‘Thor: Love and Thunder’ Hammers Competition with $143 Million Opening

The stars of “Thor: Love and Thunder.” Photo via @thorofficial Twitter

“Thor: Love and Thunder” opened to a smashing $143 million this weekend, notching another entry in what’s been a torrid season at the box office after two down years during the coronavirus pandemic, according to industry estimates released Sunday.

Adding a little romance to the mix, with Natalie Portman starring alongside Chris Hemsworth as the hammer-wielding god, proved to be a winning formula for Marvel’s four-film franchise, which recorded its biggest opening yet.

Witness the #1 MOVIE IN THE WORLD

Marvel Studios’ #ThorLoveAndThunder is now playing only in theaters! Get tickets now: https://t.co/qFEBBRjcqo pic.twitter.com/ILELVgByg0

— Thor (@thorofficial) July 10, 2022

It was the third biggest opening of the year, behind “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” and “Jurassic World: Dominion,” and the fifth film since Memorial Day weekend to earn more than $100 million in its first weekend.

Last weekend’s top-grossing film, “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” finished in second place with $45.5 million in its second week in North American theaters, Comscore reported.

“Top Gun: Maverick” continued its amazing run, pulling in another $15.5 million in its seventh week for a cumulative domestic total of over $597 million.

“Elvis” was fourth with $11 million Friday through Sunday in its third week, followed by “Jurassic World Dominion” with $8.4 million in its fifth week.

Rounding out the top 10 domestic releases, as estimated by Comscore, were “The Black Phone” ($7.6 million), “Lightyear” ($2.9 million), “Marcel the Shell with Shoes On” ($340,000), “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” ($262,000) and “Mr. Malcolm’s List” ($245,416).

This weekend’s estimated three-day box office grosses are $236.1 million. The year-to-date total is up to $4.248 billion — an increase of 234% over 2021’s figure, according to Comscore.

City News Service contributed to this article.