LOS ANGELES — "Abominable" froze out "Downton Abbey" to take the top spot in the North American box office on its first weekend in theaters, industry watcher Exhibitor Relations estimated Sunday.

The story of a teenager and her friends working to help a young Yeti — whom they nickname Everest — reunite with his family and avoid the clutches of a wealthy man intent on capturing one of the magical creatures took in $20.9 million.

It beat out "Downton Abbey," the movie follow-up to the hit TV series about a British upper-class family and their stately home, which fell to second place at $14.5 million in its second weekend.

The Jennifer Lopez movie "Hustlers" — based on a true story about strippers who plot to steal from their wealthy clients in recession-hit New York — came in third, with $11.5 million.

Horror flick "IT: Chapter Two" — which features the grown-up versions of the kids who battled the terrifying, shape-shifting clown Pennywise 27 years earlier and now must do it again — placed fourth with $10.4 million.

And "Ad Astra," in which Brad Pitt plays an astronaut sent on a dangerous mission at the edge of the solar system, was fifth at $10.1 million.

Rounding out the weekend's top 10 were: "Rambo: Last Blood" ($8.6 million); "Judy" ($3.1 million); "Good Boys" ($2 million); "The Lion King" ($1.6 million) and "Angel Has Fallen" ($1.5 million). — AFP