‘Avengers: Endgame’ Takes Back Box Office Crown; Robert Pattinson boosts ‘Primetime’ sales

NEW YORK — Seven years after becoming the second-highest-grossing film of all time, “Avengers: Endgame” returned to the top spot at the box office in a victory lap for Marvel and an appetizer for the upcoming blockbuster “Avengers: Doomsday.”

The re-release grossed $26 million over the weekend and another $60 million overseas, according to studio estimates Sunday. The film, which grossed $2.8 billion in 2019, was returned to theaters with several new end credits scenes and an introductory thank you to fans of Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.

Among the re-releases, only the 1997 release of “Star Wars: A New Hope” ($35.9 million) and the 2011 revival of “The Lion King” ($30.2 million) had a higher opening than “Endgame” in domestic theaters.

Hollywood has increasingly turned to re-releases in recent years to take advantage of gaps in the release schedule. But the Walt Disney Co. rebroadcast, presented as “Endgame: Encore,” stood out during a particularly busy weekend at theaters.

Three highly rated new releases: A24’s “Primetime” with Robert Pattinson; Paramount Pictures’ “Heart of the Beast” starring Brad Pitt; and Universal Pictures’ “Forgotten Island” — all landed in theaters.

Second place, however, went to Zach Cregger’s reboot of “Resident Evil.” The Sony Pictures release followed its better-than-expected debut with $23.3 million in its second weekend. In two weeks, the video game adaptation grossed $103.5 million in American and Canadian theaters.

In a tight race for third place, “Heart of the Beast” came in just ahead of “Primetime” with an estimated $20 million from 3,435 theaters. Directed by David Ayer, the film stars Pitt as a retired veteran who must navigate the Alaskan wilderness with his fighting dog after a plane crash. It added $30.1 million to international theaters.

Pattinson drives prime-time sales

But the opening of “Primetime” was more impressive. “Heart of the Beast” cost $82 million to produce, making its path to profitability difficult. “Primetime,” starring Pattinson as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, was made on a modest $15 million budget and was released in 500 fewer theaters.

Still, “Primetime,” buoyed by good reviews and buzz from the Venice Film Festival, debuted with $19.2 million. For Pattinson, who also starred in A24’s “The Drama” and Universal’s “The Odyssey” this year, the strong performance showed the actor’s appeal to Gen Z audiences.

About 69% of “Primetime” ticket buyers were under 30 years old. Generation Z has become the most consistent demographic at the movies, fueling hits like “Obsession” and “Backrooms” this year. “Primetime” is directed by documentary filmmaker Lance Oppenheim, 30, who co-directed the highly anticipated Elizabeth Holmes documentary, “You Can See Everything,” which will be released next month.

“Forgotten Island,” from DreamWorks Animation, struggled to stand out. The film, which cost $80 million to make, opened in fifth place with a disappointing $12.8 million domestically. In 31 foreign markets, “Forgotten Island” also didn’t make much of a splash, grossing $7.8 million internationally.

Universal hopes family audiences will catch up with the film that earned the weekend’s best CinemaScore (an “A”) and best reviews (94% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes). “Forgotten Island,” directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, tells the story of two friends stranded in a mystical world.

The confluence of releases added to a historically good September weekend in theaters. According to Rentrak, ticket sales increased by 58.5% compared to the same weekend last year. The domestic box office has accumulated $7.8 billion so far, up 19% from last year.

Top 10 films at the national box office

With final domestic numbers released Monday, this list takes into account estimated Friday-Sunday ticket sales at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Rentrak:

1. “Avengers: Endgame: Encore,” $26 million.

2. “Resident Evil,” $23.3 million.

3. “Heart of the Beast,” $20 million.

4. “Primetime,” $19.2 million.

5. “Forgotten Island,” $12.8 million.

6. “Practical Magic 2,” $5.7 million.

7. “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” $4.1 million.

8. “The Odyssey,” $3.7 million.

9. “Coyote vs. Acme,” $1.9 million.

10. “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace,” $1.5 million.