Thor Hammers the Box Office Competition

The god of thunder rocked the box offices this weekend. Thor banked $66 million in it's opening run, thanks to the power of 3-D ticket sales, the finesse of director Kenneth Branagh and the awesome view that is newcomer Chris Hemsworth.

An opening like this almost promises a follow-up, but before that, Thor will get to shine again in the 2012 Avengers, which brings together Marvel heroes Iron Man (Robert Downey, Jr.), Hulk (Mark Ruffalo) and Captain America (Chris Evans).

Fast Five didn't take the number one spot in The US, but Vin Diesel, Paul Walker and Dwayne Johnson definitely stayed in gear this weekend. The newest The Fast and the Furious installment brought in $32.5 million stateside to land in second and bag a total take of $139.9 million, so far.

Overseas, Fast Five is looking at a pull of $184.8 million, putting the current worldwide bank at a whopping $324.7 million. Numbers like that double as a promise that speed freaks can expect another The Fast and The Furious installment.

The romantic wedding themed comedies Jumping the Broom and Something Borrowed took third and fourth place, with $13.7 million and $13.2 million, respectively. Something Borrowed didn't manage the numbers Kate Hudson is used to seeing, in spite of being based on a bestselling novel.

Rio continues to stay in the game, banking $8.2 million to land in fifth place for the weekend. That brings the Anne Hathaway, Jamie Foxx and Jesse Eisenberg's animated hit up to a $114.9 million stateside, while it's also raked in $407 million worldwide.

Reese Witherspoon and Robert Pattinson's Water for Elephants landed in sixth with $5.6 million, followed by Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family at $3.9 million. While Happy Family is closing in on a total take of $50 million, the much hyped Water for Elephants had it's best weekend to bring it's total take to $42 million.

Prom took eighth place with $2.4 million, Soul Surfer took ninth with $2.1 million and Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil Wein closed out the top ten with $1.9 million.

Next weekend's big contenders include Bridesmaids, Judd Apatow's answer to The Hangover starring Kristen Wiig, Rose Byrne, Chris O'Dowd, Maya Rudolph and Ellie Kemper; and the much hyped comic book adaptation Priest, which already earned $5.5 million after opening in only four international markets this weekend.

A few big players are landing in limited releases next week, as well. Will Farrell plays an unemployed alcoholic who tries to sell off his possessions after his wife throws him out of their home in Everything Must Go; while Joseph Gordon-Levitt, Natalie Portman and Rainn Wilson get dark in the drama Hesher. Fashion hounds will also want to keep an eye out for L'Amour Fou, the career biopic following Yves Saint Laurent and his lifelong partnership with Pierre Berg.

Box Office Top Ten: Week of May 6-8

1 Thor - $66 million
2 Fast Five -  $32.5 million
3 Jumping the Broom - $13.7 million
4 Something Borrowed - $13.2 million
5 Rio $8.2 million
6 Water for Elephants - $5.6 million
7 Tyler Perry's Madea's Big Happy Family - $3.9 million
8 Prom - $2.4 million
9 Soul Surfer - $2.1 million
10 Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs. Evil Wein - $1.9  million