Five years after its initial groundbreaking run, Marvel Studios and Disney’s superhero epic, 'Avengers: Endgame,' returned to theaters as 'Avengers: Endgame Encore,' raking in a significant $86 million globally. This impressive haul, comprising $26 million from North America and $60 million internationally, propels the film's lifetime gross to a staggering $2.88 billion. The re-release positions 'Endgame' just $39 million shy of 'Avatar's all-time worldwide record of $2.9 billion, a milestone it is now poised to surpass.
The strategic return of 'Endgame' was designed to reignite fan excitement ahead of the highly anticipated 'Avengers: Doomsday,' set to premiere this December. The upcoming comic book tentpole promises to bring together a vast array of superheroes and notably reintroduces Robert Downey Jr. as the villainous Doctor Doom, rather than his iconic Iron Man role. The re-release also offered audiences a glimpse of new footage from 'Doomsday' and introduced Disney's new premium large format certification, 'Infinity Vision,' which ensures rigorous technical standards in participating cinemas.
Paul Dergarabedian, head of marketplace trends at Rentrack, commented on the strategy, stating, "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." The Marvel Cinematic Universe, already the most successful film franchise in history with over $35 billion in total grosses, continues to expand, with 'Doomsday' marking its 39th installment. The franchise's recent success was bolstered by 'Spider-Man: Brand New Day,' which added $2.2 billion this summer.
Among the new releases, Paramount's wilderness thriller 'The Heart of the Beast' carved out a $50.1 million global opening. Directed by David Ayer and starring Brad Pitt, the film garnered $20 million domestically and $30.1 million from 63 international markets. Despite its $82 million budget, positive critical reception, including an 87% score on Rotten Tomatoes and an 'A-' CinemaScore, suggests it could find staying power. The film follows Pitt as a retired veteran navigating a brutal Alaskan trek after a plane crash with his combat dog.
Meanwhile, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's 'Forgotten Island' struggled to find its footing, opening to just $20.6 million worldwide, with $12.8 million from North America and $7.8 million from 34 international territories. The animated feature, with an $80 million production budget and a voice cast including H.E.R., Dave Franco, and Jenny Slate, will need strong word-of-mouth to improve its box office trajectory.
In broader industry news, Universal Pictures celebrated an early milestone, becoming the first studio to cross $5 billion worldwide in 2026, driven by blockbuster hits such as Christopher Nolan’s 'The Odyssey,' which grossed $1.75 billion, and 'The Super Mario Galaxy Movie,' which earned $1 billion.