“Downton Abbey: The Grand Finale” stayed atop the U.K. and Ireland box office for a second weekend, taking an estimated £2.27 million and lifting its cume to about £10.1 million, according to industry tallies. The period franchise’s swan song eased roughly 49% from its debut frame and again led a market where holdovers outpaced new openers.
Horror juggernaut “The Conjuring: Last Rites” placed second with £1.51 million in its third weekend, pushing its local total to nearly £15 million after a franchise-best launch earlier in the month. Animated import “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba – Infinity Castle” ranked third with £906,832 in weekend receipts and £5.5 million to date, while “The Long Walk” and “The Roses” rounded out the top five.
The result extends a strong start for the final “Downton” chapter, which opened No. 1 last weekend at £4.3–£4.4 million and has since held well with its core audience. Universal’s push has leaned on premium screen placements and older-skewing attendance patterns that typically soften weekend-over-weekend declines, aided by the brand’s long-running TV and film following.
By contrast, “Last Rites” continues to demonstrate the reach of event horror in the territory after an opening estimated at £6.8 million, a figure that helped propel the title to record global horror start benchmarks earlier in its rollout. The two pictures have effectively split key demographics across multiplexes: a heritage drama with strong weekday play and a 15-rated chiller drawing late shows and younger crowds.
The rest of the top 10 reflects a competitive September corridor. “A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” entered the chart outside the top five, while “Demon Slayer” held premium-format interest into its second frame.
With school terms underway and awards-season contenders beginning to appear on the calendar, exhibitors will watch whether “Downton” can leg out past the mid-teen threshold domestically and whether “Last Rites” sustains its pace as Halloween-adjacent fare arrives. For now, the weekend confirms a market powered by counterprogramming: a cushioned send-off for a British mainstay and a durable franchise entry capitalizing on horror’s continued pull.
