With less than two months to go until Thor: Ragnarok rolls into theaters on November 3, the first box office predictions have begun to roll in. Based on early tracking, it looks as though the movie’s opening weekend will significantly surpass those of the franchise’s first two installments.
The Box Office Pro long-range forecast for Thor: Ragnarok suggests that it should command around $100 million during its North American debut. With such an auspicious opening, the movie would be on track to earn around $250 million throughout its domestic run.
If the predictions hold true, the upcoming Taika Waititi flick would not only enjoy a successful opening weekend, it would go on to be the highest-grossing Thor installment in the domestic market. Kenneth Branagh’s Thor opened with a $65.7 million weekend, and Alan Taylor's Thor: The Dark World bagged $85.73 million in its opening weekend. Thor ended its theatrical run at $181.03 million and The Dark World brought in $206.36 million.
Box Office Pro pointed out that some cool marketing tactics have generated a good amount of positive buzz. This, along with the presence of fan-favorite characters Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Doctor Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch), as well as heavyweight newcomers Hela (Cate Blanchett) and Grandmaster (Jeff Goldblum), should work in Thor: Ragnarok's favor.
However, there could be some minor audience fatigue in regard to the Thor movies, since the last two were rather weak in comparison with other Marvel Cinematic Universe offerings. Justice League’s release follows Thor’s by a couple of weeks, and that may also have an adverse effect.
We should note that early box office predictions aren’t always accurate reflections of actual gross. For example, tracking for Jon Watts' Spider-Man: Homecoming by the same website pointed towards a $135 million debut and a $325 million lifetime gross. But the movie opened at $117 million and has bagged more than $327 million in North America to date.
The website also predicted an $85 million opening weekend and $225 million lifetime gross for Patty Jenkins' Wonder Woman. But it bagged more than $103 million during its opening weekend and has grossed more than $410 million to date. A variety of factors are at play, including marketing, critical response, and audience word of mouth. All of these will surely have an impact on Ragnarok’s box office performance.
