‘Abominable’ leads latest release pack

Yeti sightings were anything but rare this weekend if a fluffy, digital version of that creature counts.

Universal’s “Abominable,” an animated family movie that revolves around a young abominable snowthing, opened to a solid $20.9 million in domestic ticket sales this weekend. It comfortably outperformed every other movie in theaters.

A creation of DreamWorks Animation and China’s Pearl Studio, “Abominable” tells the story of Yi (Chloe Bennet), a tween who finds a yeti living on the roof of her family’s Shanghai apartment building. The plot involves Yi’s attempts to return the yeti to its home, with the help of friends Jin (Tenzing Trainor) and Peng (Albert Tsai). They have to work against both a zoologist (Sarah Paulson) and Burnish (Eddie Izzard), a villain with deep pockets and a taste for exotic creatures.

“Abominable” does not have a long roster of celebrity vocal talent to help sell tickets. That makes its solid sales more impressive.

In second place at the box office was “Downton Abbey,” which saw $14.5 million in domestic ticket sales. The movie, distributed by Focus Features, is an adaptation of the hit TV show. This was its second weekend in theaters, and it came on the heels of a surprisingly strong opening.

Third place went to “Hustlers,” a strip-club drama distributed by STX Films that saw $11.5 million in ticket sales this weekend.

Rounding out the top five: “It-Chapter Two,” from Warner Bros., and 20th Century Fox’s “Ad Astra.”

DREAMWORKS ANIMATION LLC. VIA AP Yi (voiced by Chloe Bennet) embraces the lost yeti she found living on the roof of her Shanghai apartment building. The weekend’s number one release deals with her efforts to get the creature back to its home.