“Ad Astra” & “Rambo: Last Blood” Beat Out By “Downtown Abbey” At Box Office

Several critics and analyst went into this weekend expecting Brad Pitt’s Ad Astra to dominate the box office. Instead, the period drama Downtown Abbey, which continues the story that started on the television show of the same name, took the number one spot. Downton Abbey grossed 31 million. The Los Angeles Times reports that it far exceeded expectations, after analysts predicted it would gross roughly $20 million. Downton Abbey is the biggest opening of all time for Focus Features, beating out former record holder Insidious: Chapter 3, which grossed $22.7 million in 2015. The film picks up about a year and a half after the show ends, and centers around how the Earl of Grantham and his family prepare for a visit from the king and queen of England. 

In second place, Brad Pitts space drama Ad Astra debuted with $19.2 million. The film follows Pitt, who is an astronaut, on a perilous mission to reveal the truth about his missing father, a rebellious scientist played by Tommy Lee Jones. In third place is Rambo: Last Blood, which debuted with $19 million. The final film in Stallone’s Rambo series is another example of the veteran actor’s habit of revisiting his classic films. It: Chapter 2 slid into fourth place with $17.2 million in its third weekend and Hustlers rounds out the top five added $17 million in its second weekend.