Thor: Love and Thunder Pulls in $15.7 Million in First Day at International Box Office
Thor: Love and Thunder is off to a mighty start. The Chris Hemsworth-led film raked in $15.7 million at the international box office on Wednesday, following its release in 17 different markets. Among those markets were Korea, which pulled in $3.1 million, Australia, which did $3 million, and Indonesia, which added $1.6 million. This early opening sets Love and Thunder at 39% above its franchise predecessor, Thor: Ragnarok, but 24% below the previous Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. By Friday, Thor: Love and Thunder will be in theaters in 47 total material markets.
These earnings come ahead of Love and Thunder's domestic opening weekend, which is projected to bring in anywhere from $145 million to $155 million, with some estimations forecasting it to land as high as $170 million. That would land the fourquel below the aforementioned Multiverse of Madness, which debuted to $187.4 million.
As evident by Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings's colossal openings, wide-released Marvel Studios projects are all but guaranteed to kick off strongly, but word of mouth seems to be the secret to long-term success. Following mixed reviews upon release, Multiverse of Madness dropped 67% in its second domestic weekend, and would lose its top spot at the domestic box office rankings shortly after. On the contrary, Shang-Chi shattered its $35-$55 million opening weekend projections, debuting to $75.3 million. The film, which currently sits at a certified fresh 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, would drop a minuscule 54% the following weekend.
Regardless of how Thor: Love and Thunder's currently mixed reviews impact its domestic box office, its strong international start poses well for its worldwide total. The international box office typically makes up for roughly half of Marvel's total haul, so when it's all said and done, expect overseas numbers to more or less mirror the domestic total.
The previous Thor flick, 2017's Thor: Ragnarok, wrapped its theatrical run with $315 million at the domestic box office, ultimately leading to a worldwide total of $854 million. The first Thor (2011) generated $449 million in total, while 2013's Thor: The Dark World did $644 million worldwide.
Thor: Love and Thunder arrives in theaters this Friday, July 8.
What is your prediction for Thor: Love and Thunder's opening weekend box office? Let us know in the comments below!