By Liz Moyer
Investing.com -- It's shaping up to be another blockbuster movie weekend, with the premiere of Marvel's Thor: Love and Thunder heading for a projected $100 million or more in sales.
That would make it the second straight box office hit. Over the Fourth of July weekend, Universal's animated Minions: The Rise of Gru raked in about $107 million over three days, according to Box Office Mojo. Walt Disney Company (NYSE:DIS), owner of Marvel, fell 0.9%, while Comcast Corp (NASDAQ:CMCSA), owner of Universal, rose 0.3%.
That's welcome news for the movie theater business, which has seen a surge in audiences this spring and summer as people return after pandemic lockdowns. Shares of AMC Entertainment Holdings Inc (NYSE:AMC), the biggest theater owner, rose 3.5%.
Thor, the fourth film for the Norse-inspired superhero saga, stars Chris Hemsworth, Christian Bale, Tessa Thompson and Natalie Portman, is opening in 4,300 theaters this weekend.
The biggest movie of the summer so far, Top Gun: Maverick starring Tom Cruise has reached $575 million in sales and is set to surpass $600 million this weekend, Box Office Mojo said.