‘Thor’ stays No. 1, whereas ‘Crawdads’ opens robust

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NEW YORK (AP) — The Marvel sequel “Thor: Love & Thunder” dropped a hefty 68% in its second weekend of launch however nonetheless held the highest spot on the field workplace, in accordance with studio estimates Sunday, whereas the bestseller adaptation “The place the Crawdads Sing” debuted with a better-than-expected $17 million.

Taika Waititi’s “Love and Thunder” led all movies with an estimated $46 million, bringing its two-week international whole to $498 million. The sizable decline is greater than most Marvel movies however according to current releases from the Walt Disney Co. superhero studio, together with “Spider-Man: No Means House” (68 and “Physician Unusual within the Multiverse of Insanity” (67%).

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“Love and Thunder” additionally confronted a trio of newcomers, although none got here near toppling Chris Hemsworth’s god of thunder. Greatest amongst them was Sony Photos’ “The place the Crawdads Sing,” Olivia Newman’s adaptation of Delia Owens’ 2018 North Carolina-set novel. It opened properly regardless of weak critiques (36% recent on Rotten Tomatoes).

The Reese Witherspoon-produced thriller stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as a lady who raised herself within the coastal Carolina marshlands and focuses on a homicide investigation of a neighborhood superstar. Moviegoers favored it higher than critics, giving it an A- CinemaScore.

It was a very good consequence for a page-to-screen drama, and one other signal that grownup audiences — who’ve additionally helped gasoline the success of “High Gun: Maverick” (nonetheless in fourth place with $12 million in its eighth weekend) and “Elvis” (as much as $106.2 million after 4 weeks) — are practically all the way in which again to pre-pandemic ranges after going largely absent for a lot of the final two-plus years.

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Interesting to the same demographic, Focus Options’ “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” starring Lesley Manville as a London cleaner who pines for a Dior gown, additionally opened strongly, with $1.9 million in 980 theaters. Mentioned Focus distribution chief Lisa Bunnell: “Older movie-goers are returning to benefit from the in-theater expertise.”

In the meantime, the Illumination animated sequel “Minions: The Rise of Gru” held the second spot with $26 million in its third weekend of launch. The Common Photos launch has up to now grossed $262.6 million domestically and $532.7 million worldwide, setting box-office information alongside the way in which.

The Minions made it troublesome for a brand new household entry: “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank.” The Paramount Photos animated launch, loosely tailored from Mel Brooks’ “Blazing Saddles,” launched with a modest $6.3 million.

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Estimated ticket gross sales for Friday by way of Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, in accordance with Comscore. Closing home figures shall be launched Monday.

1. “Thor: Love and Thunder,” $46 million.

2. “Minions: The Rise of Gru,” $26 million.

3. “The place the Crawdads Sing,” $17 million.

4. “High Gun: Maverick,” $12 million.

5. “Elvis,” $7.6 million.

6. “Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank,” $6.3 million

7. “The Black Cellphone,” $5.3 million.

8. “Jurassic: Dominion,” $5 million.

9. “Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris,” $1.9 million.

10. “Lightyear,” $1.3 million.

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Observe AP Movie Author Jake Coyle on Twitter at: http://twitter.com/jakecoyleAP