Avengers: Endgame Reclaims Global Box Office Crown from Avatar After Encore Rerelease

Marvel's Endgame Tops Avatar Again After Encore Rerelease

Avengers: Endgame has returned to the top of the all-time global box office chart, overtaking James Cameron's Avatar by a narrow margin. According to TechSpot, the shift follows the theatrical release of Avengers: Endgame Encore, an updated version of the 2019 film. The rerelease pushed Endgame's worldwide total to $2.9255 billion, just ahead of Avatar's $2.9237 billion.

The two films have traded the record before. Avatar originally held the title for about a decade after its 2009 debut. Endgame first surpassed it in July 2019, shortly after its initial run, when it crossed $2.79 billion globally. Cameron publicly congratulated Marvel at the time. In 2021, a rerelease of Avatar ahead of Avatar: The Way of Water lifted that film back above Endgame.

Now Marvel has employed a similar tactic. The Encore version included roughly four minutes of additional footage across four scenes, which previewed Avengers: Doomsday, the next major Marvel event film scheduled for December. This approach turned an older hit into part of the marketing campaign for an upcoming release, rather than a simple anniversary screening or standard revival.

During its opening weekend, Endgame Encore earned $86 million worldwide, making it the second-biggest global rerelease opening ever, behind only the 2012 3D rerelease of Titanic. In North America, it opened at number one with $26 million, outperforming new titles such as Paramount's Heart of the Beast, A24's Primetime, and DreamWorks Animation's Forgotten Island.

Business slowed in the second weekend. The film collected $4.4 million domestically and $14.4 million internationally, for a second-weekend global total of $18.8 million. It ranked seventh at the domestic box office. Still, the first weekend provided enough of a boost to move Endgame past Avatar.

The record could change again. The difference between the two films is slim, and both have relied on rereleases to extend their box office runs years after their original debuts. Avatar could reclaim the top spot with another rerelease.

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This article is based on reporting by TechSpot. All figures and release details are as stated in that report.