After opening last week in numerous territories with an impressive $100M+ haul, Thor: The Dark World made it's US debut on Thursday, with midnight showings earning $7.1 million. Between those showings and Friday, the Alan-Taylor directed sequel earned $31 million . Deadline now reports that the film is likely to earn $82 million overall this weekend and that it has received an "A-" Cinemascore (Iron Man 3 earned an "A+" earlier this year, while Man of Steel also received an "A-"). Although projections from some analysts were a little higher in the $90-100M range, this is still a solid opening for the God of Thunder, being expectedly higher than the first film's $65M opening weekend haul back in 2011.
Elsewhere, last week's number one, Ender's Game dropped 61% to fifth place, a very poor drop-off for the Gavin Hood-directed flick; this brings it's domestic total to a measly $44M, with the film's budget being around $110 million (excluding marketing costs).
Marvel’s “Thor: The Dark World” continues the big-screen adventures of Thor, the Mighty Avenger, as he battles to save Earth and all the Nine Realms from a shadowy enemy that predates the universe itself. In the aftermath of Marvel’s “Thor” and “Marvel’s The Avengers,” Thor fights to restore order across the cosmos…but an ancient race led by the vengeful Malekith returns to plunge the universe back into darkness. Faced with an enemy that even Odin and Asgard cannot withstand, Thor must embark on his most perilous and personal journey yet, one that will reunite him with Jane Foster and force him to sacrifice everything to save us all. Starring Chris Hemsworth, Natalie Portman, Tom Hiddleston, Christopher Eccleston, Anthony Hopkins as Odin and many more, the film is in theaters NOW!