Marvel’s rerelease reclaimed the top spot with a $26 million domestic weekend while Robert Pattinson’s “Primetime” opened to $19.2 million.
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“Avengers: Endgame” returned to the No. 1 position at the weekend box office in a rerelease billed as “Endgame: Encore,” generating $26 million domestically and an additional $60 million overseas, according to studio estimates.
The film’s 2019 run had grossed $2.8 billion, and the new run placed it above most other recent rerelease performances in domestic theatres. Only the 1997 rerelease of “Star Wars: A New Hope” ($35.9 million) and the 2011 repeat of “The Lion King” ($30.2 million) have opened higher than “Endgame” in domestic reruns, based on the weekend figures cited.
“Endgame: Encore” was released with several new end-credits scenes and an introductory thank-you message to fans from Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans. The rerelease also arrived as Hollywood has increasingly leaned on older titles to fill gaps in the release calendar.
Disney’s rerelease topped a notably crowded weekend that also featured three new wide releases: A24’s “Primetime” starring Robert Pattinson, Paramount Pictures’ “Heart of the Beast” starring Brad Pitt, and DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island.”
“Endgame: Encore” finished ahead of “Resident Evil,” a reboot directed by Zach Cregger that slipped to second place with $23.3 million in its second weekend. Over two weeks, the game adaptation has grossed $103.5 million in U.S. and Canadian theatres.
In the three-way race behind “Resident Evil,” “Heart of the Beast” edged out “Primetime,” finishing just ahead on estimated weekend earnings. “Heart of the Beast” opened with $20 million from 3,435 theatres, while “Primetime” debuted with $19.2 million.
“Heart of the Beast,” directed by David Ayer, stars Pitt as a retired veteran who must cross the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog after a plane crash. The film added $30.1 million in international theatres over the weekend.
“Primetime” was produced with a $15 million budget and opened in roughly 500 fewer theatres than “Heart of the Beast,” but its performance benefited from strong reviews and buzz tied to the Venice Film Festival. Pattinson plays “To Catch a Predator” host Chris Hansen in the film.
The “Primetime” audience skewed heavily younger, with 69% of ticket buyers under the age of 30, reflecting the report that Generation Z has become a leading moviegoing demographic in recent years. The release is directed by 30-year-old documentarian Lance Oppenheim, who co-directed the “You Can See Everything” documentary about Elizabeth Holmes, due out next month.
Rounding out the new-release results, “Forgotten Island” did not draw as much attention. The DreamWorks Animation film, which cost $80 million to make, opened in fifth place with $12.8 million domestically and earned $7.8 million across 31 overseas markets.
Universal is relying on family audiences as it markets “Forgotten Island.” The weekend figures cited included the film’s CinemaScore of “A” and an overall approval rating of 94% described as “fresh” on Rotten Tomatoes.
The weekend’s release lineup also helped define the broader market picture for September. Ticket sales were up 58.5% compared with the same weekend last year, and domestic box office totalled $7.8 billion to date, placing it 19% ahead of the previous year, according to the weekend accounting referenced.
The top 10 movies by estimated domestic ticket sales for Friday through Sunday were: “Avengers: Endgame: Encore” ($26 million), “Resident Evil” ($23.3 million), “Heart of the Beast” ($20 million), “Primetime” ($19.2 million), “Forgotten Island” ($12.8 million), “Practical Magic 2” ($5.7 million), “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” ($4.1 million), “The Odyssey” ($3.7 million), “Coyote vs. Acme” ($1.9 million), and “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” ($1.5 million).
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