$121-M DEBUT IN U.S. FOR THOR: RAGNAROK

“Thor: Ragnarok” thundered to one of the year’s best box-office debuts with an estimated $121 million domestically, proving again—just as it's flexing its muscle—the might of the Walt Disney Co.

The robust debut for Marvel’s third “Thor” movie 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.

“In this business, it’s not often you see the second and third installments in the franchise outpacing the previous issue,” said David Hollis, Disney’s distribution chief. “You don’t expect never-ending returns when it comes to sequels, but it definitely speaks to the quality of the talent at the Marvel Studios team and the way they’re thinking about each film out of the gate.”

1. “Thor: Ragnarok,” $121 million ($151.4 million international).

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.