The re-release of the 2019 superhero film "Avengers: Endgame" led the North American box office this past weekend, earning an estimated $26 million. This encore screening is part of Disney’s promotional strategy to generate early excitement ahead of the upcoming "Avengers: Doomsday" film, scheduled for release on December 18. The return of "Endgame," which is the second-highest-grossing film of all time with $2.8 billion in worldwide ticket sales, has brought in a total of $86 million globally during its recent theatrical run.

One factor drawing audiences back is the inclusion of four new post-credit scenes in the re-release, designed to set up the next installment in the franchise. Veteran industry analyst David A. Gross described the move as an effective marketing tool to build early word-of-mouth and anticipation.

In second place at the box office was Sony’s "Resident Evil," which earned approximately $23.3 million domestically, pushing its global total over the first two weeks to more than $196 million. Paramount’s "Heart of the Beast," a survival drama starring Brad Pitt as a former soldier navigating the Alaskan wilderness alongside a traumatized combat dog, debuted in third place with $20 million.

Also debuting over the weekend was A24’s "Primetime," starring Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen, host of the real-life investigative TV show "To Catch a Predator," which used sting operations to expose suspected sexual predators. The film opened to around $19.2 million.

The animated family film "Forgotten Island" opened to $12.8 million, a figure considered weak for an original animation from a major studio despite receiving generally positive reviews. Gross noted that international box office performance could help counterbalance the modest domestic start.

Rounding out the top ten releases were "Practical Magic 2" with $5.7 million, "Spider-Man: Brand New Day" at $4.1 million, "The Odyssey" with $3.7 million, "Coyote vs Acme" at $1.9 million, and "Daniel and the Fiery Furnace" earning $1.5 million.