‘Avengers: Endgame Encore’ Reopens the Race for All-Time Box Office Crown

Avatar photoHrvoje Milakovic
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For years, the all-time box office crown has been held by a familiar title, but Marvel is not finished vying for it. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ once claimed the title of the highest-grossing film of all time until ‘Avatar’ surpassed it following a re-release. Now, the Russo brothers’ 2019 finale is back in theaters, and the latest numbers are reigniting the competition.

The gap between the two films is narrow. ‘Avengers: Endgame’ currently stands at $2.799 billion globally, while ‘Avatar’ has reached $2.9237 billion, leaving a difference of approximately $124.3 million. Domestic ticket sales alone are unlikely to bridge that gap, with projections estimating the Encore’s opening weekend between $25 million and $28 million, which would still leave it around $96 million to $99 million short.

This is where international markets come into play. The first overseas openings began this week, and one box office account has already provided early performance estimates. On September 24, Box Office Forecast indicated that the race for the all-time crown was reignited, sharing its day-one estimates from France, Indonesia, and South Korea.

According to these estimates, the Encore’s opening day performance reached about 120% of the 2022 ‘Avatar’ re-release’s day one in France, approximately 300% in Indonesia, and around 110% in South Korea. However, compared to the original ‘Endgame’ debut, it was significantly lower, at about 10% in France, 15% in Indonesia, and 5% in South Korea. The report noted that around $125 million is necessary to make box office history.

While these figures are unofficial and not studio-reported, they provide a useful gauge of the film’s performance. They indicate that the Encore is outpacing the ‘Avatar’ re-release’s launch in these markets, while still falling short of the excitement generated by the original release, which is typical for a catalog re-issue.

Some concrete numbers support this upward trend. In Indonesia, Cinepoint reported 131,692 admissions across 2,108 showtimes on the first day, enough to reclaim the country’s overall admissions record for ‘Avengers: Endgame’. South Korea presents a unique situation, as the original attracted 13.97 million viewers and remains the highest-grossing foreign film in the country. The Encore opened on September 23 in Infinity Vision-certified theaters during the Chuseok holiday.

China may prove to be the pivotal market. Presales for the September 24-27 window reached $965,000 after two days and $2.2 million after five, according to box office trackers. Koimoi reported that the film is tracking above $20 million there and could surpass the $21.2 million opening weekend of the ‘Avatar’ re-release if it hits $21 million, although sales appear to be front-loaded toward Thursday previews and Friday.

Screenshot 2026 09 24 at 11 24 57 Avengers Endgame Rotten Tomatoes

Other markets are also performing well. India stands out among the territories, with trackers predicting a possible global opening exceeding $50 million. Domestic projections come from Variety ($25 million to $28 million) and Murphy’s Multiverse ($22 million to $27 million), with a top-end result potentially surpassing the $25.6 million opening of ‘Titanic 3D’, making it the biggest re-release weekend on record.

The Encore is more than just a re-release. It features an additional four minutes of footage, a new post-credits scene, and an exclusive first look at ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, set to arrive on December 18 with Robert Downey Jr. as Doctor Doom. Premium IMAX and Infinity Vision screenings include an extra sneak peek, providing fans with a compelling reason to purchase another ticket.

Marvel’s timing is also advantageous, as ‘Doomsday’ is set to debut just as Sony’s ‘Spider-Man: Brand New Day’ has overtaken ‘Endgame’ on the domestic all-time chart. A resurgence on the global list would give Marvel a significant headline before its next major event. However, the film still requires a lengthy international run and faces competition from ‘Resident Evil’ and other new releases.

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