Abominable tops US box office with $20.9 million as Downton Abbey crosses $100 million
Story by Jack Foley
DREAMWORKS Animation’s Abominable has shot to the top of the US box office with a winning $20.9 million.
The film’s success comes as welcome news for its filmmaker Jill Culton, the first woman to be credited as the lead director and writer of an animated Hollywood studio pic (Todd Wilderman is credited as a co-director).
The animated family film follows the adventures of a teenager (Chloe Bennet) and her two friends (Tenzing Norgay Trainor, Albert Tsai) who embark on a 2,000-mile adventure across China to the Himalayas in order to reunite a young Yeti, whom they name Everest, with his family.
In doing so, they must also stay one step ahead of a wealthy man (Eddie Izzard) intent on recapturing the magical creature and an eager zoologist (Sarah Paulson).
Among Abominable‘s other achievements… it scored the biggest opening of the year so far for an original animated film and also joins fellow Universal releases Us (from Jordan Peele) and Good Boys (from Seth Rogen) as the only original films of 2019 to open at No. 1.
Elsewhere, period drama Downton Abbey shot past the $100 million mark globally to mark its own continued success story.
In the US, it slipped to No.2 in its second weekend, with $14.5 million for a US total of $58.5 million. But it earned another $10.2 million overseas for a foreign total of $48.6 million and a global haul of $107.1 million, making it one of the biggest success stories yet for a TV to big screen transfer.
In third place was Jennifer Lopez’s Hustlers, which added a further $11.5 million in its third weekend for a US tally of $80.6 million and $95.4 million globally.
Horror hit It: Chapter Two cleared the $400 million mark at the global box office, while remaining high up the chart on its fourth weekend, earning $10.4 million for a US total of $193.9 million. Overseas, it earned $11 million for a foreign tally of $223.5 million and $417.4 million worldwide.
Rounding out the top five, meanwhile, was Brad Pitt’s sci-fi epic Ad Astra, which placed No. 5 in its second weekend, earning another $10.1 million for a US total of $35.5 million.
Overseas, the space drama has grossed $18 million for a foreign total of $53.5 million and $89 million globally.
Ad Astra‘s continued strong performance in the US for a movie of its type meant that it stayed ahead of Sylvester Stallone’s Rambo: Last Blood, which earned $8.6 million in its sophomore session for a US total of $33.2 million.
Elsewhere in the US, Renee Zellweger-starrer Judy, a biopic of Judy Garland, sang loudly in its debut, placing seventh with $3.1 million despite a much more limited release. The film is seen as a strong awards contender for its leading lady, who has attracted some of the best reviews of her career for it.