Let there be Light expanded into 642 theaters (+269) this weekend and brought in an estimated $1.6 million, signaling only a 6% drop from last weekend. The film's cume now stands just over $4 million.
Outside the top ten, Electric Entertainment's release of Rob Reiner's LBJ brought in an estimated $1.1 million from 659 theaters for a disappointing $1,727 per theater average. And Lionsgate's release of Amazon Studios' Last Flag Flying from director Richard Linklater delivered a soft opening in four theaters, bringing in an estimated $42,000 for a $10,500 per theater average.
In limited release, Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, Lady Bird, opened in four theaters and delivered an impressive $375,612 for a $93,903 per theater average. It's the best PTA of the year so far, topping the $84,315 opening average for The Big Sick back in June. The film will expand into top markets this weekend ahead of a nationwide expansion over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Additionally, FilmRise's My Friend Dahmer brought in an estimated $45,000 from four locations ($11,250 PTA); Magnolia's release of Blade of the Immortal opened with $42,000 from 30 locations ($1,400 PTA); Vitagraph's Wait for Your Laugh brought in an estimated $17,600 from two locations; Submarine's Gilbert opened with $8,362 from one theater; and Parade Deck's Bad Grandmas brought in an estimated $3,410 from one location.
Before we move on, WB and New Line's It brought in another $1 million this weekend, pushing the film's domestic cume to $325.8 million as it now ranks as the 53rd largest domestic release of all-time, pushing it ahead of Suicide Squad.
Next weekend Paramount will release Daddy's Home 2 and Fox releases Murder on the Orient Express with both films opening in approximately 3,300 locations.
Murder on the Orient Express already got a head start internationally this weekend, debuting in the UK with an estimated $6.45 million, topping the weekend chart and outperforming openings for the likes of The Great Gatsby, Gone Girl and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in the market. Also, while it doesn't hit US theaters for a couple more weeks, Disney and Pixar's Coco added another $10.4 million in Mexico this weekend bringing the film's cume to $27.6 million in Mexico alone.
You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.
Discuss this story with fellow Box Office Mojo fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @boxofficemojo.
With an estimated $121 million, Disney and Marvel's Thor: Ragnarok delivered the seventh largest opening for a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, topping the $117 million debut for Spider-Man: Homecoming earlier this year. On average, films in the MCU deliver 2.72x multipliers, which would put Ragnarok's domestic run over $330 million if it merely holds to the average, but we're expecting it to play a bit better thanks in large part to strong reviews and opening weekend audience reception.
To go along with the film's "A" CinemaScore, opening weekend audiences were 56% male vs. 44% female, and of the overall audience, 63% were over the age of 25. One sign Disney and Marvel has to enjoy, beyond the fact Ragnarok debuted with $35+ million more than Thor: The Dark World, is audience demos were closer to a 50/50 split than its predecessor, whose opening weekend audience was 62% male.
Internationally, in its second weekend the film is now playing in nearly the entire international marketplace as it debuted in Germany, Russia, Mexico, China and Japan and brought in an estimated $151.4 million for an overseas gross of $306 million since opening last weekend. Overall, this pushes the film's global cume to $427 million.
Among Thor's new markets this weekend, the estimated $55.6 million opening in China is the largest ever for a November release as is the film's estimated $5.2 million debut in India. Additional openings saw an estimated $10.8 million in Mexico, $8.9 million (including previews) in Germany, $3.5 million in Japan and $3.7 million in Russia. At this point in the release cycle, Disney estimates Thor: Ragnarok is tracking +8% ahead of Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, +28% ahead of Doctor Strange and +59% ahead of Thor: The Dark World based on current exchange rates.
Ragnarok signifies the 17th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and its performance has now pushed the franchise over $13 billion globally and over $5 billion domestically.
Finishing in second, STX's A Bad Moms Christmas brought in an estimated $17 million over the three-day for a $21.5 million five-day domestic gross after opening on Wednesday. To no surprise, the film skewed heavily female, as women made up 82% of the opening week audience and 87% of that audience was 25 years or older. The demos are very close to the original which played to an audience that was 89% female and of the overall audience 86% were 25 years or older. The film scored a "B" CinemaScore compared to the "A" for the 2016 original.
Looking forward, the question will be to see how the film plays over the coming weeks and throughout the holiday season. Bad Moms played for 13 weeks following its late July debut where it brought in $23.8 million in its first three days and went on to gross over $113 million domestically with a massive 4.75x multiplier. While we're not expecting the sequel to match that performance, the next few weekends could prove very profitable for the $28 million production.
Internationally, Bad Moms Christmas brought in $6.67 million over the last five days, including $3 million in Australia (5% ahead of Bad Moms) and $2.4 million in the UK (21% ahead of its predecessor). Next week the film will open in Germany on November 9.
In third, Lionsgate's Jigsaw brought in an estimated $6.7 million, dropping 59.7% in its second weekend as it's domestic cume now stands at $28.8 million after ten days in release.
Right behind Jigsaw, Lionsgate's release of Tyler Perry's Boo 2! A Madea Halloween brought in an estimated $4.65 million as its cume now stands just shy of $43 million after 17 days in release.
Finishing in fifth position is WB's Geostorm, bringing in an estimated $3 million as its domestic cume now stands at $28.7 million after 17 days in release.
Elsewhere in the top ten, Atlas's Let there be Light expanded into 642 theaters (+269) this weekend and brought in an estimated $1.6 million, signaling only a 6% drop from last weekend. The film's cume now stands just over $4 million.
Outside the top ten, Electric Entertainment's release of Rob Reiner's LBJ brought in an estimated $1.1 million from 659 theaters for a disappointing $1,727 per theater average. And Lionsgate's release of Amazon Studios' Last Flag Flying from director Richard Linklater delivered a soft opening in four theaters, bringing in an estimated $42,000 for a $10,500 per theater average.
In limited release, Greta Gerwig's directorial debut, Lady Bird, opened in four theaters and delivered an impressive $375,612 for a $93,903 per theater average. It's the best PTA of the year so far, topping the $84,315 opening average for The Big Sick back in June. The film will expand into top markets this weekend ahead of a nationwide expansion over the Thanksgiving holiday.
Additionally, FilmRise's My Friend Dahmer brought in an estimated $45,000 from four locations ($11,250 PTA); Magnolia's release of Blade of the Immortal opened with $42,000 from 30 locations ($1,400 PTA); Vitagraph's Wait for Your Laugh brought in an estimated $17,600 from two locations; Submarine's Gilbert opened with $8,362 from one theater; and Parade Deck's Bad Grandmas brought in an estimated $3,410 from one location.
Before we move on, WB and New Line's It brought in another $1 million this weekend, pushing the film's domestic cume to $325.8 million as it now ranks as the 53rd largest domestic release of all-time, pushing it ahead of Suicide Squad.
Next weekend Paramount will release Daddy's Home 2 and Fox releases Murder on the Orient Express with both films opening in approximately 3,300 locations.
Murder on the Orient Express already got a head start internationally this weekend, debuting in the UK with an estimated $6.45 million, topping the weekend chart and outperforming openings for the likes of The Great Gatsby, Gone Girl and Girl With the Dragon Tattoo in the market. Also, while it doesn't hit US theaters for a couple more weeks, Disney and Pixar's Coco added another $10.4 million in Mexico this weekend bringing the film's cume to $27.6 million in Mexico alone.
You can check out all of this weekend's estimated results right here and we'll be updating our charts with weekend actuals on Monday afternoon.
Discuss this story with fellow Box Office Mojo fans on Facebook. On Twitter, follow us at @boxofficemojo.
