Evening Edition · Sep 25, 2026

Above the fold

Executive summary

Weekend box office: Endgame Encore (~$23–28M) leads a rare late-September stack with Resident Evil’s hold, Primetime, and Heart of the Beast all in the $17–26M conversation.
Tonight on the couch: S.W.A.T. Exiles premieres on Starz at 8 p.m. MT; Evil Dead Burn lands on HBO Max Oct. 2 for early Halloween viewing.
Worth knowing: Zelenskiy said the U.S. floated Ukraine–Russia–U.S. technical talks in the UAE; daytime strikes on Kyiv killed civilians as the diplomacy track inches forward.
Local sports weekend: Buffs open Big 12 at Baylor Saturday 10 a.m. MT (ESPN2); Broncos host Rams Sunday Night at 6:20 p.m. MT with Nacua doubtful.

Entertainment

Box office

Endgame Encore leads a stacked late-September weekend

Night Shift desk · evening brief

Thursday and Friday previews set up an unusually crowded late-September fight. Disney and Marvel’s Avengers: Endgame Encore (with extra footage ahead of December’s Avengers: Doomsday) did about $3.8 million in Thursday previews and was tracking roughly $23–28 million for the weekend; Deadline’s Friday afternoon update had it near $11 million for Friday and $23–26 million for three days.

Sony’s Zach Cregger Resident Evil reboot (opened last weekend near $61 million and about $80 million through midweek) was targeting roughly $22–26 million in week two and a domestic $100 million-plus cume. A24’s Primetime (Robert Pattinson as Chris Hansen; about $2.7 million in previews) and Paramount’s Heart of the Beast (Brad Pitt and David Ayer; about $2 million in previews) were both in the $17–20 million-plus conversation, with Universal and DreamWorks’ Forgotten Island trailing near a $10 million three-day range. Analysts said the top titles alone could push about $95–98 million if a Northeast storm does not cut into screens, potentially the best late-September weekend in years. One theater night: Marvel nostalgia with a Doomsday peek, Pattinson prestige, Pitt action, or another Resident Evil walk-up.

Sources: Variety (Endgame Encore / Primetime previews), Deadline (Friday box office update)

Streaming · TV

Tonight’s appointment TV: S.W.A.T. Exiles; Evil Dead Burn hits Max Oct. 2

Night Shift desk · evening brief

Starz premieres S.W.A.T. Exiles tonight at 10 p.m. ET / 8 p.m. MT. Shemar Moore returns as Hondo, pulled from forced retirement to lead a unit of overlooked recruits after a mission gone wrong. Episode 1, “Clean Entry,” opens a 10-episode run that continues weekly through late November, with Lucy Barrett, Adain Bradley, Zyra Gorecki, Freddy Miyares, and Ronen Rubinstein in the new unit.

For October planning: Variety reported Friday that Evil Dead Burn (theatrical July 10; directed by Sébastien Vaniček) arrives on HBO Max on October 2. It is the third film since the 2013 reboot and the sixth overall in Sam Raimi’s Deadite franchise; a seventh, Evil Dead Wrath, is slated for April 2028. Pick tonight’s procedural if you want appointment TV, or pencil Max for early Halloween horror.

Sources: Syracuse.com (S.W.A.T. Exiles how to watch), Variety (Evil Dead Burn HBO Max date)

News

World

U.S. floats Ukraine–Russia talks in the UAE as Kyiv takes daytime strikes

Night Shift desk · evening brief

On Friday, President Zelenskiy said the United States had proposed a technical-level trilateral meeting with Ukraine and Russia, with the UAE as a possible venue and a date still pending. He met President Trump at the U.N. General Assembly earlier in the week and said teams would circle back in about ten days.

Separately, Reuters, BBC, and AFP reported Russian daytime strikes on Kyiv that killed civilians, including a 14-year-old in one account; AFP put the day’s Kyiv toll at seven. Zelenskiy said Russia is widening attacks on data centers and internet providers. The EU also agreed to release €6.6 billion (about $7.5 billion) linked to Ukraine military aid via the European Peace Facility. Putin publicly sounded colder on restarting talks after recent Ukrainian strikes on Russia. Treat it as one overnight brief: a thin diplomacy track beside another civilian cost day.

Sources: Reuters (UAE trilateral proposal), BBC (data centres / internet)

Sports

NFL

Broncos host Rams on Sunday Night; Nacua doubtful, Adams–Surtain looms

Night Shift desk · evening brief

Denver (1–1) hosts Los Angeles (1–1) at Empower Field on Sunday, September 27, kickoff 6:20 p.m. MT on NBC. Both won in Week 2: the Broncos 20–13 over Jacksonville, the Rams 28–6 over the Giants. Bo Nix faces reigning MVP Matthew Stafford with Aaron Donald back for L.A. after retirement.

Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua is doubtful (hip/groin; he missed the Giants game) and, barring setback, is eyed for Week 4 against Philadelphia. In Nacua’s absence last week, Davante Adams had eight catches for 195 yards and two touchdowns: a clear Pat Surtain II matchup. Odds have floated around Rams −2.5; series history heavily favors Los Angeles, including a 51–14 Christmas 2022 meeting. Denver wants a second straight win under the lights.

Sources: Denver Broncos game preview, NFL.com (Nacua doubtful)

CFB

Buffs open Big 12 play at Baylor Saturday morning

Night Shift desk · evening brief

Colorado (2–1) visits Baylor (2–1) at McLane Stadium in Waco on Saturday, September 26, kickoff 11 a.m. CT / 10 a.m. MT on ESPN2. The Buffs arrive off wins over Georgia Tech and Weber State and a 41–7 loss to Northwestern in which Julian Lewis went 19-of-29 for 168 yards, one touchdown, and two interceptions.

Baylor is also 2–1 after beating Louisiana Tech 36–19; Nate Bennett has started recently with DJ Lagway dealing with injury. It is a rematch of Colorado’s 38–31 double-overtime win in 2024, and Baylor has been favored by about 10 to 10.5 points. Sports Illustrated noted the throwback atmosphere of a Buffs trip to Waco for the first time since 2007. Avalanche regular-season hockey still opens Wednesday, September 30, at Ball Arena against the Kings (7 p.m. MT).

Sources: SI (How to watch Colorado vs. Baylor), Avalanche 2026–27 schedule