Box office booming as ‘Thor: Ragnarok,’ ‘Daddy’s Home 2’ and ‘Orient Express’ all deliver

Marvel Studios’ “Thor: Ragnarok” continues to reign supreme at the box office, with newcomers “Daddy’s Home 2” and “Murder on the Orient Express” also among the top five.

Now in its second week, Disney’s big-budget action fantasy rained in an estimated $56.6 million in the United States and Canada, a 54% drop since last week, for a cumulative total of $211.6 million, according to figures from measurement firm ComScore.

The third installment in the standalone “Thor” franchise stars Chris Hemsworth as the Norse god of thunder, tasked with saving his home planet Asgard from a formidable new invader. The film, which cost $180 million to make, also stars Cate Blanchett, Jeff Goldblum and Tessa Thompson.

Directed by New Zealand filmmaker Taika Waititi, a veteran of the indie scene with films such as “What We Do in the Shadows” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople,” “Thor: Ragnarok” has a 93% “fresh” rating from review aggregation site Rotten Tomatoes and an A-rating on audience polling service CinemaScore.

Paramount’s PG-13 comedy “Daddy’s Home 2” debuted at No. 2 with $30 million, 23% below the original’s $38.7-million opening in 2015.

The latest entry sees Mark Wahlberg and Will Ferrell join forces once again as co-parenting dads trying to make a memorable Christmas for the kids. The film, directed by Sean Anders, received mixed reviews from audiences and critics, earning an A- rating on CinemaScore and a 16% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Mel Gibson and John Lithgow also star.

Debuting at No. 3, Fox’s thriller “Murder on the Orient Express” took in $28.2 million.

The latest adaptation of Agatha Christie’s murder mystery stars Kenneth Branagh as detective Hercule Poirot tasked with solving a murder on a luxury train in the 1930s. The film earned a B rating on CinemaScore and a 58% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Johnny Depp, Josh Gad, Michelle Pfeiffer, Penelope Cruz, Willem Dafoe and Daisy Ridley also star.

In fourth place, STX Entertainment’s “A Bad Moms Christmas” added $11.5 million to its earnings, for a cumulative total of $39.9 million.

The R-rated comedy sequel, a follow-up to the 2016 sleeper hit, stars Mila Kunis, Kathryn Hahn and Kristen Bell as three mothers who buck the unreasonable expectations of society and their families. The holiday-themed sequel, which cost $28 million to make, introduces Cheryl Hines, Christine Baranski and Susan Sarandon as the main characters’ mothers.

“A Bad Moms Christmas” earned a B rating on CinemaScore and a 29% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The film’s earnings dropped just 31% since last week, a good sign for long-term prospects.

Rounding out the top five was Lionsgate’s “Jigsaw,” which earned $3.4 million over the weekend, a 48% drop since last week, for a cumulative gross of $34.3 million.

The eighth installment in the popular “Saw” franchise, the R-rated “Jigsaw” follows, in reviewer Noel Murray’s words, “bad folks stuck in an elaborate torture chamber” and earned an average B rating from CinemaScore and a 31% “rotten” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Directed by Michael and Peter Spierig, the film comes seven years after “Saw VII: The Final Chapter,” once intended to wrap up the franchise, and 13 years after the first “Saw” film.

In limited release, A24’s comedy drama “Lady Bird” expanded to 37 locations and added $1.2 million to its earnings, a 243% increase since last weekend. Now in its second week, the film has performed exceptionally well, earning a cumulative $1.8 million.

Written and directed by Greta Gerwig, “Lady Bird” is a coming-of-age story starring Saoirse Ronan and Laurie Metcalf and earned a 100% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fox Searchlight’s “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” had a strong premiere, earning $320,000 in four theaters, for a per-screen average of $80,000. The film’s debut was the third best per-screen average of the year, following “Lady Bird,” which opened last week with $375,612 and “The Big Sick,” which opened in June with $435,000.

Starring Frances McDormand as a bereaved mother struggling with the gruesome murder of her teenage daughter, the film is proving to be popular among audiences, earning a 95% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes, an audience approval rating of 97% and playing to capacity crowds all weekend with many sold-out showings. Woody Harrelson, Sam Rockwell and Peter Dinklage also star.

Next week, Warner Bros. unveils the highly anticipated “Justice League,” Columbia Pictures debuts the animated film “The Star” and Lionsgate opens drama “Wonder.” IFC premieres the Jon Bernthal-led thriller “Sweet Virginia” in limited release.

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Twitter: @sonaiyak

UPDATES:

10:10 a.m.: This article was updated with box office numbers for “Lady Bird” and “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri.”

This article was originally published at 9:30 a.m.