Focus Features’ “Downton Abbey” sequel welcomed older viewers back into theaters this weekend, in what may be a promising sign for the box office prospects of films aimed at grown-ups, according to estimates from measurement firm Comscore.
The period drama, based on the critically acclaimed TV series of the same name, opened to $16 million in North America. That wasn’t enough to unseat the returning champion (Disney and Marvel’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” which added $31.6 million in its third weekend for a domestic cumulative of $342.1 million), but it was enough to signal a positive shift among a demographic that has been reluctant to return to theaters during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Directed by Simon Curtis and written by series creator Julian Fellowes, “Downton Abbey: A New Era” finished in second place and performed significantly better in its opening weekend than other recent titles targeting mature audiences. (Steven Spielberg’s “West Side Story,” for example, tanked upon its theatrical debut in December 2021, earning only $10.5 million despite lofty expectations propelled by its Oscar buzz and storied intellectual property.)
