The September box office 2026 is closing out the month with something exhibitors rarely see: four films tracking toward $20 million or more over the same late-September weekend, setting up one of the tightest multi-way box office showdowns in recent memory. According to Deadline, the frame could shape up to be the best late-September weekend since 2018 — though a Nor’easter hammering the Northeast, from New Jersey up to Boston, remains a caveat, with no word on theater closures as of Friday reporting.
The field includes Disney/Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame – Encore re-release, Sony’s Resident Evil in its second weekend, A24’s Robert Pattinson vehicle Primetime, and Paramount’s Brad Pitt survival drama Heart of the Beast. All figures below are tracking estimates and projections, not final numbers.
A Four-Way Showdown at the Top
The last frame of September is not historically a tentpole corridor, which is what makes this weekend’s logjam so unusual. With Deadline reporting four titles eyeing $20 million or more apiece, the weekend is projected to land among the strongest late-September frames in nearly a decade. Cineverse reported a similar reading of the field, describing the weekend as a rare late-September showdown with each of the four contenders projected in the $20 million range. Here is where each film stands, per industry tracking:
Avengers: Endgame – Encore
Disney/Marvel’s re-release of Avengers: Endgame – Encore is tracking $23 million to $26 million, with some estimates reaching as high as roughly $30 million, according to Deadline. The re-release is playing in 3,060 theaters, including about 1,300 premium large format screens and 390 IMAX venues. Friday estimates put the film at around $11 million for the day, per World of Reel, which reported $3.8 million in Thursday previews.
The re-release adds roughly four extra minutes of footage teasing the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, scheduled for a December release. If tracking holds, the film’s lifetime domestic cume could reach approximately $884.3 million after this weekend. Notably, Deadline framed Spider-Man: Brand New Day as the all-time domestic leader with a cume of about $950 million by Sunday.
Resident Evil
Sony’s Resident Evil, the Zach Cregger horror revamp, is projected to earn around $22 million in its second weekend, according to tracking, with one source pegging the second-weekend drop at 63 percent. The film opened to around $60–61 million last weekend, per varying reports, and its running domestic tally stands at approximately $102.1 million.
The title is playing in 3,684 locations, with Friday estimates of $6.5 million, per World of Reel. The horror revamp’s hold will be closely watched as an indicator of whether the franchise reboot has the legs to become a durable theatrical property.
Primetime
A24’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, is tracking toward approximately $20 million, according to estimates, with some optimism that it could land above that mark — though there is a chance it settles in the $18–19 million range. World of Reel reported $2.7 million in previews for the film.
The dark, gritty film, inspired by TV predator-sting operations, was produced for a net $15 million. It co-stars Merritt Weaver, Anna Faris, and Skyler Gisondo. The film’s trailers have been going viral on social media, which tracking suggests is fueling walk-up interest beyond the core A24 audience.
Heart of the Beast
Paramount’s Heart of the Beast, the Brad Pitt survival drama, is targeting approximately $20.5 million, according to tracking. The film is playing in 3,435 sites, with Friday estimates of $7.5 million and Thursday previews of $2 million, per World of Reel.
The film is reportedly drawing strong audience reception — one roundup cited 97 percent audience approval, while Fiction Horizon cited a 96 percent audience score alongside an 88 percent critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes and an A– CinemaScore. Taken together, the film appears to be landing in the mid-to-high 90s for audience approval, per reports.
Wider Context: A Record-Chasing Year
Beyond the top four, DreamWorks/Universal’s Forgotten Island is a distant fifth at approximately $11.5 million, per tracking. World of Reel reported $1.48 million in previews for the animated title and noted it has a shot at a Best Animated Feature run.
The crowded frame arrives as the year races toward a $10 billion annual domestic tally, with the summer U.S. box office having hit an all-time record of $4.76 billion. A strong late-September finish — the Nor’easter notwithstanding — would add further momentum to a year that has already defied expectations at the domestic box office.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which films are projected to earn $20 million or more this weekend?
Four titles are tracking toward $20 million-plus over the late-September weekend: Avengers: Endgame – Encore ($23M–$26M projected), Resident Evil (~$22M), Primetime (~$20M), and Heart of the Beast (~$20.5M). These are estimates, not final grosses.
Could the Nor’easter affect the weekend’s box office?
Yes — a Nor’easter is hitting the Northeast, from New Jersey to Boston. As of Friday reporting there was no word on theater closures, but the storm is a caveat on all weekend projections, since the Northeast is a major box office region.
What is Avengers: Endgame – Encore?
It is a re-release of Avengers: Endgame that adds roughly four extra minutes of footage teasing the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled for a December release. The re-release is projected to push the film’s lifetime domestic cume to approximately $884.3 million.
How is Resident Evil performing in its second weekend?
Sony’s Resident Evil is projected to earn around $22 million in its second weekend, per tracking, after opening to around $60–61 million. Its running domestic tally stands at approximately $102.1 million.
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