thor movie

In what will likely be considered a wise decision, studios are steering clear of Capt. Jack Sparrow this weekend. Yep, with the summer movie season officially underway, 'Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides,' the fourth installment in the popular Disney franchise, is this weekend's only major new release, opening in 4,000 theaters nationwide on Friday.

As expected, 'Thor' enjoyed a solid performance at the weekend box office. The superhero flick, which impressed most critics with its action-packed storyline and breakout performance by star Chris Hemsworth, took in an impressive $66 million, leaving the rest of the competition in the dust. Globally, the film has already grossed $242 million, according to Variety.

Three new movies are opening nationwide this weekend. One has the makings of a mega-blockbuster in 'Thor,' the latest in a long line of superhero movies from Marvel. Interestingly enough, this one is from critically acclaimed and Oscar-nominated director Kenneth Branagh, the man behind such Shakespeare adaptations as 'Henry V.'