“Avengers: Endgame” returned to theaters and grossed $86 million worldwide, including $26 million in North America and $60 million overseas.
Disney and Marvel’s 2019 blockbuster was already the second highest-grossing film in box office history with $2.79 billion; this weekend’s haul brings the film’s staggering total to $2.88 billion. That’s just $39 million behind 2009’s “Avatar,” which is the biggest worldwide release of all time at $2.9 billion.
Disney and Marvel re-released “Avengers: Endgame” to drum up excitement for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which will be released in December. The upcoming comic book tentpole, which reunites just about every superhero on this planet (and others) and reintroduces Robert Downey Jr. not as Iron Man but as the villainous Doctor Doom, is set to be one of the biggest films of the year. This re-release offered new footage as well as an opportunity to introduce viewers to the studio’s new version of premium large formats called “Infinity Vision.” This is not a new technology but rather a “certification” that guarantees that movie theaters “will meet rigorous technical standards,” according to Disney. (Of note, “Avengers: Doomsday” will not have access to Imax, the most ubiquitous of PLFs, because “Dune: Part III” debuts the same day and has the entire Imax footprint exclusively for three weeks.)
“Bringing ‘Avengers: Endgame’ back to theaters with an exclusive preview of ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is a smart way to give audiences a reason to revisit the film on the big screen and build excitement for the sequel,” said Paul Dergarabedian, head of market trends at Rentrack. “‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is poised to deliver one of the biggest opening weekends of all time.”
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Avengers: Doomsday” will be the 39th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It is the most successful film franchise in history with $35.07 billion across all films, a benchmark that was recently raised by this summer’s giant “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” with $2.2 billion.
“Avengers: Endgame Encore,” as the re-release has been dubbed, has beaten several new releases to the top of the domestic and global box office charts. Including this weekend’s takings, “Endgame” solidified its position as the third-biggest North American release of all time with $884 million. Meanwhile, reaching a new milestone, “Avengers: Endgame” became the second film to earn $2 billion at the international box office.
In terms of new releases, Paramount’s wild thriller “The Heart of the Beast” reached $30.1 million in 63 markets. Besides a more modest $20 million start in North America, the film grossed $50.1 million worldwide. Since it has a considerable budget of $82 million, “Heart of the Beast” will rely on its resistance and international box office interest to recover its theatrical release. Reviews and word of mouth should help; “Heart of the Beast” earned an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A-” grade in CinemaScore exit polls. David Ayer (“The Beekeeper”) directed “Heart of Beast,” which stars Pitt as a retired veteran who makes a brutal 58-mile journey to safety after he and his faithful fighting dog survive a harrowing plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.
Another newcomer, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island,” struggled to collect $7.8 million from 34 markets. The film has yet to land in several key international territories. Worldwide, “The Forgotten Island” grossed only $20.6 million, including $12.8 million domestically, less than expected. Universal paid $80 million to produce the family film, so the studio needs positive reviews and audience reception to help “Forgotten Island” endure beyond its debut. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the story follows two best friends stranded in a mystical world. HER, Dave Franco and Jenny Slate lead the voice casting.
Earlier this week, Universal became the first to cross the $5 billion mark worldwide in 2026, fueled by Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” with $1.75 billion and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” with $1 billion.
Gn entert
