Marvel won the North American box office weekend of 25–27 September 2026, but this was not a weekend with only one film worth discussing. A rerelease took first place, a horror franchise held second, and two new releases opened close together in third and fourth.
Avengers Endgame: Encore led with an estimated $26 million in the United States and Canada. Resident Evil followed with $23.3 million in its second weekend. Newcomers Heart of the Beast and Primetime earned an estimated $20 million and $19.2 million respectively.
The four results invite an interesting question: did audiences favour Marvel, horror or fresh drama? The figures show that people bought tickets for all four. They do not reveal each viewer’s motivation, and they cannot establish a lasting shift in taste after one weekend. What they can show is how closely several different kinds of films competed for attention.
Important: All North American weekend grosses in this article are estimates. Final reported figures may differ. North America here refers to the United States and Canada; worldwide totals are identified separately.
The Top Four North American Films
| Rank | Film | Estimated weekend gross | Cinemas | Week |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Avengers Endgame: Encore | $26.0 million | 3,060 | 1 |
| 2 | Resident Evil | $23.3 million | 3,684 | 2 |
| 3 | Heart of the Beast | $20.0 million | 3,435 | 1 |
| 4 | Primetime | $19.2 million | 2,874 | 1 |
Based on Box Office Mojo’s weekend estimates, those four films took in approximately $88.5 million combined. Only $6.8 million separated first place from fourth. That is the central story of the weekend: a clear winner, but no runaway gap between the leading choices.
1. Avengers Endgame: Encore — An Event Built Around a Familiar Film
Avengers Endgame: Encore opened in first place with an estimated $26 million from 3,060 North American cinemas. Disney reported an estimated $86 million worldwide for the rerelease’s opening weekend, including $60 million from international markets.
The result is notable because Encore is a return of a film that audiences have been able to watch for years. Its main story is already widely known. The theatrical version adds footage connecting it to the upcoming Avengers: Doomsday, and Disney says screenings include an exclusive look at that film. IMAX and Infinity Vision presentations offer an additional sneak peek.
Those additions give the rerelease a reason to exist beyond nostalgia. Fans preparing for Doomsday can revisit the earlier Avengers finale and see material positioned as a bridge to the next film. Other viewers may simply want the scale, sound and collective excitement of seeing Endgame in a cinema again.
Box Office Mojo lists an estimated average of $8,496 per cinema for Encore, the highest among the top four. That average does not tell us exactly how many seats were filled or how much of the gross came from premium screens. Ticket prices and showtimes differ. It does show that the rerelease generated substantial revenue relative to its cinema count.
What the opening suggests: A familiar blockbuster can still be a successful theatrical event when viewers see a reason to return. The new Marvel material and the opportunity for a communal rewatch both provide plausible attractions. The box office cannot separate their individual effects.
It is also too soon to predict how long the rerelease will remain near the top. Fans who most wanted the new footage may have gone immediately. Alternatively, word of mouth and group outings could extend interest. Its second weekend will give a better indication than the opening alone.
2. Resident Evil — Horror Stays Competitive in Week Two
Resident Evil earned an estimated $23.3 million in its second North American weekend, placing it only $2.7 million behind Encore. It played in 3,684 cinemas, more than any other film in the top four.
There is an important qualification: its weekend gross was down 61.3% from the previous frame, according to Box Office Mojo. The estimated North American cumulative gross stood at approximately $103.5 million after two weekends.
It is tempting to describe every large second-weekend fall as a sign that viewers have lost interest. That is too simple. Opening weekends often concentrate the most eager fans, particularly for recognizable franchises. The arrival of several competing films can also change how audiences divide their time and money. The decline deserves attention, but it does not erase the film’s substantial first two weekends.
The horror film entered this crowded frame as a returning champion rather than a new release. It had already had its initial moment of maximum publicity, yet it remained ahead of two prominent debuts. That is a stronger observation than claiming either a decisive victory or a collapse.
What the result suggests: Horror remained a significant part of the cinema mix despite a Marvel rerelease and new star-led alternatives. Its third weekend will help show whether the drop moderates once the initial opening rush is further behind it.
For anyone comparing the four films, remember that a second-weekend gross and an opening-weekend gross answer different questions. Resident Evil’s $23.3 million measures how it held after debut; the figures for Heart of the Beast and Primetime measure their first wave of demand.
