The film “Avengers: Endgame” has returned to the top of the North American box office seven years after its original release, benefiting from a special theatrical re-release, while Robert Pattinson’s “Prime Time” made a strong debut driven by notable interest from younger audiences.
اضافة اعلان
The new release of “Avengers: Endgame,” titled “Endgame: The Return,” grossed $26 million over the weekend in the United States and Canada, in addition to $60 million in international markets.
The film originally grossed around $2.8 billion worldwide following its 2019 release. The re-release added new scenes after the end credits, along with a thank-you message to audiences from stars Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
The re-release opening ranks among the strongest re-release openings in U.S. box office history, following the 1997 re-release of “Star Wars: A New Hope” and the 2011 re-release of “The Lion King.”
Strong Competition for the Top Spots
The weekend saw a crowded lineup of new releases, including A24’s “Prime Time,” Paramount’s “Heart of the Beast,” and Universal’s “The Forgotten Island.”
Second place went to the new “Resident Evil,” which earned $23.3 million in its second week. Its two-week total in the United States and Canada reached $103.5 million.
“Heart of the Beast” ranked third, earning around $20 million from 3,435 theaters. Brad Pitt stars in the film as a retired soldier trying to survive in the Alaskan wilderness with his military dog after a plane crash. The film also grossed $30.1 million internationally.
The film, which had a budget of only around $15 million, opened with $19.2 million despite playing in roughly 500 fewer theaters than “Heart of the Beast,” whose production budget was $82 million.
Robert Pattinson plays the host of the show “To Catch a Predator,” while the film benefited from strong critical reviews and increased attention following its screening at the Venice Film Festival.
Box office data showed that 69% of “Prime Time” ticket buyers were under the age of 30, highlighting Pattinson’s strong appeal among Generation Z audiences.
This comes as Gen Z has become one of the most regular age groups in movie theaters, contributing to the success of several films throughout the year.
“The Forgotten Island” Struggles
Meanwhile, DreamWorks’ animated film “The Forgotten Island” struggled to compete, opening in fifth place with $12.8 million domestically despite having a budget of around $80 million.
The film also earned $7.8 million across 31 international markets.
Despite its weak commercial start, the film received a strong audience grade of A from CinemaScore, along with a 94% critics’ score on Rotten Tomatoes.
The crowded release schedule contributed to one of the strongest September weekends at the box office.
According to Rentrak data, ticket sales increased by 58.5% compared with the same weekend last year.
Domestic box office revenue since the beginning of the year has reached around $7.8 billion, up 19% from the same period last year.
“Avengers: Endgame – The Return” topped the box office with $26 million, followed by “Resident Evil” with $23.3 million, “Heart of the Beast” with $20 million, and “Prime Time” with $19.2 million. “The Forgotten Island” ranked fifth with $12.8 million, followed by “Practical Magic 2” with $5.7 million, “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” with $4.1 million, “The Odyssey” with $3.7 million, “Coyote vs. Acme” with $1.9 million, and “Daniel and the Fiery Furnace” in tenth place with $1.5 million.
Resource: Al-Ghad.
