“Avengers: Endgame” returned to theaters in a weekend re-release, hauling $86 million globally, including $26 million in North America and $60 million overseas. The Disney and Marvel blockbuster from 2019 already stood as the second-highest-grossing movie in box office history with $2.79 billion. This latest weekend haul pushes its worldwide tally to $2.88 billion, leaving it just $39 million behind 2009’s “Avatar,” which is the biggest worldwide release of all time at $2.9 billion.
Box Office Performance of the Endgame Encore
Disney and Marvel reissued the film—dubbed “Avengers: Endgame Encore”—to generate momentum for the upcoming December release of “Avengers: Doomsday.” The re-release beat out several new titles to top both domestic and global charts. With this weekend’s numbers included, “Endgame” solidified its spot as the third-largest North American release of all time with $884 million, according to box office data. It also crossed a new milestone, becoming only the second movie in history to clear $2 billion at the international box office alone.
The re-release featured new footage alongside an introduction to the studio’s “Infinity Vision” initiative. Disney describes this as a certification standard guaranteeing that participating theaters meet rigorous technical specifications. However, “Avengers: Doomsday” will not secure access to Imax screens because “Dune: Part III” opens on the exact same day in December, claiming exclusive rights to the entire Imax footprint for three weeks.
Building Momentum for Avengers Doomsday
Rentrack’s head of marketplace trends, Paul Dergarabedian, notes that bringing the 2019 film back with exclusive footage gives viewers a reason to return to the big screen while building anticipation. He adds that “Avengers: Doomsday” is positioned for one of the largest opening weekend performances in history.
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Avengers: Doomsday” marks the 39th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. The franchise remains the most successful film series in history, pulling in a cumulative $35.07 billion across all releases. That total received a major boost earlier this summer from “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which earned $2.2 billion globally.
Performance of Competing New Releases
While the Marvel re-release dominated headlines, several new films debuted over the same weekend to varying results. Paramount’s wilderness thriller “The Heart of the Beast” opened to $30.1 million across 63 international markets. Combined with a $20 million start in North America, the film sits at a $50.1 million global total.
Carrying an $82 million production budget, “The Heart of the Beast” depends on long-term theatrical staying power to turn a profit. Positive word-of-mouth should assist that run, given that the film earned an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. Directed by David Ayer, the film stars Pitt as a retired veteran who navigates a brutal 58-mile trek through the Alaskan wilderness alongside his combat dog after a plane crash.
Meanwhile, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s family feature “Forgotten Island” experienced a softer opening, collecting $7.8 million from 34 international markets while missing several key territories. Its global total stands at $20.6 million, which includes a domestic debut of $12.8 million. Universal spent $80 million to produce the movie, meaning the studio will rely on steady audience retention to recoup its costs.
Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, “Forgotten Island” follows two best friends stranded in a mystical world, featuring a voice cast led by H.E.R., Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate. Despite this weekend’s slower start for the animated title, Universal recently became the first studio to surpass $5 billion worldwide in 2026, driven largely by Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” with $1.75 billion and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” with $1 billion.