Avengers: Endgame Encore Tops Box Office, Teases Doomsday

Key points

• Avengers: Endgame Encore grossed $11.2M on Friday, projected to reach $26M for the weekend from 3,060 screens.
• The re-release features four new scenes, including an alternate ending and teases for Avengers: Doomsday, set to release December 18.
• A24's Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, earned $8.4M on Friday and is projected to gross $20.5M, with an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score.
• Paramount's Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt, earned $7.4M on Friday and is projected to gross $20M, with an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score.
• Sony's Resident Evil dropped to second place with $6.9M on Friday, projected to gross $23.5M for the weekend, bringing its domestic total to $103.6M.
• Universal became the first studio to surpass $5 billion at the 2026 global box office, aided by The Odyssey, The Super Mario Galaxy Movie, and Michael.

Background

Avengers: Endgame originally released in April 2019, becoming the second-highest-grossing film of all time with $2.7 billion worldwide. Spider-Man: Brand New Day recently overtook it domestically, ranking No. 2 with $858.4 million. Summer 2026 set a domestic box office record at $4.76 billion, signaling a strong theatrical rebound. The re-release of Endgame was anticipated to compete with Resident Evil and new releases like Primetime and Heart of the Beast.

How outlets are covering it

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety both report that Avengers: Endgame Encore topped the box office with $11.2M on Friday, projected to reach $26M. Deadline notes that Encore's $3.8M in previews surpassed Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith's $3.4M previews for its re-release. Gizmodo focuses on the new scenes in Encore, highlighting an alternate ending and teases for Avengers: Doomsday, including Bruce Banner's capture and multiverse incursions. All sources agree on the strong performance of Primetime and Heart of the Beast, with Variety noting Pattinson's film has an 87% Rotten Tomatoes score and THR noting Heart of the Beast has an 87% score. Deadline emphasizes the potential for four films to gross over $20M this weekend, while THR notes Universal's $5 billion milestone.

Why it matters

The success of Avengers: Endgame Encore demonstrates the enduring appeal of Marvel films and the potential for re-releases to drive box office revenue. The strong performance of Primetime and Heart of the Beast indicates a diverse audience interest in different genres. Universal's $5 billion milestone highlights the studio's strong 2026 performance, while the teases for Avengers: Doomsday build anticipation for the upcoming release.

What to watch

Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on December 18. Warner Bros.' Digger and Amazon MGM Studios' Verity are expected to open next weekend. The box office performance of Forgotten Island and other new releases will be monitored in the coming weeks.