The first animated movie of the fall season, DreamWorks Animation’s Abominable, has landed at No. 1 at the box office, grossing $20.9 million during its opening weekend.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Abominable filmmaker Jill Culton is the first woman to be credited as the lead director and writer of an animated Hollywood studio picture. The kid-friendly movie documents the adventures of a teenager (Chloe Bennet) and her friends (Tenzing Norgay Trainor and Albert Tsai) who endure a 2,000-mile journey across China to reunite a Yeti with his family.
The Renée Zellweger-starring film Judy debuted at No. 7 at the box office, earning $3.1 million across 461 screens. Roadside Attractions and LD Entertainment say Judy is the No. 1 debut of the year for a platform release (platform releases are a type of limited release where a film opens in fewer theaters than a wide release), per THR.
Roadside Attractions co-founder Howard Cohen told Deadline that it’s unclear how films in the specialty box office will perform. However, for Judy, “The signs were incredibly positive,” Cohen said. The film received a standing ovation at the Toronto International Film Festival, which gave Judy good publicity, despite middling reviews. The film marks a major comeback for Zellweger, who's expected to be a major presence once awards season rolls around.
Focus Features’ Downton Abbey surpassed the $100 million mark globally, and fell to No. 2 during its second week in the U.S. Despite an average weekend at the box office, things are expected to pick up considerable next weekend, when the hugely anticipated Joker storms into theaters.
