Endgame Encore beats four new films to lead Friday box office
A seven-year-old Marvel film beat four new releases at the domestic box office on Friday.
Avengers: Endgame Encore took No. 1 with $11.2 million from 3,060 screens in North America on Friday, Sept. 25, and is projected to reach around $26 million by Sunday, according to figures reported by Variety. That weekend figure is a studio estimate until Monday's actuals. Domestic means the United States and Canada.
The draw is new footage. The re-release includes an exclusive look at Avengers: Doomsday, which is set to open in theatres on Dec. 18, reported by The Hollywood Reporter. Marvel put the film back into theatres for a limited run beginning Sept. 25, 2026, according to Marvel.
The original Avengers: Endgame launched in April 2019. It was directed by Anthony Russo and Joe Russo. It opened to $1.2 billion globally in its opening weekend and has grossed $2.799 billion worldwide. That puts it at No. 2 on the all-time worldwide chart, behind Avatar with $2.9 billion. The encore version earned $3.8 million in previews ahead of Friday.
A24's Primetime took second place with $8.49 million from 2,874 locations on Friday. It is projected to earn $20.5 million through the weekend on a studio estimate.
The film stars Robert Pattinson and chronicles Chris Hansen's time as host of Dateline NBC's To Catch a Predator. It was directed by Lance Oppenheim and debuted at the Venice Film Festival earlier in September 2026. It was made with a $15 million production budget. It co-stars Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and Phoebe Bridgers, and holds an 87 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The Heart of the Beast was third with an estimated $7.45 million on Friday from 3,435 domestic locations. It is expected to gross $20 million domestically in its opening weekend on a studio estimate.
The Paramount Pictures release was directed by David Ayer and stars Brad Pitt as a retired veteran — a Special Forces officer stranded in the wilderness with his combat dog. It had an $82 million production budget and holds an 87 score from Rotten Tomatoes reviewers.
Last weekend's leader fell to fourth. Sony's Resident Evil earned $6.9 million across 3,684 locations on Friday after a $61 million debut last weekend, described as a franchise best. It is projected to add another $23.5 million through its second weekend.
That would be a decline of around 60 percent and would take its North American total to $103.6 million. The film was directed by Zach Cregger and stars Austin Abrams as a medical courier.
Forgotten Island rounded out the top five with $4.38 million from 3,548 screens on Friday. It is projected to reach a cumulative $11.5 million by Sunday on a studio estimate.
The DreamWorks Animation film is released by Universal Pictures. It was directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado and had an $80 million budget. It follows two friends magically transported to an island rooted in Philippine mythology. The voice cast includes H.E.R., Dave Franco, Lea Salonga, Jenny Slate and Liza Soberano. It holds a 94 percent critic approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
What makes this stand out is the calendar. A reissue rarely leads a weekend with three wide-opening newcomers in play. For fans, this means the December date now has a box-office lead-in as well as a trailer.
