‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ took the No. 1 spot on Friday. The re-release made $11.2 million from 3,060 North American screens. Industry estimates put the film’s full weekend total near $26 million.
The Friday number includes Thursday preview screenings. Those previews alone brought in $3.8 million. Disney had projected a domestic weekend of about $25 million, with another $25 million to $30 million expected from overseas markets.
The film was a directorial of Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. The original ‘Avengers: Endgame’ came out in 2019. Its re-release arrives ahead of ‘Avengers: Doomsday,’ which is going to open in theaters on December 18. The re-release includes an exclusive first look at footage from that upcoming film. The version in theaters now also carries a modified ending and new post-credit scenes tied to ‘Doomsday.’
A near-record box office run
When it first came out, ‘Avengers: Endgame’ became the second-highest-grossing movie in box office history, with $2.799 billion worldwide. The re-release is adding to that total seven years later.
This weekend’s gross is likely to push the film’s lifetime domestic total to $884 million. That would put it within $100 million of the all-time global box office record, currently held by ‘Avatar.’ A separate report put the projected domestic lifetime figure slightly higher, near $884.3 million by Sunday.
‘Primetime’ debuts in second place
A24’s ‘Primetime’ opened in second place, making $8.49 million from 2,874 locations. Some estimates have the film reaching $20.5 million for the full weekend. Other reports put its Friday number closer to $8.4 million, including Thursday previews, from roughly 2,800 theaters.
Thursday previews for ‘Primetime’ brought in $2.7 million, with early tracking suggesting a domestic opening between $12 million and $16 million. The film ended up performing above that early range.
‘Primetime’ stars Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, host of Dateline NBC’s ‘To Catch a Predator.’ The film had already built buzz from its debut at the Venice Film Festival, and reviews have been largely positive.
Despite a softer reception than some of the weekend’s other new releases, ‘Primetime’ is still likely to be a financial success for A24. The film carries a reported production budget of just $15 million, the lowest of the weekend’s major releases.
Real-world reaction to the film has extended beyond box office numbers. Chris Hansen himself has weighed in publicly on Pattinson’s portrayal of him, and directors and producers connected to the project have spoken about how the film handles its subject matter.
‘Resident Evil’ holds strong in week two
‘Resident Evil’ earned a franchise-best debut the previous weekend, pulling in a cumulative $61 million. The film was projected to add another $23.5 million in its second weekend.
Other estimates placed the second-weekend total slightly higher, at $23.8 million, a drop of about 60 percent from its opening. Friday numbers for the film were reported around $6.9 million. A separate report gave a lower Friday figure of $6.5 million, with a projected three-day total near $22 million and a domestic running total approaching $102.1 million by the end of the weekend.
Even as ‘Endgame Encore’ draws general audiences away, ‘Resident Evil’ is still on track to pass $100 million domestically and $200 million worldwide this weekend. The film was directed by Zach Cregger, and reviews for the horror title have remained strong through its second week.
Other new releases round out the top five
DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Forgotten Island’ did not open as high as the other new releases. It made $4.38 million from 3,548 screens. By Sunday, the film was expected to reach a cumulative $11.5 million.
That opening figure would rank among the lowest ever for a DreamWorks Animation release, sitting just above the studio’s all-time low of $5.5 million set by ‘Ruby Gillman: Teenage Kraken’ in 2023. Despite the modest opening, the film has earned strong reviews, holding a 96 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Paramount’s ‘Heart of the Beast’ also opened this weekend, competing closely with ‘Primetime’ for a top spot outside the top two. The film stars Brad Pitt as a Special Forces veteran stranded in the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog. It has drawn stronger audience response than some other new releases, earning an A- CinemaScore along with Rotten Tomatoes scores of 87 percent from critics and 95 percent from audiences.
Early Thursday preview numbers for ‘Heart of the Beast’ came in at $2 million, with the studio projecting a domestic weekend total between $17 million and $20 million. One later estimate placed its three-day projection closer to $20.5 million.
- Avengers: Endgame Encore
