The Downton Abbey movie has topped the US box office chart in its first weekend, a week after it was released in the UK. The film adaptation of the BAFTA winning British TV series made an estimated $31 million and beat Ad Astra and Rambo to the top spot.
After 6 seasons on TV, its creator, Academy-Award winner Julian Fellowes, wrote the screenplay. Starring Hugh Bonneville and Maggie Smith, the Downton Abbey Film represents the highest-grossing opening for Focus Features.
The film coincides with the release of three Downton Abbey books: The Official Downton Abbey Cocktail Book and The Official Downton Abbey Cookbook written by the wonderful food historian Annie Gray, both published by Weldon Owen and Downton Abbey: The Official Film Companion published by Headline.