‘Avengers: Endgame’ Re-Release Tops Star-Studded Thursday Box Office Showdown

Late September rarely produces a box office weekend this crowded, but this year’s crop of new releases and a blockbuster throwback are turning what’s usually a quiet stretch into a genuine free-for-all. Six different films cleared the million-dollar mark in preview screenings alone, a sign of just how much is riding on this particular frame.

Nostalgia, star power and international box office titans all collided on the same night, with names like Brad Pitt, Robert Pattinson and Marvel’s entire cinematic universe fighting for attention. Industry trackers were watching closely to see which release would separate itself from the pack.

By Thursday night, the numbers told a clear story. ‘Avengers: Endgame Encore‘ led the pack with 3.8 million dollars in preview screenings, according to figures shared by Exhibitor Relations, putting Marvel’s re-release comfortably ahead of every other title opening this weekend.

$1M CLUB: PREVIEW THURSDAY

1. AVENGERS ENDGAME: ENCORE ($3.8M)
2. RESIDENT EVIL ($3.3M)
3. PRIMETIME ($2.7M)
4. HEART OF THE BEAST ($2M)
5. THE PARADISE ($1.7M)
6. FORGOTTEN ISLAND ($1.5M)

— Exhibitor Relations Co. (@ERCboxoffice) September 25, 2026

Second place went to ‘Resident Evil,’ which pulled in 3.3 million dollars in its own Thursday haul, followed by Robert Pattinson’s ‘Primetime’ at 2.7 million dollars. Brad Pitt’s survival thriller ‘Heart of the Beast’ rounded out the next tier with 2 million dollars, while the Telugu-language action epic ‘The Paradise’ and DreamWorks Animation’s ‘Forgotten Island’ closed out the top six with 1.7 million dollars and 1.5 million dollars respectively.

What makes this particular Thursday chart stand out is just how varied the lineup is. ‘The Paradise,’ starring Nani and directed by Srikanth Odela, is a period action drama set in 1980s Secunderabad that follows a marginalized tribe’s fight against systemic oppression, and it arrives in North America already a certified hit overseas after crossing significant advance bookings across India.

‘Forgotten Island,’ meanwhile, marks DreamWorks Animation’s latest original story, directed by ‘Puss in Boots: The Last Wish’ filmmaker Joel Crawford alongside co-director Januel Mercado. The film follows a broad party comedy adventure rooted in Philippine mythology, giving families a fresh option alongside the weekend’s heavier offerings.

On the live-action side, ‘Heart of the Beast’ finds Brad Pitt playing a Special Forces officer stranded in the Alaskan wilderness alongside his retired combat dog, a survival story directed by David Ayer. ‘Primetime’ stars Robert Pattinson in a considerably different register, playing a journalist in a project that’s generated its own share of buzz heading into release.

Still, all eyes remain on ‘Avengers: Endgame’s’ return to theaters. The film’s preview haul continues a pattern of record-setting momentum that started when tickets first went on sale in late August, when the re-release posted the biggest first-day presales of the century for any theatrical reissue.

That early surge has only built from there, with North American presales eventually climbing to nearly 15 million dollars, reportedly the highest total ever recorded for a theatrical re-release. With Thursday’s preview numbers now in, industry watchers are increasingly confident the film could clear 25.6 million dollars this weekend, which would be enough to surpass the 2012 3D re-release of ‘Titanic’ for the biggest re-release opening weekend of all time.

Reassemble the team & relive the experience as Avengers Endgame: Encore returns to theaters September 25.

Tickets now available for IMAX and Infinity Vision screens: https://t.co/pZZ4PiOyQb pic.twitter.com/2wKSVG4FLz

— Marvel Studios (@MarvelStudios) August 25, 2026

For a film originally released in 2019, that kind of staying power is a testament to just how much goodwill still surrounds the Marvel franchise, and how effectively nostalgia can be packaged as a fresh theatrical event. With ‘Resident Evil’ and a handful of strong newcomers also drawing solid numbers, this weekend is shaping up to be one of the more competitive box office stretches of the year.

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