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.
Marvel and Disney’s Strange, again starring 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.
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.
