Marvel's latest "Thor" film continued its heroics at the box office, adding $46 million in North America over the weekend to lead all movies.
It's the second consecutive box office victory for "Thor: Love and Thunder," which electrified theaters with a franchise-best $144 million debut two weekends ago.
The second-week decline is more than most Marvel films but in line with recent releases from the Walt Disney Co. superhero studio, including "Spider-Man: No Way Home" (68%), "Black Widow" (68%) and "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" (67%).
Directed by Taika Waititi, the fourth stand-alone "Thor" movie has now made $233 million in the United States and Canada since its July 8 release, and $498 million worldwide.
"Love and Thunder" stars Chris Hemsworth as the titular Marvel god and Natalie Portman as his ex-girlfriend, Jane Foster, who obtains superhuman abilities and becomes the hero The Mighty Thor. They team up with Tessa Thompson's warrior Valkyrie in a quest to defeat the villainous Gorr the God Butcher, portrayed by Christian Bale.
"Love and Thunder" also faced a trio of newcomers, though none came close to toppling Chris Hemsworth's god of thunder. Best among them was Columbia Pictures' "Where the Crawdads Sing," Olivia Newman's adaptation of Delia Owens' 2018 North Carolina-set novel. It opened well despite weak reviews (36% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes).
The Reese Witherspoon-produced mystery stars Daisy Edgar-Jones as a woman who raised herself in the coastal Carolina marshlands and focuses on a murder investigation of a local celebrity. Moviegoers liked it much better than critics, giving it an A- CinemaScore.
It was a particularly good result for a page-to-screen drama, and another sign that adult audiences -- who have also helped fuel the success of "Top Gun: Maverick" (still in fourth place with $12 million in its eighth weekend) and "Elvis" (up to $106.2 million after four weeks) -- are nearly all the way back to pre-pandemic levels after going largely absent for much of the last two-plus years.
Appealing to a similar demographic, Focus Features' "Mrs. Harris Goes to Paris," starring Lesley Manville as a London cleaning woman who pines for a Dior dress, also opened strongly, with $1.9 million in 980 theaters. Said Focus distribution chief Lisa Bunnell: "Older moviegoers are returning to enjoy the in-theater experience."
Meanwhile, the Illumination animated sequel "Minions: The Rise of Gru" held the second spot with $26 million in its third weekend of release. The Universal Pictures release has thus far grossed $262.6 million domestically and $532.7 million worldwide, setting box-office records along the way.
The Minions made it difficult for a new family entry: "Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank." The Paramount Pictures animated release, loosely adapted from Mel Brooks' "Blazing Saddles," premiered with a modest $6.3 million.
Next up for movie theaters is "Nope," the third horror film written, directed and produced by Jordan Peele. Out today, the movie stars Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer as Hollywood horse ranchers who encounter a terrifying phenomenon in the sky.
The animated "DC League of Super-Pets" and B.J. Novak's directorial debut "Vengeance" will hit theaters July 29, while the Brad Pitt-led action thriller "Bullet Train" arrives Aug. 5.