In $121M debut, 'Thor: Ragnarok' and Disney flex their might

NEW YORK -- "Thor: Ragnarok" thundered to one of the year's best box-office debuts with an estimated $121 million domestically, proving again the might of the Walt Disney Co.

The robust debut for Marvel's third "Thor" movie was a welcome shot in the arm for Hollywood and theater owners who have suffered through a terrible October at the box office.

"Thor: Ragnarok" also bucked the trend of diminishing returns for sequels. The 2011 "Thor" debuted with $65.7 million; 2013's "Thor: The Dark World" opened with $85.7 million.

The weekend's other new nationwide release, STX Entertainment's "A Bad Moms Christmas," opened with $17 million over the weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday. The holiday-themed sequel, which returns stars Mila Kunis, Kristen Bell and Kathryn Hahn, came in shy of the 2016 original's $23.8 million opening.

But the big story was "Thor," which grossed $151.4 million in its second week of international release. In 10 days, the film has made $427 million worldwide.

Disney isn't alone in being able to roll out such blockbusters but three of the year's five $100 million-plus releases are theirs. (Disney's other two are "Beauty and the Beast" and "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.")

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to comScore.

1. "Thor: Ragnarok," $121 million.

2. "A Bad Moms Christmas," $17 million.

3. "Jigsaw," $6.7 million.

4. "Tyler Perry's Boo 2!" $4.7 million.

5. "Geostorm," $3 million.

6. "Happy Death Day," $2.8 million.

7. "Thank You For Your Service," $2.3 million.

8. "Blade Runner 2049," $2.2 million.

9. "Only the Brave," $1.9 million.

10. "Let There Be Light," $1.6 million.