Fantasy Movie League: Downton Abbey is Back!


We’re on our third week of the Fall, and things get a little more interesting this week. Downton Abbey, the film follow up to the successful show, opens this weekend, as does the Brad Pitt film Ad Astra. And we still have Pennywise tromping around, and a pack of strippers led by Jennifer Lopez. In short, it’s getting crowded at the Box Office. But more on that in a minute.

After a narrow miss on perfection in Week 1, I came hard after Week 2. Hustlers seemed to be the best anchor play, then I mixed in a number of other options, including some of Angel Has Fallen and The Lion King. Turned out Hustlers was not on the best anchor, it was the Best Value. And Angel Has Fallen and The Lion King were good values, too, I just didn’t grab enough of them. So I was close — closer than the Most Popular option — but I didn’t quite get there. Will this week be better?

There are three new entries this week, plus we’ve got a double feature as Good Boys and The Lion King will share profits. But what is the right combination? Let’s consider our options. As always, if you think you’re better at the game than me, I encourage you to join me in a Fantasy Life App Blog league! You can join the league here. On to this week’s competition.

New at the Box Office:

The biggest new release is Downton Abbey, which figures to take the top spot at the Box Office. It’s got an 82 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, and it is the most expensive option at $504 FML Bucks. It’s projected at $20.8 million by Fantasy Movie League. But they are the lowest, with Box Office Pro going to $24 million and Box Office Report going for $23.3 million. The question is whether it’s worth paying a premium to nab.
The next biggest Box Office Release is Rambo: Last Blood. This figures to be the final Rambo installment, but who knows. Sylvester Stallone is back in the lead, and he’s kicking butt to protect his family again. Unsurprisingly it wasn’t well received by critics, earning a 42 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. I doubt that impacts the target audience here. At $294 FML Bucks, its second most, and Fantasy Movie League sees it at $20.4 million in second place. That Box Office haul versus cost makes it seem better than Downton Abbey, especially with Box Office Pro seeing $20.4 million and Box Office Report seeing $21 million.
The final new release is the Brad Pitt film Ad Astra, which clocks in at $220 FML Bucks. It’s actually been reviewed well, coming in with an 81 percent on Rotten Tomatoes. It also figures to be early awards-season bait. It is projected at $16.9 million by Fantasy Movie League, which is on par. Box Office Pro sees $16.8 million and Box Office Report goes with $17.5 million. It’s tough to see great value here.

The Search for the Best Value:

Last week Hustlers was the Best Value, posting a $33.2 million opening weekend, not far behind IT Chapter 2. This week it’s $251 FML Bucks, fourth most, and has some interesting projections. Fantasy Movie League has it fifth at $16.2 million, while Box Office Pro goes at $15.5 million in fifth. But Box Office Report sees $21.3 million and second place. So if you think it can be a bullish performer again, then it might have the upside needed to snatch value.

This Week’s Lineup:

There’s a lot of potential, but at its price point Ad Astra might be the safest bet.

Ad Astra x4
Angel Has Fallen x3
Dora and the Lost City of Gold

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