‘Avengers: Endgame’ rules North America again after big-screen return

<Avengers: Endgame> reclaimed the top spot at the North American box office after its triumphant return to theaters, surpassing all competitors once again. The 2019 superhero film, which stars Robert Downey Jr., Josh Brolin, and Scarlett Johansson, earned an impressive US$86 million (RM350.75 million) during its weekend re-release.

This comeback comes ahead of the highly anticipated December 18 release of Avengers: Doomsday, with eager fans anticipating four new post-credit scenes that will tease the upcoming film. Industry expert David A. Gross noted that the re-release serves as an effective marketing strategy to generate early word-of-mouth excitement. Sony's Resident Evil took second place, earning an estimated US$196 million (RM799.39 million) over its first two weeks.

Paramount's Heart of the Beast, starring Brad Pitt and a traumatized combat dog, brought in US$20 million (RM81.57 million) during its opening weekend. A24's Primetime, based on the real-life TV show To Catch a Predator, netted US$19.2 million (RM78.31 million) for its debut. However, Universal's Forgotten Island, an animated family film, underperformed with just US$12.8 million (RM52.20 million) in its opening weekend.

Despite the weak domestic performance, Gross remains optimistic, suggesting that the film's overseas success could help offset the losses. The rest of the top 10 includes Practical Magic 2, Spider-Man: Brand New Day, The Odyssey, Coyote vs Acme, and Daniel and the Fiery Furnace.