‘Downton Abbey’ opens weakly as fans of a certain age stay home

“Downton Abbey: A New Era” opened in second place domestically this weekend and with a much weaker debut than its 2019 predecessor, as a key demographic for the film, older women, proves to be one of the most difficult to persuade back into theaters.

The film, from Comcast Corp.’s Focus Features division, generated $16 million in domestic ticket sales, Comscore Inc. estimated on Sunday. That was below the $20 million forecast from Boxoffice Pro and in line with low- to mid-teen millions the studio had projected.

Some “Downton Abbey” fans may wait until the movie is available for home viewing, which could be in as few as 17 days, depending on ticket demand.

“Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” the latest Marvel installment from Walt Disney Co., was on top of the box office for the third straight week. It sold $31.6 million in domestic tickets over the weekend, Comscore estimated. It will likely be dethroned by the Paramount Global movie “Top Gun: Maverick,” which debuts over the Memorial Day holiday weekend after numerous COVIDrelated delays.

Will Heath / NBC via TNS From left, Heidi Gardner, Aidy Bryant, Michelle Zauner of musical guest Japanese Breakfast, Kate McKinnon and host Natasha Lyonne appear in a sketch during the season finale of “Saturday Night Live” on Saturday.