Endgame Encore and Resident Evil square off at the top
Disney is putting Avengers: Endgame back in theaters as a lead-in to Avengers: Doomsday, which arrives in December. The 2019 film is tracking to earn $25 million to $28 million over the weekend, a strong result for a re-release. It will contend for first place with Zach Cregger's Resident Evil reboot, which is projected at $24 million to $26 million in its second weekend after opening to $61 million, the best debut in the franchise's history.[S1]
Endgame remains the second-highest-grossing film ever with $2.799 billion worldwide, and the encore's performance is an early signal for Doomsday, which brings together nearly all of the Marvel heroes and is expected to be one of 2026's biggest releases. So far this year, Sony's Spider-Man: Brand New Day holds the largest domestic opening at $360 million and the highest global haul at $2.47 billion, leaving open the question of whether the Avengers reunion can challenge those marks.[S1]
Three newcomers chase third place with different economics
Paramount's The Heart of the Beast, Universal and DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island, and A24's Primetime are all aiming for third. Primetime and The Heart of the Beast are each projected at $17 million to $20 million, while Forgotten Island is looking at $15 million to $17 million. All three have strong reviews and could outperform if word-of-mouth is positive.[S1]
Primetime cost only $15 million, so it is well placed to profit during its theatrical run. The Heart of the Beast carries an $82 million budget and Forgotten Island cost $80 million, meaning both need to stay in theaters beyond opening weekend to justify their spending, especially since exhibitors keep roughly half of ticket revenue.[S1]
Pitt, Pattinson and a family film with pent-up demand
Robert Pattinson is having a busy stretch, following his spring indie success The Drama and Christopher Nolan's summer hit The Odyssey, with a role still to come in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part III. In Primetime, helmed by Lance Oppenheim, Pattinson portrays Dateline NBC's Chris Hansen, focusing on how To Catch a Predator was made — the show built around elaborate stings targeting child sexual predators. Merritt Wever, Skyler Gisondo and Phoebe Bridgers round out the cast, and the movie earned enthusiastic notices at its Venice Film Festival premiere.[S1]
The Heart of the Beast, directed by David Ayer, casts Pitt as a former service member who, alongside his military dog, endures a punishing 58-mile journey to safety following a plane crash in Alaska's backcountry. Its release lands just days after Paramount resolved an antitrust dispute with state attorneys general, removing a key obstacle to its purchase of Warner Bros. Discovery. Paramount chief David Ellison has pledged a minimum of 30 films annually from the merged studio, though theater owners remain eager for proof those releases will sell tickets.[S1]
Forgotten Island, which follows two close friends marooned in an enchanted realm, could capitalize on a drought of family fare — nothing major aimed at kids has arrived since Moana in July. Lately, animated releases including The Wild Robot, GOAT and Minions & Monsters have maintained momentum in cinemas for several weeks following their openings. Joel Crawford and Januel Mercado share directing duties, and the voice roster features H.E.R., Dave Franco and Jenny Slate.[S1]
