Marvel Comics fans made their way to movie theaters in droves this weekend, elevating the Chris Hemsworth picture Thor to the top of the box office with a $66 million take.
Costarring Natalie Portman, the action film, distributed by Paramount and produced by Marvel Studios, had the third highest debut of a Marvel flick, placing behind Spider-Man and Iron Man.
Fast Five, the fifth installment of the Paul Walker-Vin Diesel Fast and the Furious franchise, fell to second place in its second weekend out of the gate. Taking in $32.5 million according to early Sunday estimates, Fast Five topped Rango to become 2011's top-grossing film to date.
Romantic comedies Jumping the Broom ($13.7 mil) and Something Borrowed ($13.2 mil) were deadlocked at the weekend box office, finishing in third and fourth places respectively. The pair of wedding-themed pictures are sure to face stiff competition next weekend, as the Kristen Wiig-Maya Rudolph ensemble comedy Bridesmaids hitting theaters.
Rio, the 3-D animated film featuring the voices of Jesse Eisenberg and Anne Hathaway rounded out the top 5 with an estimated $8.2 million in box office receipts.
Mel Gibson's dark comedy, The Beaver, flopped in its first limited release weekend. Earning an estimated $104,000 at 22 locations, Gibson's flick — which features the actor as an depressed exec who speaks through a puppet — will open wide May 20.
Tell Us: Which movie did you see this weekend?
