You would think that in this day and age that the best place for a feature movie based on a popular TV series would be on a streaming service, right? But no, this weekend's $31M opening of Focus Features and Carnival Films'
Downton Abbey continues to underscore the power of the big screen in its ability to generate money on lower budget fare in a digital explosive world.
Downton's overseas total jumped to $30.8M, putting this $20M production (before P&A) at a running total of $61.8M WW.
Can you imagine the money left on the table here if the Universal decision was made to send
Downton Abbey straight to its new streaming service, Peacock? Part of that reason might have to do with age, as the much older-skewing
Downton fans (74% females, with the over 55+ sect repping 32% of all moviegoers) aren't statistically streamers. That's something the young crowd largely does. Last night at the Simi Valley Studio Movie Grill, the largely older female crowd clapped before and
after the movie played. One moviegoer remarked as we exited, "When can I see the next episode?"
Downton's cash yesterday was $9.6M, and though that's -30% from Friday's $13.8M, remember that opening day includes $4.3M from two preview nights. If you back that money out, then
Downton's Saturday is +1%. The expectation is that there will be a 25% ease today in its till. They say that the older adult crowd takes its time to come out to the movies. Well, with an A CinemaScore and 4 1/2 stars on PostTrak, there's more business to be had with
Downton down the road, including repeat business from its fervent fan base.
