Disney’s release of “Avengers: Endgame Encore” is turning a 2019 movie into a 2026 box office story. The re-release is tracking for a $25 million to $28 million domestic weekend, enough to make it the top draw ahead of a current franchise entry.
The weekend race
The closest competitor is Zach Cregger’s “Resident Evil” reboot, projected at $24 million to $26 million in its second weekend after a franchise-best $61 million debut. The gap is narrow enough that word of mouth could still shift rankings.
Three new releases are competing behind them:
- “The Heart of the Beast” — Brad Pitt survival drama from David Ayer, projected at $17 million to $20 million.
- “Primetime” — A24’s Robert Pattinson film, projected at $17 million to $20 million.
- “Forgotten Island” — Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s family film, targeting $15 million to $17 million.
Budget math separates the new films
The production budgets make these similar projections look very different. “Primetime” cost $15 million, so a $17 million-plus domestic start is a credible step toward profit. By contrast, “The Heart of the Beast” carries an $82 million production budget and “Forgotten Island” cost $80 million. With theater owners keeping roughly 50% of ticket sales, those films cannot recoup on opening weekend alone; they need longer holds and strong ancillary performance.
“Primetime” arrives after strong Venice reviews and stars Pattinson as Dateline NBC journalist Chris Hansen during the “To Catch a Predator” sting operations. It continues a busy year that includes “The Drama” and “The Odyssey.”
Why the re-release matters
A strong “Endgame Encore” result is also a demand signal for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which opens in December and is expected to rank among 2026’s biggest releases. The original “Avengers: Endgame” remains the second-biggest movie in box office history with $2.799 billion worldwide. The title to beat this year is “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” with a $360 million domestic debut and $2.47 billion worldwide.
“Forgotten Island” has a timing advantage: there has not been a major kid-centric movie since “Moana” in July, and recent animated films such as “The Wild Robot,” “GOAT” and “Minions & Monsters” held screens well after opening weekend. Media buyers should watch holdover data as closely as opening numbers, especially for the two $80 million-plus films.
For Paramount, “The Heart of the Beast” is also a test of theatrical viability at a sensitive moment. The film lands days after the studio settled an antitrust case with state attorneys general, removing a major obstacle to its planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery. CEO David Ellison has pledged that the combined company will release at least 30 films a year. Exhibitors will be watching whether expensive originals can deliver audiences, not just commitments.
Source: Variety
