Sporting an extra couple minutes of runtime from the 2019 original and primed to build anticipation for Doomsday, Disney/Marvel unveils Avengers: Endgame Encore on September 25th. The epic 22nd feature in the MCU is already the second highest grossing pic worldwide ever (behind Avatar) and would need a bit over $125 million globally to take the crown back.
The re-release immediately follows another record for the franchise. Spider-Man: Brand New Day just became the (unadjusted for inflation) #1 domestic earner of all time. Endgame, with its voluminous list of cast members from Robert Downey Jr.’s Tony Stark to the Chris triumvirate (Evans, Hemsworth, Pratt) to Robert Redford’s final screen appearance and so many more, should benefit from being sandwiched between New Day and Doomsday.
Estimates have this making anywhere from late teens to late 20s. I’ll go in the middle and say mid 20s is achievable. That would put it in the mix for the top spot depending on the sophomore frame for Resident Evil.
Avengers: Endgame Encore opening weekend prediction: $24 million
Zach Cregger’s reboot of the Resident Evil franchise should easily dominate the box office charts and it’s the only new release I have in the top six. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on it here:
Coming off a massive summer 2025 hit with Weapons, Cregger’s latest should have no trouble achieving the best earnings of an Evil iteration. This is the eighth overall feature in the franchise that began in 2002. My mid 50s call has it doubling the current holder in 2010’s Resident Evil: Afterlife at $26 million.
That’s about it as far as intrigue for the weekend. Holdovers should populate slots 2-6 with Spider-Man: Brand New Day and The Odyssey battling it out for third and Coyote vs. Acme and Runner in a close competition for fifth. Practical Magic 2, after a subpar start, should fall to runner-up status with a decline that could approach 60%.. Here’s how I have it shaking out:
1. Resident Evil
Predicted Gross: $55.8 million
2. Practical Magic 2
Predicted Gross: $12.4 million
3. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Predicted Gross: $4.7 million
4. The Odyssey
Predicted Gross: $4.6 million
5. Coyote vs. Acme
Predicted Gross: $3.5 million
6. Runner
Predicted Gross: $3.3 million
Box Office Results (September 11-13)
Audiences weren’t nearly as bewitched by Practical Magic 2 as I thought they might be. Arriving 28 years after the original, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman’s return to witchy territory came in at the low end of expectations with $30 million. I thought it would conjure up $43.5 million. It did manage to knock off Spider-Man: Brand New Day after six weeks in first.
Spidey made $8.4 million compared to my $10.3 million projection. The MCU record breaker has amassed $935 million in seven weeks and will become the highest grossing domestic picture of all time early this week (beating out Star Wars: The Force Awakens).
The Odyssey was third with $7.5 million, a bit shy of my $8.6 million call for a fantastic $600 million after nine weeks of release.
I mistakenly undervalued Runner from Angel Studios with Alan Ritchson and Owen Wilson. I didn’t do an estimate for it, but the action comedy came in fourth with $6.4 million.
Coyote vs. Acme was right behind in fifth as it also made $6.4 million. The live-action/animated hybrid was in line with my $6.2 million forecast and is up to $47 million after three weeks.
Two other newcomers failed to attract eyeballs. South Korean sci-fi/action spectacle Hope was eighth with $3.2 million and $4.9 million since its Wednesday premiere. That’s well below my respective projections of $5.9 million and $9.4 million.
Andrew Garfield’s The Uprising was ninth with a paltry $3.3 million (I said $4.2 million). The Robin Hood origin story was another flop for that character after 2018’s Robin Hood and this summer’s The Death of Robin Hood.
Adapted from the video games that kicked off 30 years ago, Resident Evil is rebooted for the second time on the big screen starting September 18th. It has the advantage of being directed by Zach Cregger. His Barbarian was a critical favorite in 2022 followed by the massive box office success ($150 million) of Weapons last year. Austin Abrams (who memorably appeared in Weapons) stars alongside Zach Cherry, Kali Reis, and Paul Walter Hauser.
Starting in 2002, Milla Jovovich headlined six Evil entries. The top opener was #4, Resident Evil: Afterlife and it took in $26 million for starters. Three others (parts 2, 3, 5) managed $20M+ out of the gate. However, audiences weren’t checking in by part 6 (The Final Chapter) which premiered with $13 million.
