A Strong Start for 'Thor: The Dark World' Fabio and his Magic Hammer, a.k.a. "Thor: The Dark World," sold $86.1 million in tickets at North American theaters over the weekend, adding to an overseas box-office total of $240.9 million and continuing a hot streak for the Disney-owned Marvel Studios. Starring Chris Hemsworth as the titular hammersmith, "Thor: The Dark World" cost an estimated $170 million to make and another $100 million to market. Reviews were on the soft side - the weakest of any self-produced Marvel movie to date - but audiences gave the film an A-minus score in exit polls, which usually bodes well for continued strength. Competition was minimal; the holdovers "Last Vegas" (CBS Films), "Jackass Presents: Bad Grandpa" (Paramount) and "Free Birds" (Relativity Media) were virtually tied in second place, with each generating ticket sales of roughly $11 million. On the more serious side of moviegoing, the Oscar hopeful "12 Years a Slave" (Fox Searchlight) continued its sizzling run in relatively limited release, taking in $6.6 million, for a four-week total of $17.3 million, according to Rentrak, which compiles box-office data.