Disney’s “Avengers: Endgame Encore” opened in first place at the U.K. and Ireland box office with £4.1 million ($5.5 million) in its debut frame. That put a re-release ahead of a field that included a new Brad Pitt action thriller, a literary adaptation and an Indian top-10 opener.
How the top 10 stacked up
Sony’s “Resident Evil” moved to second place in its second weekend with $3 million, lifting its running total to $11.6 million. Paramount’s “Heart of the Beast,” starring Brad Pitt and J.K. Simmons, bowed in third with $2.8 million. Universal’s “Sense and Sensibility” opened fourth with $2 million, while Studiocanal’s “Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom” added $1.1 million for a $3.4 million cume.
- Avengers: Endgame Encore — £4.1M / $5.5M debut
- Resident Evil — $3.0M second weekend, $11.6M total
- Heart of the Beast — $2.8M debut
- Sense and Sensibility — $2.0M debut
- Shaun the Sheep: The Beast of Mossy Bottom — $1.1M second weekend, $3.4M cume
Further down, Warner Bros.’ “Practical Magic 2” took sixth with $1 million in its third frame ($9.5 million total), while Studiocanal’s “Pressure” added $780,739 for $7.6 million. Universal’s “The Odyssey” reached $117.1 million and Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” reached $134.6 million in its ninth frame. Prathyangira Cinemas’ Indian title “The Paradise” rounded out the top 10 with $358,942 in its opening session.
Catalog and event slots are doing real work
For ScreenStat readers, the weekend is a reminder that re-releases and event cinema are measurable theatrical inventory, not filler. A catalog title can lead a market, and holdovers such as “The Odyssey” and “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” show the long tails of big theatrical brands. Indian films also continue to convert a targeted audience into top-10 placements.
The scheduling question is straightforward: should prime screens go to re-releases or to new productions? This frame suggests re-releases can earn the slot, but distributors must weigh that against the need to launch new mid-budget films. For media planners, the opening suggests re-release campaigns need the same launch budgets as first-run titles if they are going to convert awareness into opening-day footfall.
What to watch next
The upcoming frame is stacked with wide and event titles. Warner Bros.’ Tom Cruise drama “Digger” leads wide releases across 300+ locations on Friday. Sony launches “Verity,” starring Anne Hathaway, Dakota Johnson and Josh Hartnett, and Universal debuts Hayley Kiyoko’s “Girls Like Girls” across 100+ screens. Event programming includes Park Circus’ 20th anniversary restoration of “Casino Royale” across 100+ locations on Monday and Trafalgar Releasing’s Met Opera broadcast.
Earlier in the week, Underground Slate’s sports drama “Fight Like a Girl” began across 25+ locations, and Zee Studios International’s “Baththa” arrives Thursday. Specialized titles include MetFilm Distribution’s “The Weight,” with Ethan Hawke and Russell Crowe. For planners, treat re-release and event slots as planned reach rather than last-minute filler. Track second-week holds, model event titles alongside wide openers, and use international releases as reach plays against specific audiences.
Source: Variety
