“Avengers: Endgame Encore,” a re-release of the 2019 Disney and Marvel blockbuster (with additional footage!), emerged victorious at the domestic box office with several new releases.
“Avengers: Endgame Encore” generated $26 million from 3,060 North American theaters over the weekend, a considerable sum for a film that has been available online for years. It was even bigger overseas with $60 million for a massive worldwide total of $86 million. The excitement over the re-release certainly bodes well for the studio’s upcoming “Avengers: Doomsday,” which debuts in December and brings back nearly all of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes on another planet-saving mission.
“Re-releases rarely gross more than $10 million,” says David A. Gross, who publishes the FranchiseRe box office newsletter. “As a marketing exercise, (this) is an effective way to create early word of mouth.”
Among new releases, A24’s “Primetime” enjoyed a sizable $19.2 million debut from 2,863 theaters. It’s the third-best opening ever for A24, behind this summer’s juggernaut “Backrooms” ($81.4 million) and Alex Garland’s 2024 dystopian “Civil War” ($25.5 million) and ahead of Josh Safdie and Timothée Chalamet’s frenetic 2025 sports drama “Marty Supreme” ($15.7 million). “Primetime,” directed by Lance Oppenheim and starring Robert Pattinson as “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen, was produced for just $15 million, so it’s already well-positioned to turn a profit in theaters.
“It’s an exceptional opening for an original crime drama,” says Gross. “Robert Pattinson has built an impressive filmography. The actor is a true star and he carries this film.”
Indeed, “Primetime” highlights the financial strength of Pattinson, whose big year at the box office includes the indie hit “The Drama,” Christopher Nolan’s summer blockbuster “The Odyssey” and Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming “Dune: Part III.” Generation Z has fueled participation in “Primetime,” with 69% of the audience under 30. Movie fans gave “Primetime” a mixed “B” grade on CinemaScore, which isn’t surprising given the film’s disturbing nature; it revolves around Hansen’s efforts to take on child sexual predators in complex undercover operations. Meanwhile, the real Hansen was less enthusiastic. After finally seeing the film, he called it “so weird” and “detached from reality.”
This weekend’s other newcomers, Paramount’s Brad Pitt-led survival adventure “The Heart of the Beast,” Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s family film “Forgotten Island,” struggled in their opening weekends despite excellent reviews and will need to stick around to justify their budgets.
“Heart of the Beast” landed at No. 3 ahead of “Primetime” with $20 million from 3,435 theaters. It’s a good start for an original film aimed at adults. However, it’s disappointing because a movie cost $82 million. Theater owners keep about 50% of ticket sales, so “Heart of the Beast” will rely on resistance and interest from the international box office to recoup its theatrical run. Its results are already better overseas, with $30.1 million from 63 markets for a global start of $50.1 million. Reviews and word of mouth should help; the film earned an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and a strong “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.
“Forgotten Island” stumbled to fifth place with $12.8 million from 4,548 theaters. The company is also struggling overseas, where it earned $7.8 million in 34 markets. Worldwide, “Forgotten Island” grossed a whopping $20.6 million. The PG film cost $80 million to produce, so Universal needs the family film to enjoy the box office longevity that has benefited from recent original animated efforts, such as DreamWorks Animation’s “The Wild Robot” and Sony’s sports-centric “GOAT,” both of which have capitalized on positive sentiments in ticket sales in the months since their debut. “Forgotten Island” was embraced by critics and audiences, earning a 94% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A” on CinemaScore. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the story revolves around two best friends stranded in a mystical world. HER, Dave Franco and Jenny Slate lead the voice casting.
“Hopefully the response from this audience bodes well for a long national run,” says Jim Orr, Universal’s head of domestic distribution.
Regardless, Universal had a strong box office performance and can afford to miss out if “Forgotten Island” struggles to release. The studio recently 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.
None of the new releases were able to surpass “Resident Evil”, which took second place with $23 million from 3,684 locations in its second release. Although it’s a steep 60% drop from last weekend’s $60 million debut, Sony’s reboot of the ’90s video game is already well-established in its theatrical release. The film, directed by Zach Cregger of “Weapons,” has outperformed all of its franchise predecessors’ domestic films, having earned $103.4 million domestically and $196.5 million globally thus far, against a budget of $75 million.
After a surprisingly strong summer and a decent start to fall, the domestic box office stands at $7.8 billion and will soon cross $8 billion — a milestone the market only eclipsed last year in December. With several big blockbusters on the horizon, including “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune 3,” this will easily be the biggest year for movie theaters since the pandemic upended the box office.
“This weekend is another reminder that moviegoers in 2026 are showing up for everything from blockbuster classic re-releases to original horror, thriller, action and specialty titles,” said Paul Dergarabedian, Rentrak’s head of market trends.
Gn entert