2021’s reboot Resident Evil: Welcome to Raccoon City brought the pics to new lows with a debut just north of $5 million and $17 million overall stateside (both easy franchise lows). The tide should turn here in major fashion for the action horror series.
In a best case scenario, Cregger’s participation and a hunger from genre fans for fresh product could not only set an Evil best for opening weekends. That shouldn’t be an issue. This has the possibility of grossing $60M+ from Friday to Sunday and that would be more in three days than any Evil movie has made domestically in total. I think mid 50s is where it lands but don’t be too afraid to consider the over.
Resident Evil opening weekend prediction: $55.8 million
Spidey’s reign atop the box office charts looks to end this weekend with the release of Practical Magic 2. We also have the South Korean sci-fi action epic Hope and period action drama The Uprising out. You can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the trio here:
Reuniting Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman 26 years after their witchy original, Practical Magic 2 has a nostalgia factor and an appeal to a female audience that could mean an impressive start. My high 40s projection gives it (unadjusted for inflation) more in its first frame than the 1998 original made in its entire domestic run.
Hope is a wild card as the South Korean release boasts the widest opening from its country since 2019’s Parasite. The Wednesday bow has me thinking it’ll manage a fifth place start over the traditional weekend with nearly $10 million over the five-day.
My hunch is that The Uprising from Paul Greengrass and starring Andrew Garfield will struggle. Out on a smallish 1500 reported screens, my mid single digits estimate should mean a premiere just outside the top five.
As for holdovers, Spider-Man: Brand New Day may still manage double digits as it finally moves to the runner-up spot while The Odyssey and Coyotevs. Acme should be third and fourth. Here’s how I see it shaking out:
1. Practical Magic 2
Predicted Gross: $43.5 million
2. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Predicted Gross: $10.3 million
3. The Odyssey
Predicted Gross: $8.6 million
4. Coyote vs. Acme
Predicted Gross: $6.2 million
5. Hope
Predicted Gross: $5.9 million (Friday to Sunday); $9.4 million (Wednesday to Sunday)
6. The Uprising
Predicted Gross: $4.2 million
Box Office Results (September 4-7)
Capping off a fruitful summer, the Labor Day weekend was a winner for the MCU as Spider-Man: Brand New Day put up $23.7 million from Friday to Monday. That’s right on pace with my $23 million prediction with the juggernaut hitting $923 million after six weeks. It is now just $13 million away from the all-time domestic record of $936 million held by Star Wars: The Force Awakens. That record looks to fall in the coming days.
The Odyssey was once again #2 with $17.2 million, eclipsing my $14.8 million projection. Christopher Nolan’s all-time largest earner grew to $588 million after eight weeks.
Coyote vs. Acme held up impressively in third for its sophomore outing with $16.1 million compared to my $13.2 million call. The tally is $38 million for the live-action/animated hybrid that nearly didn’t see the light of day.
The holiday weekend’s top grossing newcomer was By Any Means with Mark Wahlberg. The crime thriller was fourth with $9.2 million, a bit ahead of my $7.8 million forecast.
Disney/Pixar’s 20th anniversary re-release of Cars rounded out the top five with $8 million and I incorrectly had it outside of the top half of the chart.
Insidious: Out of the Further placed sixth and also took in $8 million (I said $7.5 million). The horror sequel has scared up $55 million in three weeks.
14th century set action drama The Uprising hits theaters on September 11th from Bourne franchise director Paul Greengrass. Andrew Garfield headlines a cast including Jamie Bell, Stephen Dillane, Tom Hollander, Cosmo Jarvis, Thomasin McKenzie, Jonny Lee Miller, Woody Norman, and Katherine Waterston.
The Focus Features release has recently changed its marketing to reveal itself as a Robin Hood origin tale. I’m not so sure that’ll get it any more box office bucks. Recent iterations like 2018’s Robin Hood with Taron Egerton and this year’s The Death of Robin Hood with Hugh Jackman have flopped.
I haven’t detected any momentum for The Uprising and I’m projecting mid single digits at best considering the reported 1500 screen count.
