A seven-year-old movie just beat every new release in America. Avengers: Endgame returned to theaters this past weekend and claimed the No. 1 spot at the North American box office with $26.11 million from 3,060 theaters, holding off a horror sequel and three substantial new releases, according to reported weekend figures from cineglams.com via The Numbers.
The re-release — branded “Avengers Endgame: Encore” and featuring added footage — now sits about $39 million away from surpassing Avatar in the all-time global box-office rankings, Times Now reports. Its lifetime worldwide total now stands at $2.88 billion.
How the Avengers Endgame Re-Release Won the Weekend
The numbers were no fluke. The September 25–27 weekend delivered a clear hierarchy: Endgame’s $26.11 million finished about $2.7 million ahead of Zach Cregger’s Resident Evil ($23.01 million, down 62% in its second weekend). Three new releases filled out the rest of the top five — Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast ($20.04 million), Robert Pattinson’s Primetime ($19.20 million) and the animated Forgotten Island ($13.01 million).
What makes the result remarkable is the context. Endgame first released in 2019, meaning a film that has been streaming for years — and which most of its audience has already seen, in many cases multiple times — outgrossed three fresh studio releases with full marketing campaigns behind them. The new footage, which links Endgame to the next MCU film, Avengers: Doomsday, clearly gave fans a reason to show up in theaters again.
International Performance Was Even Stronger
The re-release opened to $86 million worldwide — $60 million from international markets plus the $26 million domestic haul. It topped the UK and Ireland box office with a No. 1 debut of £4.1 million ($5.5 million), per Times Now, finishing ahead of Resident Evil ($3 million in its second weekend) and Heart of the Beast ($2.8 million).
The international breakdown matters for the bigger story: the re-release is now within striking distance of Avatar’s all-time global record. With Endgame’s lifetime total at $2.88 billion, the $39 million gap is the kind of distance a strong hold and international legs could close — though weekend two will be the real test.
The Weekend’s New Releases: Winners and Losers
The most interesting sub-plot of the weekend was the close contest between Brad Pitt’s Heart of the Beast ($20.04 million) and Robert Pattinson’s Primetime ($19.20 million) — a genuine movie-star box-office duel in an era when star vehicles are supposed to be dead. Both are solid, if unspectacular, openings.
The disappointment was Forgotten Island. The animated newcomer’s $13.01 million start is slow by family-film standards, especially heading into the fall season when family audiences usually show up. With Disney’s own re-release eating into premium screens, the road gets harder from here.
Further down the chart, Practical Magic 2 ($5.60 million, down 54%), Spider-Man: Brand New Day ($4.05 million, down 37%) and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey ($3.80 million, down 23%) held on. Notably, Coyote vs. Acme — which has become a cult hit since its digital release — earned $1.92 million in ninth place, while Daniel and the Fiery Furnace rounded out the top ten with $1.54 million.
How Rare Is a Re-Release Win?
Re-releases rarely crack the top ten, let alone take the weekend. Endgame’s Encore is a special case: it is the highest-grossing film in MCU history, and the added Doomsday-linked footage turned the re-release into an event rather than a simple cash grab. Disney gave it a full wide release of 3,060 theaters — roughly the footprint of a mid-tier new release — and the audience responded.
The result also underlines how the theatrical calendar works in late September. Studios often hold their biggest ammunition for October and November, leaving gaps that a cultural phenomenon can fill. Three new releases opened in the top five this weekend, but none had the brand power of the biggest Avengers movie ever made.
What This Means for Avengers: Doomsday
Disney and Marvel could hardly have asked for better timing. The Encore re-release arrives ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, and its performance is a proof-of-concept for the MCU’s next phase: audiences are still willing to turn out for Marvel’s crown jewels on the big screen, especially when there’s a narrative hook connecting the past to what’s coming.
Whether the re-release actually overtakes Avatar will depend on the second weekend. A $39 million gap against Avatar’s total is not guaranteed, but with international markets — including the still-strong UK numbers — the chase is real. One thing is certain: seven years later, the most-watched movie of a generation still has box-office muscle.
For more on movies at home, see our guide to watching Coyote vs. Acme at home on digital release.
FAQs
How much did the Avengers: Endgame re-release make?
Avengers Endgame: Encore earned $26.11 million in North America over September 25–27, 2026, and $86 million worldwide on its opening weekend.
How close is Endgame to beating Avatar’s box office record?
The re-release pushed Endgame’s lifetime global total to $2.88 billion, leaving it about $39 million away from surpassing Avatar in the all-time global rankings, per Times Now.
What new footage is in the Avengers Endgame re-release?
The Encore edition includes added footage that links Endgame to the next MCU movie, Avengers: Doomsday.
What else was in the weekend top 5?
Resident Evil ($23.01M) was second, followed by new releases Heart of the Beast ($20.04M), Primetime ($19.20M) and Forgotten Island ($13.01M).
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