Avengers: Endgame Encore tops box office, closes in on Avatar record
The extended Endgame re-release opened with an estimated $86 million worldwide, leaving the 2019 film about $39 million behind Avatar's all-time record. The numbers, how it compares with other re-releases, and what happens next.
The re-release of Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame opened at No. 1 in North America with an estimated $26 million over the weekend of 25–27 September, and $86 million worldwide.
That lifts the 2019 film’s global total to about $2.885 billion, roughly $39 million short of Avatar‘s all-time record of $2.924 billion, Screen Daily reported using Rentrak estimates. The race for the top spot is back on.
What we know
All figures are weekend estimates from the studios and Rentrak, as published by Screen Daily and Variety:
- North America: $26 million from 3,060 cinemas.
- International: $60 million from 53 territories.
- Biggest overseas markets: China (about $13.5 million), UK and Ireland ($5.4 million) and Mexico ($4.2 million).
- Premium screens: Imax delivered about $13.7 million worldwide, and 67% of the North American gross came from premium formats.
- What’s new in the Encore cut: four extra scenes at the end, which set up December’s Avengers: Doomsday. Screen Daily lists the running time as 187 minutes, against 181 for the original; other trade reports say the amount of extra footage varies by screen format.
The weekend’s top five in North America
| Rank | Film | Weekend (est.) | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers: Endgame Encore | $26.0m | re-release |
| 2 | Resident Evil | $23.3m | second weekend; $103.5m total |
| 3 | Heart of the Beast | $20.0m | new |
| 4 | Primetime | $19.2m | new |
| 5 | Forgotten Island | $12.8m | new; later confirmed at $13.0m |
Source: studio estimates reported by Variety and Screen Daily.
How big is $26 million for a re-release?
Very big. Old films usually return in limited numbers. “Re-releases rarely earn more than $10 million,” analyst David A. Gross told Variety.
Only two re-releases have opened higher in North America, not adjusted for inflation, according to Deadline figures cited by USA Today:
- Star Wars special edition (1997): $35.9 million
- The Lion King in 3D (2011): $30.2 million
Worldwide, Screen Daily says only the 2012 3D reissue of Titanic opened bigger among archive titles. Note that trackers differ slightly on older figures; The Numbers lists the Lion King reissue at $29.2 million.
Explainer: the all-time record race
The title of highest-grossing film ever has changed hands between these two films before:
- 2019: Endgame passes Avatar during its original run to become No. 1 worldwide.
- 2021: An Avatar re-release takes the crown back.
- September 2026: The Encore brings Endgame to about $2.885 billion, against Avatar‘s $2.924 billion.
USA Today noted that the re-release could let Endgame overtake Avatar, depending on how well it holds. Nobody can say yet whether it will. The second-weekend figure is the number to watch.
Why Marvel brought Endgame back now
The Encore is also a trailer for December. Its new closing scenes link directly to Avengers: Doomsday, which reunites directors Anthony and Joe Russo with Marvel for the first time since Endgame and brings back Robert Downey Jr., this time as the villain Doctor Doom, USA Today noted.
Gross called the re-release “an effective way to build early word-of-mouth” when speaking to Variety. It also comes in a strong year for cinemas: Spider-Man: Brand New Day took Endgame‘s old record for the biggest North American opening this summer, with $360 million against $357 million, according to USA Today.
The rest of the weekend
- Resident Evil dropped about 60% but has already passed $103 million in North America and about $196 million worldwide. Its China release is set for 5 October (Screen Daily).
- Heart of the Beast, David Ayer’s survival thriller starring Brad Pitt, opened to $50.1 million worldwide. Variety put its budget at $82 million. It opens in China on 30 September.
- Primetime, A24’s drama with Robert Pattinson as To Catch a Predator host Chris Hansen, took $19.2 million, A24’s third-best opening according to Variety. The real Hansen has called the film “so bizarre” and “detached from reality,” Variety reported.
- Forgotten Island, DreamWorks Animation’s first wholly original film since 2023, had a soft start despite strong reviews. Variety reported an $80 million budget.
What happens next
- Weekend of 2–4 October: The Encore’s second weekend will show whether Endgame can close the $39 million gap.
- 18 December: Avengers: Doomsday and Warner Bros’ Dune: Part Three open worldwide on the same day, Screen Daily reported.
Sources
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