TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Avengers: Endgame could return to the top of the domestic box office nearly seven years after its original release, as Disney brings the Marvel blockbuster back to theaters ahead of Avengers: Doomsday.
The 2019 superhero film, re-released as Avengers: Endgame Encore, is projected to earn between $25 million and $28 million in North America over the weekend. That would put it in a close race for first place with Resident Evil, which is expected to collect $24 million to $26 million in its second weekend, as reported by Variety.
Resident Evil led the box office last weekend with $61 million, marking the franchise’s biggest opening.
New Releases Compete for Third Place
While Endgame Encore and Resident Evil battle for the top spot, three new films are expected to compete for third place.
Brad Pitt’s survival adventure The Heart of the Beast, Universal and DreamWorks Animation’s family film Forgotten Island, and A24’s Primetime, starring Robert Pattinson, are projected to open with between $15 million and $20 million each.
The Heart of the Beast and Primetime are both expected to earn $17 million to $20 million, while Forgotten Island is projected to collect $15 million to $17 million.
All three films have received positive reviews, raising the possibility that strong word-of-mouth could push their box-office performances beyond initial projections.
Why Primetime Could Turn a Profit
Primetime could have an advantage because of its relatively modest production budget of $15 million.
The film stars Pattinson as Dateline NBC journalist Chris Hansen and follows the production of To Catch a Predator, the television series known for its undercover operations targeting suspected child sexual predators.
Directed by Lance Oppenheim, Primetime also stars Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and Phoebe Bridgers. The film premiered at the Venice Film Festival to strong reviews.
The movie is another major release for Pattinson in a busy year. He also starred in The Drama and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, and is set to appear in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming Dune: Part III.
The Heart of the Beast Faces a Bigger Financial Challenge
The Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer, stars Pitt as a retired veteran who embarks on a dangerous 58-mile journey to safety after surviving a plane crash in the Alaskan wilderness with his combat dog.
The film has an $82 million production budget, making its theatrical performance particularly important. Paramount is releasing the film shortly after settling an antitrust case with state attorneys general that removed a major obstacle to its planned acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery.
Paramount CEO David Ellison has pledged that the combined company will release at least 30 films annually, while theater operators will be watching closely to see whether those movies can attract audiences.
Forgotten Island Targets Family Audiences
Forgotten Island, produced for about $80 million, follows two best friends who become stranded in a mysterious world.
The animated film could benefit from limited competition for younger audiences, with no major kid-focused movie having opened since Moana in July.
Recent animated releases such as The Wild Robot, GOAT and Minions & Monsters have also demonstrated the potential for family films to maintain strong box-office audiences beyond their opening weekends.
Directed by Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado, Forgotten Island features H.E.R., Dave Franco and Jenny Slate among its voice cast.
Why Avengers: Endgame Encore Matters
Avengers: Endgame remains one of the highest-grossing films in box-office history, earning $2.799 billion worldwide during its original theatrical run.
Its return to theaters comes ahead of Avengers: Doomsday, which is scheduled to open in December and brings together many of Marvel’s major superheroes.
The strong interest in Endgame Encore could provide an early indication of audience enthusiasm for the next Avengers film.
For now, Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day holds the year’s biggest domestic opening at $360 million and has grossed $2.47 billion worldwide.
The return of the Avengers to theaters will show whether Marvel’s flagship superhero team can once again generate the kind of box-office excitement that has defined the franchise.
Read: 'Avengers: Doomsday' Hits $50M in Presales, Sparks $3B Box Office Buzz