‘Thunderbolts’ kicks off US, Canada summer box office with $76 million

LOS ANGELES — Marvel movie "Thunderbolts" opened Hollywood's summer movie season with an estimated $76 million in US and Canadian ticket sales over its first three days, distributor Walt Disney said on Sunday.

The returns were in line with pre-weekend forecasts, though below the $88.8 million opening of Marvel's "Captain America: Brave New World" in February.

"Thunderbolts" added $86.1 million in international markets for a global total of $162.1 million, Disney said in a statement.

"Thunderbolts" stars Florence Pugh, Sebastian Stan and David Harbour as anti-heroes who are forced to work together to fight a supervillain. It is the 36th film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.

The movie business is still hovering below pre-pandemic levels, and a healthy summer is key to that effort. Hollywood brings in about 40% of the year's box office receipts during the summer season, which the industry measures from the first weekend in May through Labor Day, the first Monday in September. — Reuters