“Avengers: Endgame” returned to theaters and assembled a massive $86 million globally, including $26 million in North America and $60 million overseas.
Disney and Marvel’s 2019 blockbuster was already the second-highest-grossing movie in box office history with $2.79 billion; this weekend’s haul brings the movie’s staggering tally to $2.88 billion. It’s only $39 million behind 2009’s “Avatar,” which is the biggest worldwide release of all time with $2.9 billion.
Disney and Marvel reissued “Avengers: Endgame” to stoke excitement for “Avengers: Doomsday,” which opens in December. The upcoming comic book tentpole, which reunites just about every superhero on this planet (and others) and reintroduces Robert Downey Jr. not as Iron Man but as the villain Doctor Doom, is expected to be one of the biggest movies of the year. This re-release offered new footage as well as a chance to introduce viewers to the studio’s new take on premium large formats called “Infinity Vision.” It’s not a new technology but rather a “certification” that guarantees movie theaters will “meet rigorous technical standards,” per Disney. (As a note, “Avengers: Doomsday” won’t have access to Imax, the most ubiquitous of the PLFs, because “Dune: Part III” debuts on the same day and has the entire Imax footprint exclusively for three weeks.)
“Bringing ‘Avengers: Endgame’ back to theaters with an exclusive look at ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is a smart way to give audiences a reason to revisit the film on the big screen and build excitement for what comes next,” says Rentrack’s head of marketplace trends Paul Dergarabedian. “‘Avengers: Doomsday’ is poised for one of the biggest opening weekend performances of all time.”
Directed by Anthony and Joe Russo, “Avengers: Doomsday” will be the 39th installment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. It’s the most successful film franchise in history with $35.07 billion across all movies, a benchmark that was recently lifted by this summer’s juggernaut “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” with $2.2 billion.
“Avengers: Endgame Encore,” which the re-release has been dubbed, beat out several new releases to top domestic and global box office charts. Including this weekend’s grosses, “Endgame” strengthened its position as the third-largest North American release of all time with $884 million. Meanwhile, in a new milestone, “Avengers: Endgame” became the second movie ever to clear $2 billion at the international box office.
In terms of new releases, Paramount’s wilderness thriller “The Heart of the Beast” opened to $30.1 million from 63 markets. Along with a softer $20 million start in North America, the film has collected $50.1 million globally. Since it carries a hefty $82 million budget, “Heart of the Beast” will rely on staying power and interest at the international box office to recoup in its theatrical run. Reviews and word-of-mouth should help; “The Heart of the Beast” landed a strong 87% on Rotten Tomatoes and “A-” grade on CinemaScore exit polls. David Ayer (“The Beekeeper”) directed “Heart of Beast,” which stars Pitt as a retired veteran who navigates a brutal 58-mile trek to safety after he and his trusted combat dog survive a harrowing plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness.
Another newcomer, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s “Forgotten Island,” struggled with $7.8 million from 34 markets. The movie has yet to land in several key international territories. Globally, “Forgotten Island” has earned just $20.6 million, including a softer-than-expected $12.8 million domestically. Universal shelled out $80 million to produce the family film, so the studio needs the positive reviews and audience reception to help “Forgotten Island” stick around beyond its debut. Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, the story follows around two best friends who get stranded in a mystical world. H.E.R., Dave Franco and Jenny Slate lead the voice cast.
Earlier this week, Universal became the first to cross $5 billion worldwide in 2026, fueled by Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” with $1.75 billion and “The Super Mario Galaxy Movie” with $1 billion.
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