Weekend Box Office Report: Downton Abbey takes the top!

A wealthy weekend for Downton Abbey!

Audiences wanted to catch up with the Crawley family and their staff this weekend, putting DOWNTON ABBEY in first place with an estimated opening of $31 million!

Picking up after six seasons of creator Julian Fellowes' popular British TV drama, the new PG-rated feature managed to keep all contenders at bay with more period intrigue at Yorkshire estate.

Directed by Michael Engler (who handled several episodes of the show) and including series regulars like Michelle Dockery, Maggie Smith and Elizabeth McGovern, the big-screen visit cost a reported $20 million. The continuation of the historical histrionics has also collected an additional $30.8 million internationally for a worldwide total of $61.8 million.

Critics mostly approved of the latest scandalous activity with the affluent family and their servants, giving the movie an 85% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can partake of the JoBlo review HERE.

Opening in second place was the new sci-fi drama AD ASTRA with $19.2 million.

Compared to star Brad Pitt's other recent leading roles, the PG-13 journey into deep space started similar to MONEYBALL ($19.5 million in 2011) and landed between openings for his WWII thrillers ALLIED ($12.7 million) and FURY ($23.7 million).

Directed by James Gray (THE LOST CITY OF Z), and delayed from release dates in January and then May, the existential exploration also starring Tommy Lee Jones, Ruth Negga and Liv Tyler cost a reported $80 million.

Pitt's ambitious astronaut also picked up $26 million from overseas crowds for a worldwide weekend of $45.2 million.

Critics climbed on board the cosmic trip, giving the movie an 82% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Take a spacewalk on over to the JoBlo review HERE.

In third place was the new sequel RAMBO: LAST BLOOD with an opening weekend of $19 million.

Sylvester Stallone's fifth time out as the proficient killing machine got a slightly better start than previous entry RAMBO, which opened with $18.2 million in 2008 before slaughtering its way to $42.7 million domestic and $113.2 million worldwide.

The latest (and purportedly final) R-rated chapter, with the former Green Beret viciously butchering his way through a Mexican cartel, cost a reported $50 million.

Critics didn't particularly care for the iconic character's copious carnage, giving the movie a 29% average on Rotten Tomatoes. Shoot a few dozen arrows at the JoBlo review HERE.

After floating on top for two weekends, the killer clown sequel IT: CHAPTER TWO descended to fourth place with $17.2 million. The $70 million back half of the Stephen King adaptation has a domestic total of $179.1 million and $358.8 million worldwide after three weeks.

The fact-based comedy-drama HUSTLERS was in fifth place with $17 million, a 49% drop in business from its second-place opening last weekend. The R-rated Jennifer Lopez / Constance Wu crime story has a ten-day domestic total of $62.5 million and $72.3 million worldwide on a reported $20 million cost.

The PG-rated update of Disney's THE LION KING was in sixth place with $2.5 million. After two-and-a-half months in theaters, director Jon Favreau's $250 million realistically animated remake has a domestic total of $537 million and a worldwide total of $1.62 billion (the seventh-biggest global gross in history).

In seventh place was the Seth Rogen/Evan Goldberg-produced comedy GOOD BOYS with $2.5 million for a domestic total of $77.3 million and a worldwide total of $98.7 million, on a reported $20 million cost.

The R-rated Gerard Butler sequel ANGEL HAS FALLEN was in eighth place with $2.4 million. The $40 million action-thriller is at a domestic total of $64.6 million on its fifth weekend (passing LONDON HAS FALLEN's $62.5 million finish), and has shot to a worldwide total of $118.2 million.

Faith-based drama OVERCOMER was in ninth place with $1.5 million, bringing the PG-rated movie to a domestic total of $31.5 million on reported cost of $5 million.

Bringing up the rear was the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson/Jason Statham spinoff FAST & FURIOUS PRESENTS: HOBBS & SHAW with $1.4 million. On its eighth weekend, the $200 million action spectacular has a domestic total of $170.6 million and $750 million worldwide.

Outside the chart, the R-rated drama THE GOLDFINCH flew out of sight after a single weekend in the Top 10. Cartoon adaptation DORA AND THE LOST CITY OF GOLD has gone exploring elsewhere, and the comedy adventure THE PEANUT BUTTER FALCON sailed into the sunset.

In limited release, Rob Zombie's new horror sequel 3 FROM HELL had a special three-day theatrical showing last week (Monday-Wednesday) for $1.8 million.

Following HOUSE OF 1000 CORPSES and THE DEVIL'S REJECTS, the Firefly family's latest grisly R-rated chapter (which gets unleashed on home video next month) cost a reported $3 million. Take a stab at the JoBlo review (courtesy of Arrow in the Head) right HERE.

Next weekend has an animated Yeti shambling onto screens in ABOMINABLE, while limited releases include Renee Zellweger as Judy Garland in the biopic JUDY.

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