3. Heart of the Beast — A Star-Led Survival Story Opens Solidly
Paramount’s Heart of the Beast opened third with an estimated $20 million from 3,435 cinemas. Paramount describes it as a survival thriller starring Brad Pitt and directed by David Ayer. Its premise follows a character stranded in the Alaskan wilderness after a plane crash.
The opening put the film $3.3 million behind Resident Evil and $6 million behind Encore. It also placed it just over $802,000 ahead of Primetime. In a weekend with several high-profile choices, that is a competitive debut rather than a distant third-place finish.
A recognizable star and a clear survival premise offer a different proposition from both superhero spectacle and franchise horror. That does not prove which element sold the most tickets. Marketing reach, available showtimes, reviews, local preferences and cinema placement all affect an opening result.
Box Office Mojo lists an estimated $5,822 per cinema. This figure is helpful as one way to compare releases of different sizes, but it should not be mistaken for an attendance count. A cinema with expensive premium showings can generate more revenue from the same number of viewers than one with lower ticket prices.
What the opening suggests: A new, star-led thriller found meaningful North American demand alongside established brands. The test now is whether the film can keep attracting viewers after opening-weekend curiosity fades.
It would be premature to call the movie a financial success or failure based only on its $20 million domestic debut. Such a judgment requires reliable information about its production and marketing costs, international performance and later weeks in release. This weekend establishes a starting point, not a final verdict.
4. Primetime — Fourth Place, but a Close Contest
A24’s Primetime opened with an estimated $19.2 million from 2,874 North American cinemas. A24 lists Robert Pattinson among the cast and describes a story involving a television host pursuing a moment of broadcast history.
It finished fourth, but its position needs context. Primetime played in fewer cinemas than any of the other three films above it. Its estimated gross was less than $1 million behind Heart of the Beast, which appeared in 561 more cinemas.
Its estimated per-cinema average was $6,679, compared with $5,822 for Heart of the Beast. That does not mean one film was better received than the other; averages are affected by location, showtimes, screen type and ticket price. It does mean the ranking alone gives an incomplete picture of how closely the two debuts competed.
What the opening suggests: A24’s release secured a meaningful share of a crowded weekend without matching the screen count of its nearest rival. Whether it can hold that audience is a question for the coming weeks.
One should also resist turning the result into a sweeping claim about independent or original films. One title’s opening is evidence about that title’s performance under its particular release conditions. A broader trend would require multiple films and a longer period of comparison.
Marvel, Horror or New Drama: Who Really Won?
If “won” means taking the most money over 25–27 September, the answer is straightforward: Avengers Endgame: Encore ranked first in North America. Disney also reported a much larger worldwide total for its opening weekend.
If the question is which genre audiences wanted, the answer is less tidy. Marvel led with a rerelease. Horror stayed within $2.7 million of first place in its second weekend. Two new releases each opened near $20 million. The chart points to varied ticket buying, not a single genre replacing all the others.
It also helps to distinguish a film’s total from the context behind it. Resident Evil had the largest cinema count of the four but was in week two. Encore had a smaller count and a premium-format appeal. Heart of the Beast and Primetime were both beginning their runs, with different numbers of venues. A simple ranking is an excellent starting point, but not a complete explanation.
None of these figures measures audience satisfaction. Ticket buyers might love a movie, dislike it, attend for a particular actor or join friends who chose the film. Weekend grosses cannot identify those reasons. Reviews and audience responses may add another perspective, but they should be reported separately from sales figures.
What the Results Mean for the Next Weekend
The immediate next step is to watch for final reported grosses. Estimated Sunday figures can shift once all ticket sales are counted. The broad shape of the weekend may remain the same, but close margins deserve particular care when updated numbers arrive.
After that, the second weekend of the three new entries will be revealing. Does Encore continue drawing people who want the cinema experience, or was demand concentrated among opening-weekend Marvel fans? Does Heart of the Beast hold audiences beyond its debut? Does Primetime maintain a competitive per-cinema result?
For Resident Evil, the next question is whether its weekend decline becomes less steep. One more set of numbers will not settle every issue, but it will provide a stronger basis for discussing staying power than an opening and a single follow-up weekend alone.
Final Takeaway
The estimated September 25–27 chart belongs to Avengers Endgame: Encore, which brought a familiar Marvel film back to first place. Yet this was also a weekend when Resident Evil remained competitive and Heart of the Beast and Primetime both attracted substantial opening audiences.
Marvel led; horror held; two new films made their mark. That is the supported conclusion for now. Claims about a permanent change in moviegoers’ tastes, or any film’s ultimate financial outcome, will need more than one weekend of estimated grosses.