Australian newcomer Chris Hemsworth plays the title character and joins a strong cast including Academy Award winners Natalie Portman and Anthony Hopkins. IMAX and 3-D should enhance the revenue potential of the film, which earned $83 million overseas last weekend and topped the international charts.
Universal's "Fast Five" isn't backing off the throttle, though, and should earn in the mid-$50 million range. The fifth installment of the franchise has demonstrated incredible staying power, with midweek daily grosses of around $6 million, and by the end of the weekend, "Fast Five" should become the biggest hit of the year so far.
Likely to land in third place as a perfect alternative to all the testosterone-driven fare in the marketplace is Warner Bros.' romantic comedic drama "Something Borrowed." A gross in the $12 million to $15 million range is the sweet spot for this female-driven film that stars Kate Hudson and Ginnifer Goodwin as best friends in love with the same guy.
Sony is also offering a dose of comedic fun with the ensemble comedy "Jumping the Broom," which should draw a solid Mother's Day crowd for a fourth place debut of around $10 million. Angela Bassett leads an impressive cast in a story of two very dissimilar families descending on Martha's Vineyard for a wedding.
Rounding out the top five with around $8 million will be Fox's "Rio," which has been one of the biggest hits of the pre-summer period and flew past the $100 million mark last weekend.(S)