Seven years after it finished its original run as the second-highest-grossing film in history, “Avengers: Endgame” is back on top of the domestic box office. Disney’s rerelease, billed as “Endgame: Encore,” pulled in an estimated $26 million across U.S. and Canadian theaters over the weekend, according to studio estimates released Sunday, plus another $60 million overseas.
The Marvel film, which took in $2.8 billion worldwide in 2019, returned to theaters with new end-credits scenes and a fan thank-you from Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. It finished first on a weekend that was unusually packed with fresh product, including three well-reviewed wide releases.
A rare rerelease winner
Only two rereleases have ever opened higher domestically, according to the Associated Press: the 1997 return of “Star Wars: A New Hope” at $35.9 million and the 2011 repeat of “The Lion King” at $30.2 million. Hollywood has leaned on rereleases more heavily in recent years, using them to fill gaps in the release calendar, but Disney’s Marvel encore did more than plug a hole — it won the weekend outright.
Second place went to Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” reboot, a Sony Pictures release that added $23.3 million in its second weekend after a debut that beat expectations. The video-game adaptation has now grossed $103.5 million in two weeks of domestic release.
Pattinson’s ‘Primetime’ punches above its budget
The weekend’s closest race came in third, where Paramount’s “Heart of the Beast” edged A24’s “Primetime” with an estimated $20 million from 3,435 theaters. Directed by David Ayer, the Brad Pitt film casts the actor as a retired veteran who treks through the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog after a plane crash. It added $30.1 million internationally.
But the opening for “Primetime” may be the more telling result. “Heart of the Beast” carried an $82 million production budget, making profitability a steep climb. “Primetime” cost a reported $15 million, played in roughly 500 fewer theaters, and still debuted with $19.2 million — a strong figure helped by solid reviews and buzz from the Venice Film Festival.
In the A24 film, Pattinson plays “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, a role that appears to have connected with younger moviegoers. According to the AP, 69% of ticket buyers for “Primetime” were under 30. Pattinson has now appeared in three major releases this year, including A24’s “The Drama” and Universal’s “The Odyssey.” The film is directed by 30-year-old documentarian Lance Oppenheim, who also co-directed the upcoming Elizabeth Holmes documentary “You Can See Everything.”
Gen Z has become the most consistent moviegoing demographic, driving this year’s hits such as “Obsession” and “Backrooms.”
A tough weekend for animation
DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island” had the roughest landing of the new wide releases. The film, which cost $80 million, opened in fifth place with just $12.8 million domestically and $7.8 million from 31 overseas markets. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, it follows two friends stranded in a mystical world.
Universal will be hoping family audiences catch up with the movie over the coming weeks. It earned the weekend’s best CinemaScore, an “A,” and the strongest reviews of the new slate at 94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes.
Filling out the rest of the top ten: “Practical Magic 2” at $5.7 million, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” at $4.1 million, and “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” at $1.5 million.
A September weekend that broke the mold
The sheer number of options in theaters added up to a historically strong weekend for the month. Ticket sales were up 58.5% compared with the same weekend last year, according to Rentrak, and the domestic box office has now reached $7.8 billion for the year — 19% ahead of last year’s pace.
Final domestic figures are due Monday. The rankings above reflect estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/2026/09/28/box-office-avengers-endgame-rerelease-takes-1-spot-with-26-million/