Marvel Studios’ 2019 blockbuster “Avengers: Endgame” has taken back the title of the highest-grossing film ever, not adjusted for inflation, after a theatrical re-release pushed it past James Cameron’s “Avatar” over the weekend.
The film’s worldwide total reached an estimated $2.9255 billion, The Walt Disney Co. said Sunday, edging the $2.9237 billion earned by “Avatar.” That leaves a margin of roughly $1.8 million between the two films.
The change at the top came during the second weekend of “Avengers Endgame: Encore,” which earned $4.4 million in the U.S. and Canada and $14.4 million internationally from Friday through Sunday, according to The Hollywood Reporter and The Associated Press.
Over two weekends, the “Encore” run has brought in about $126 million worldwide, with $36.2 million from North America and $89.8 million from overseas markets, according to TheWrap and Deadline.
A record that has changed hands before
“Avatar,” released by 20th Century Fox in 2009, held the record for about a decade until “Endgame” passed it in 2019. Cameron’s film moved back into first place after a 2021 re-release in China, ahead of the 2022 sequel “Avatar: The Way of Water.” Disney now controls both films; it acquired Fox’s movie business in 2019, Variety noted.
Disney returned “Endgame” to theaters in late September to stoke interest in “Avengers: Doomsday,” which brings directors Anthony and Joe Russo back to the franchise. TheWrap reported that the “Encore” version has an altered ending and adds three scenes in and after the end credits that connect to the new film.
The re-release opened at No. 1 in North America with about $26 million. Its $86 million worldwide opening-weekend total ranked second among global re-releases, behind only the 2012 3D version of “Titanic,” according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney said it is behind seven of the 10 top-grossing films of all time. The company also said Marvel Studios’ 38 theatrical releases have grossed more than $35 billion worldwide, which it said ranks the Marvel Cinematic Universe as the top-earning film franchise ever.
Sony’s “Spider-Man: Brand New Day,” which passed $2.5 billion worldwide over the weekend, ranks third on the global list, according to Variety and The Hollywood Reporter. In North America alone, “Endgame” has earned about $894.6 million, third behind “Spider-Man: Brand New Day” and “Star Wars: The Force Awakens,” Deadline reported. Its international total is about $2.03 billion.
Box office records are based on ticket revenue and do not account for rising ticket prices over time, so older hits rank lower than they would if their grosses were adjusted for inflation.
What’s next
“Avengers: Doomsday” is scheduled to open Dec. 18, setting up a release-day showdown with Warner Bros.’ “Dune: Part Three.” Disney said the film will bring together heroes from across Marvel, including the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the X-Men and the Thunderbolts. TheWrap reported, citing theatrical sources, that advance ticket sales for “Doomsday” had already reached nearly $60 million. Because “Encore” is still playing in some theaters, “Endgame” could widen its narrow lead in the coming weeks.
