On September 27, 2026 something happened that few expected. The re-release of the 2019 film "Avengers: Endgame" (under the title Avengers: Endgame – Encore) topped the American box office, grossing about $26 million over the weekend.
Important: this is not a new film, but specifically a re-release of the old picture from 2019.
The film beat all new releases and reminded Hollywood of a simple thing: sometimes audiences don't need yet another round of premieres. Sometimes they simply want to experience familiar cinema on the big screen once again.
Hollywood has spent years putting out new blockbusters, dreaming up fresh franchises, launching expensive premieres — and this weekend audiences suddenly decided:
"Thanks. We'd rather watch the 2019 film again."
The re-release of "Avengers: Endgame" under the title Avengers: Endgame – Encore took first place at the North American box office for the weekend of 25–27 September.
And this is no symbolic victory for an old hit.
The film grossed about $26 million in the US and Canada alone, and it was shown in more than 3 000 cinemas. Another roughly $60 million came from the international market.
In total — about $86 million in a single weekend for a picture that most Marvel fans already know by heart.
And the competitors were not old at all.
New films were playing in cinemas at the same time.
Second place went to the new "Resident Evil" with about $23,3 million for the weekend.
Besides it, viewers could choose among several major new releases, including "Heart of the Beast" with Brad Pitt, Primetime with Robert Pattinson and Forgotten Island.
But first place still went to Tony Stark, Captain America and company.
True, Marvel did add something.
This is not simply the exact same film put back into cinemas.
To the Encore version they added new post-credits material tied to future Marvel projects, and before the film the audience is greeted by Robert Downey Jr. and Chris Evans.
That is, the studio did after all give fans a reason to buy tickets again, and at the same time used the return of "Endgame" as a bridge to the future film "Avengers: Doomsday".
And now "Endgame" is once again closing in on "Avatar".
After the new release, the film's total worldwide gross rose to approximately $2,885 billion.
This is still second place in the history of worldwide box office, but the gap with "Avatar" has narrowed again — to approximately $39 million.
It is especially amusing that the re-release itself turned out to be one of the biggest for re-releases in the history of American box office.
Only re-releases had previously opened higher "Star Wars" in 1997 and "The Lion King" in 2011.
So the situation turned out to be almost ideal.
Hollywood:
"Look how many new films we've made!"
Viewers:
"Very interesting. Is Tony Stark in it?"
And seven years later "Avengers: Endgame" is No. 1 again.
The re-release became one of the most successful returns of a classic to cinemas in recent times and once again showed how strong nostalgia and love for that very "Phase 3" are.
