Four-Wide Opening Weekend: Avengers Endgame Encore Leads $20M+ Projections Across Four Films

Deadline’s Friday PM box-office update outlines a weekend where four wide releases are projected to top $20 million each, signaling strong moviegoing in a year approaching $10 billion at the global box office. The Northeast weather scenario—wind and rain near New Jersey to Boston—could affect theater operations, but no closures are reported in the piece.

Avengers Endgame Encore leads the new slate with an estimated three-day gross in the $23–26 million range after an $11 million Friday, across roughly 3,060 theaters. The film’s cumulative domestic total could rise to about $884.3 million with this weekend’s performance, though it isn’t expected to surpass Sony’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day domestically (projected around $950 million by Sunday).

Resident Evil (Sony) is forecast for around $22 million in its three-day tally from a Friday of about $6.5 million across 3,684 theaters, bringing its domestic running total to about $102.1 million by the end of Sunday.

Heart of the Beast (Paramount) and Primetime (A24) occupy a closer fight for third. Heart of the Beast is projected at a Friday of $7.5 million and a three-day total near $20.5 million from about 3,435 sites. Primetime is tracking around an $8.5 million Friday with potential to exceed $20 million, aided by a $15 million production budget and favorable early reactions.

Forgotten Island (Universal/DreamWorks Animation) posted $3.9 million in previews and is seen finishing the weekend between $13–15 million across roughly 3,500 venues, with a 3-day tally near that range. The film’s critics’ score is reported as 95% fresh on Rotten Tomatoes in the piece, and it is the family option in the late-September window.

Overall weekend context The top five estimates for the frame total roughly $95–98 million, with some projecting the best late-September weekend since 2018. Deadline notes that this is a rare alignment of four wide openings targeting different demos, with Encore drawing fan attention, Primetime appealing to Gen-Z and Pattinson enthusiasts, Heart of the Beast drawing older adults and families to a Brad Pitt-starrer survival story, and Forgotten Island aiming for family audiences.

Previews and international outlook Encore’s previews have been running, with early comparisons to historic re-releases. Overseas, Encore is expected to bring in about $25 million, part of a broader weekend that could approach a ~$50 million worldwide figure for the frame. The piece also highlights Rotten Tomatoes sentiment for Primetime (86% certified fresh) and for Heart of the Beast (late-week audience response noted as strong).

Source: Deadline

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