"Downton Abbey" Feature Film Opens at #1 w/ Record Opening for Focus Features

[JamesG]

Downton Abbey Serves Up Record, $31 Million Opening for Focus Features
by Brad Brevet
September 22, 2019


It was a record weekend for Focus Features that saw Downton Abbey not only top the weekend box office, but it became the studio's largest opener ever, topping $30 million.

The weekend's fellow new releases — Ad Astra and Rambo: Last Blood — delivered on expectations and are in a neck-and-neck battle for runner-up position and we'll have to wait for actuals to tell the full story on Monday afternoon.







With an estimated $31 million, Focus Features's Downton Abbey topped the weekend box office, giving the studio their largest opening weekend ever. Working in the film's favor was a positive, "A" CinemaScore from opening day audiences to go along with a 96% audience score on RottenTomatoes and 7.8/10 user rating on IMDb.

Internationally, after debuting in 17 markets last weekend, Downton Abbey added another 15 this week for a total of 32, from which the film brought in an estimated $10 million for the weekend for an overseas cume that currently stands just shy of $31 million.







Second place is neck-and-neck at this time with Disney's release of Fox's sci-fi feature Ad Astra narrowly edging out Lionsgate and Millennium's Rambo: Last Blood, both bringing just over $19 million.

At this time the edge goes to Ad Astra with an estimated $19.2 million from 3,460 locations. Reported to have been made for anywhere to $80-100+ million, the performance is hardly the kind of start the studio could have hoped for, not to mention the so-so "B-" CinemaScore from opening weekend audiences.

Internationally, the film opened in 44 markets and hauled in an estimated $26 million for a $45.2 million global debut.







Just behind Ad Astra is Lionsgate and Millennium's Rambo: Last Blood with an estimated $19 million.

Working in the film's favor when compared to the performance for Ad Astra is it was made for a reported $50 million. Opening day audiences gave the film a "B" CinemaScore.







WB and New Line's It: Chapter Two finished in fourth position, dipping -56% in its third weekend in release for an estimated $17.2 million and a domestic cume that now tops $179 million.

The sequel ranks as the third largest R-rated horror of all-time domestically and will soon become only the third R-rated horror to ever top $200 million at the domestic box office.

Internationally, the film added another $21.3 million for an overseas cume that now totals over $205 million and a worldwide total topping $385 million.







Rounding out the top five is STXfilms's Hustlers with a solid second weekend performance, dipping just -49% for an estimated $17 million three-day and a domestic cume that now stands at $62.5 million.

The film now ranks as the fourth largest release for STX all-time and will soon top A Bad Moms Christmas on its way to topping $100 million and perhaps challenging Bad Moms to become the studio's largest domestic release ever.

The film also added another $3 million from 18 international markets currently in release for an overseas cume that now stands just shy of $10 million for a global tally topping $72 million.







In limited release, after two Fathom screenings earlier in the week, GKIDs debuted Promare in 31 theaters where it brought in an estimated $88,044 ($2,840 PTA); Fox International's The Zoya Factor opened in 100 locations with an estimated $79,000 ($790 PTA); Sony Classics opened Where's My Roy Cohn? in four locations with an estimated $42,364 ($10,591 PTA); IFC's Loro brought in $5,567 in one theater; Oscilloscope's Midnight Traveler delivered $4,200, also from one location; and Cohen Media's Britt-Marie was Here debuted in three theaters with $4,090 ($1,363 PTA).

https://www.boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=4548&p=.htm









September 20-22, 2019 Weekend Studio Estimates:


1. Downton Abbey $31,000,000
2. Ad Astra $19,210,000
3. Rambo: Last Blood $19,015,000
4. It: Chapter Two $17,245,000 / $179,165,563
5. Hustlers $17,000,000 / $62,553,213
6. The Lion King $2,572,000 / $537,592,304
7. Good Boys $2,510,000 / $77,305,605
8. Angel Has Fallen $2,400,000 / $64,689,679
9. Overcomer $1,500,000 / $31,567,203
10. Fast & Furious Presents: Hobbs & Shaw $1,460,000 / $170,613,810