Box Office: ‘Avengers Endgame: Encore’ Opens $86M WW Ahead Of ‘Doomsday’

What was old at the global box office this weekend was new as Disney/Marvel Studio’s Avengers Endgame: Encore led in an exceptional take for a re-release of $86M WW.

Beamed Andrew Cripps, Disney’s Global Boss of Distribution, “The success of the re-release reiterates that there’s a massive fanbase for this franchise, and the fact that it’s a seven-year old movie on Disney+, it’s an incredible opening.”

Close to 14% of Encore‘s cash came from Imax which made $13.7M off the superhero pic for $4M domestic and $9.7M abroad.

Yes, with a handful of minutes of extra footage of the Russo Brothers’ upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, Encore was an advertisement for that movie, but one which yielded more bucks to the overall Marvel Cinematic Universe with $35 billion global across 38 titles. After this weekend, the lifetime worldwide take for Avengers: Endgame moves to $2.885B behind Avatar‘s $2.92B and ahead of Spider-Man: Brand New Day‘s updated global tally of $2.495B.

With $26M stateside, that repped the third best start for a re-release behind 1997’s re-issue of Star Wars ($35.9M) and 2011’s The Lion King 3D ($30.2M).

Overseas with $60M, Encore was the second highest foreign debut for a re-release behind Titanic 3D in 2012 at current rates. That James Cameron movie at the height of the 3D crazy did $67M boosted by China.

Avengers: Endgame bowed to No. 1 in China ($13.5M), UK ($5.4M), Mexico ($4.2M), Italy ($2.6M), Brazil ($2.2M), Germany ($2M), Australia, and was the best non-local in Japan ($2.6M) and Spain ($1.7M). Disney estimates that Encore was the highest ever opening weekend for a MPA re-release in UK, Mexico and Brazil as well as Netherlands, Greece, S. Africa, Poland, Albania, Bosnia, Bulgaria, Croatia, Hungary, Israel, Kazakhstan, Macedonia, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Turkey, Ukraine, UAE, India, Indonesia, Philippines, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Taiwan and all smaller Latin American territories.

Pic was second highest opening ever for a MPA title in Italy, Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and Argentina.

Other No. 1 openings were Austria, Belgium, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, Bosnia, Croatia, Czechia, Jordan, Kyrgyzstan (non-local), Lebanon, Qatar, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Tajikistan, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, India (non-local with $2.8M), Indonesia (non-local), Vietnam (non-local), Argentina and all smaller Latin American territories.

The Anthony and Joe Russo directed movie ranked second in Korea in the holiday period of Chuseok holidays (Sept. 24-27) that’s described as the country’s Thanksgiving by sources. The No. 1 pic in Korea was The Assassin in a box office weekend where three local films dominated the top 5.

France did $2.1M, but Paramount’s Heart of the Beast led there with a Brad Pitt wow factor, that David Ayer directed military vet and dog feature seeing $3.8M.

Second place worldwide is a fight between zombies and Pitt. Sony/Constantin’s Resident Evil posted a second frame of $50.3M, $27M of that coming from 65 overseas markets on 12,500+ screens. Cume abroad in both Sony and Constantin territories is $93M with an overall $196.5M WW.

UK, Mexico, and Australia each set franchise records in just the second weekend with market totals of $11.5M ($2.9M weekend), $9.0M ($2.2M weekend), and $5.4M ($1.7M weekend), respectively. France (Metropolitan) earned $1.8M (-39%) for a market take of $5.0M, and Germany (Constantin) grossed $1.5M (-40%) for a local cume of $4.5M cume. Next stops are China on Oct. 5 and Japan on Oct. 9 for the flesh eating beings.

Heart of the Beast barked up $50.1M WW with $30.1M abroad from 63 markets. As we told you, France was tops, but also New Zealand and this is the ultimate outdoors film for them ($454K including previews from 128 sites. Also big was United Arab Emirates where a lot of yank moviegoers are with $1M, No. 1 at 58 sites. Middle East grossed $2.6M on the pic.

Rest all including previews (except Argentina) were UK (No. 3, $2.7M at 559 locations), Mexico (No. 2, $2.4M), Australia (No. 3 with $1.6M at 307), Spain (No. 3, $1.5M at 326), Italy (No. 3 $1.2M at 370), Japan (No. 4, $1.2M at 344), Germany ($1M, No. 3 at 428 sites), Brazil (No. 4 $925K at 585 locations), Colombia (No. 2 $872K at 210), Netherlands (No. 3 $574K at 116 locations), Taiwan (No. 3 $419K at 90 sites), Poland (No. 3 grossing $407K at 178 locations), India (opened at #5 grossing $392K at 345 locations, Peru (No. 3 $304K at 108 locations), Ukraine (No. 1 $306K at 171 locations), Argentina (No. 3 $292K at 180 locations), Portugal (No. 1 $290K at 48 locations), Hong Kong (No. 4 $285K at 57), and Belgium (No. 3 grossing $276K at 80 locations).

A24’s Primetime with $19.1M stateside, had a limited launch abroad with $1.2M in France, Germany, Austria, India, Taiwan, Baltic’s and Iceland for an overall $20.3M WW. Of that France did $530K and Germany/Austria was $325K. What’s interesting is some distribution sources believe, at least stateside, that Heart of the Beast is going to have a fantastic multiple off that A- CinemaScore, while Primetime is front loaded with a B. I beg to differ as Primetime sells itself when you sit in theater, however, the truth will be in the numbers.

Universal’s second weekend foreign, first weekend in North America of DreamWorks Animation’s Forgotten Island did $18.4M WW ($5.6M foreign from 34 territories and $12.8M domestic).

Philippines led with No. 1 $1.5M this weekend at 280 locations, well above major tentpoles Super Mario Bros, Despicable Me 4, Zootopia 2 and Minions: The Rise of Gru. It’s the biggest opening of the year for a Universal title there ahead of Odyssey. Spain did $500K at 390 sites for a No. 5 rank. The film has received a strong 7.3 FilmAffinity Score, just below The Wild Robot (7.5) and above Inside Out 2 (7.1) and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (7.0). Italy was also No. 5 bow with $500K at 372. Brazil did $400K, No. 6 at 682. That includes $190K in previews. Israel posted No. 1 with $300K at 70 sites in line with Trolls and above Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, Puss In Boots: The Last Wish, Wish, Hoppers and The Wild Robot. Forgotten Island opens into Sukkot Holidays, which run from Sept. 25 to Oct. 3. Korea bowed to $219K at No. 10 at 550 sites, which includes $117K in previews. The film has received a strong CGV Egg score (96%). Sweden saw $150K at 132 in No. 5, an opening at this level is in line with Elio, Goat and Puss In Boots: The Last Wish. Australia held over with $737K in weekend 2 for a $1.8M cume. School holidays are taking place in 50% of the market, with the remaining 50% starting next Monday. Forgotten Island ranks No.4, as the top family film in the market, above Coyote vs. Acme (No.8), PAW Patrol (No.7) and Shaun the Sheep (No.10). Mexico added $300k in weekend dos to reach $1.4M cume. Forgotten Island ranks No.7 in the market.