Berliner Tageszeitung - 'Strange' reigns but 'Downton' shows class on N.America screens

NYSE - LSE

RIO	-0.35%	62.35	$
CMSC	0.13%	24.672	$
BTI	1.07%	37.38	$
SCS	1.73%	13.27	$
BP	0.67%	29.72	$
CMSD	0.06%	24.46	$
BCE	0.34%	26.77	$
GSK	0.77%	33.96	$
BCC	2.38%	143.78	$
AZN	2.09%	65.63	$
NGG	1.63%	63.11	$
RBGPF	100%	59.24	$
JRI	-0.15%	13.21	$
RELX	2.12%	46.75	$
VOD	1.52%	8.73	$
RYCEF	-0.15%	6.79	$

'Strange' reigns but 'Downton' shows class on N.America screens

CULTURE 22.05.2022

'Strange' reigns but 'Downton' shows class on N.America screens / Photo: © GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP/File

"Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness" continued its domination in North American theaters this weekend, earning an estimated $31.6 million, while the latest "Downton Abbey" came in a stately second, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations said Sunday.

Text size:

Marvel and Disney's "Strange," again starring the versatile Benedict Cumberbatch, has been a Covid-era star since its release three weekends ago. It has now earned $342 million domestically and $461 million abroad for a global total of $803 million.

"Downton Abbey: A New Era" from Focus Features took in a solid $16 million. Perhaps not surprising given the huge popularity of the British TV series that inspired it, but nonetheless a sign that older moviegoers -- the most reluctant to return to pandemic-era theaters -- are beginning to do so.

"This is a very good opening," said David A. Gross of Franchise Entertainment Research, who noted that nearly half of ticket buyers were aged 55 or older.

Writer/director Julian Fellowes, Gross said, "is the George Lucas of period English sitting-room drama."

Most of the original Downton cast -- led by Maggie Smith, Hugh Bonneville, Elizabeth McGovern and Michelle Dockery -- appear in the sequel, which critics have called an "affectionate group hug."

In third place for the Friday-through-Sunday period was Universal's animated action-comedy "The Bad Guys." The DreamWorks Animation production, with a voice cast led by Sam Rockwell, Awkwafina and Anthony Ramos, took in $6.1 million.

Paramount's family-friendly "Sonic the Hedgehog 2" slipped one spot from last weekend to fourth, at $3.9 million.

In fifth was A24's new horror film "Men," at $3.3 million. Directed by Alex Garland, who made "Ex Machina," and starring Jessie Buckley, it drew a rare low D+ grade from the CinemaScore site.

Meanwhile a pro-Donald Trump film, "2000 Mules," earned $765,000 to claim 11th spot.

The movie from conservative Dinesh D'Souza -- who in 2018 received a pardon from Trump for a felony conviction of making illegal campaign contributions -- falsely claims to offer "smoking gun" evidence of massive voter fraud in the 2020 election.

Rounding out the top 10 were:

"Everything Everywhere All at Once" ($3.1 million)

"Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" ($1.9 million)

"Firestarter" ($1.9 million)

"The Lost City" ($1.5 million)

"The Northman" ($1 million)

bbk/mlm

P. Hansen--BTZ