The Uprising opening weekend prediction: $4.2 million
Na Hong-jin’s South Korean action sci-fi spectacle Hope looks to post impressive domestic grosses when it debuts September 9th. Reportedly the widest stateside release from its nation since 2019’s Parasite, the film originally premiered at Cannes before hitting South Korean venues in July. Hwang Jung-min, Zo In-sung, and Hoyean lead the cast along with Taylor Russell, Cameron Britton, Alicia Vikander, and Michael Fassbender.
Hope drew passionate reactions at Cannes with many reviews lauding the filmmaker’s directorial flourishes while being more critical of other aspects. Rotten Tomatoes is at 77% with a 68 Metacritic. Neon is handling North American distribution. With a Wednesday start, I could see its grosses being front-loaded and I think the five-day could approach $10 million.
Hope opening weekend prediction: $5.9 million (Friday to Sunday); $9.4 million (Wednesday to Sunday)
In 1998, Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman headlined the witchy fantasy Practical Magic and it grossed a solid $46 million domestically ($94 million in today’s bucks). It has since gained a significant cult following and the two stars return for Practical Magic 2 on September 11th. Dianne Wiest and Stockard Channing reprise their roles from the original. Susanne Bier takes over directorial duties from Griffin Dunne. New cast members include Joey King, Lee Pace, Maisie Williams, Xolo Maridueña, and Solly McLeod.
At the least, this should be the movie that finally dislodges Spider-Man: Brand New Day from the #1 spot after six weeks. The floor for this is probably $30 million. A sizable female audience should turn up and even some younger viewers who have caught part 1 on streaming or cable. Nostalgia should be a powerful spell for plenty of paying customers.
A best case scenario could be Magic earning more in its first weekend than Magic‘s entire stateside run. My hunch is to take the slight under for what would be a great opening for Warner Bros.
Practical Magic 2 opening weekend prediction: $43.5 million
There are multiple new releases making their way to multiplexes over the Labor Day frame, but I only have one managing a top five showing. That would be 1960s set crime thriller By Any Means with Mark Wahlberg and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II as it attempts double digits over the holiday weekend. You can peruse my detailed prediction post on it here:
As summer turns into fall on the cinematic calendar, the MCU should be perched atop the charts for a sixth weekend in a row courtesy of Spider-Man: Brand New Day. A note that over this particular weekend, holdovers often experience minimal percentage declines or even a slight increase as moviegoers catch up on recent offerings. From Friday to Monday, I have Spidey essentially doing what it did in its fifth outing.
The Odyssey could return to second place from third while Coyote vs. Acme drops a spot after a notable premiere (more on that below). The latter’s second week drop is a head scratcher and it could be more front-loaded that I’m assuming. On the flip side, families could show up in solid numbers since it appears to have fresh word-of-mouth with an A Cinemascore.
Means may flirt with $10M+ in a best case scenario though I’ve got falling under for a fourth place start and Insidious: Out of the Further rounding out the top five.
As for other fresh product, I’m skeptical that horror offering Onslaught from Adam Wingard, survival flick sequel Fall 2: Deadpoint (out Wednesday), or Pixar’s 20th anniversary re-issue of Cars populate the top half of the top ten so no individual posts for that trio.
And with that, here’s how I have the top 5 shaking out and keep in mind that these are Friday through Monday guesstimates:
1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Predicted Gross: $23 million
2. The Odyssey
Predicted Gross: $14.8 million
3. Coyote vs. Acme
Predicted Gross: $13.2 million
4. By Any Means
Predicted Gross: $7.8 million
5. Insidious: Out of the Further
Predicted Gross: $7.5 million
Box Office Results (August 28-30)
As anticipated, Spider-Man: Brand New Day had no trouble swinging to a fifth victory with $22.5 million, in line with my $23.2 million call. With $891 million in its coffers, Day looks to exceed domestic record holder Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936 million) in short order.
After Warner Bros jettisoned it as a tax write-off in 2023, Ketchup Entertainment squeezed some decent figures out of the live-action/animated hybrid Coyote vs. Acme. With $15.9 million, it was runner-up and surpassed my $13.8 million projection. Considering it was never going to see the light of day if WB had their way, it’s a better than expected result.
