Taika Waititi's big-budget superhero film Thor: Ragnarok has made a record-breaking $2.2 million at the New Zealand box office in its first weekend.
The figures earn Thor: Ragnarok the highest opening weekend of 2017 at the New Zealand box office, beating Beauty and the Beast, which previously held the record.
The superhero film, helmed by Kiwi Waititi, opened on 190 screens across New Zealand - making it the most widely released film of the year. By comparison, The Fate of the Furious was the second most widely released film of 2017 in NZ, opening on 144 screens.
Thor: Ragnarok also topped the international box office in its opening weekend, taking in more than NZ$156.9 million a week ahead of its US release, according to Variety.
Waititi's film has received positive reviews from critics, and currently stands as the highest-rated film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe on Rotten Tomatoes, at 95%.