The Odyssey was third after four weeks in second position with $14.3 million, just under my $15.6 million call for a seven-week take of $563 million.
Insidious: Out of the Further dropped 59% in its sophomore weekend with $10.2 million compared to my $9.4 million take. The sixth feature in the horror franchise is at $43 million total.
With so-so reviews and muted WOM, Ridley Scott’s The Dog Stars starring Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley failed to find an audience in fifth with $7.7 million (I said $8.3 million).
Finally, Roadside Attractions had a laudable showing with the low-budget Buddy in sixth. I didn’t do a prediction write-up for it, but the satirical horror tale made $5.5 million. The per theater average nearly equaled that of Acme.
Yahya Abdul-Mateen II is an FBI agent teaming up with Mark Wahlberg’s former mobster turned informant in the 1960s set crime thriller By Any Means, which opens over Labor Day weekend. Elegance Bratton directs with a supporting cast including Nicole Beharie, Giancarlo Esposito, Josh Lucas, and David Strathairn.
This end of summer holiday frame usually isn’t a fruitful one for newcomers and I’m doubtful this Paramount release will break out. Wahlberg has mostly been seen on the streaming premiere circuit as of late and viewers may simply wait until Paramount+ to check it out. The studio should consider it a plus if it tops $10 million over the four-day frame and I’ll say it doesn’t happen.
By Any Means opening weekend prediction: $7.8 million (Friday to Monday estimate)
August at the box office should close out like July did with Spider-Man: Brand New Day ruling the charts. Coyote vs. Acme, the live-action/animated hybrid with a bumpy journey to theaters and Ridley Scott’s post-apocalyptic drama The Dog Stars are the fresh challengers to the throne and you can peruse my detailed prediction posts on the newcomers here:
Warner Bros axed Coyote as a tax write-off as the Looney Tunes tale (shot in 2022) finally was picked up by Ketchup Entertainment. They hope to squeeze an opening weekend in the high teens though my low teens projection could mean third place.
That’s because the MCU’s Spidey adventure should see a fifth weekend in 1st with a drop in the low to mid 40s. The Odyssey could rise from third to second as Insidious: Out of the Further could see a sophomore frame plummet in the 60% range.
I’m putting Further in a close race with The Dog Stars for fourth place as I don’t see the latter finding much of an audience.
Here’s how I see the top five shaking out:
1. Spider-Man: Brand New Day
Predicted Gross: $23.2 million
2. The Odyssey
Predicted Gross: $15.6 million
3. Coyote vs. Acme
Predicted Gross: $13.8 million
4. Insidious: Out of the Further
Predicted Gross: $9.4 million
5. The Dog Stars
Predicted Gross: $8.3 million
Box Office Results (August 21-23)
The sixth entry of the Insidious horror franchise was no match for Tom Holland as Brand New Day spent a fourth weekend as the champ. Spidey took in $39 million, just ahead of my $38 million prediction for $854 million total. This week it will become the second highest grossing domestic feature in history (unadjusted for inflation) behind Star Wars: The Force Awakens ($936 million).
Insidious: Out of the Further settled for second with $25.1 million, under my $29.7 million call. While its numbers are just fine considering the reported $18 million budget, it did not match the $33 million that predecessor The Red Door opened to in 2023.
The Odyssey was third with $19.7 million compared to my $17.1 million take as the epic adventure has amassed $539 million in six weeks. It has now surpassed The Dark Knight ($534 million) to become Christopher Nolan’s largest stateside earner.
PAW Patrol: The Dino Movie was fourth in weekend #2 with $9.1 million, in line with my $9.6 million forecast. The animated sequel stands at $35 million.
The End of Oak Street, another dino movie, rounded out the top five with $8.7 million (I said $8.2 million) for $37 million after two weeks.
Jason Statham’s Mutiny was sixth with $7.7 million as the star’s latest action thriller premiered close to my $7.7 million projection.
Tony, focused on a formative summer in the life of Anthony Bourdain, expanded nationwide and was seventh with $5 million compared to my $6 million prediction. The overall tally is $6.6 million.
Finally, comedy Spa Weekend fizzled in ninth with $3 million though that is ahead of my $2.3 million prognosis.
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