Crazy Rich Asians sparkles at N. America box office

LOS ANGELES — Highly anticipated rom-com Crazy Rich Asians — the first Hollywood film with an mainly Asian cast in a generation — dazzled the North American box office in its debut weekend, claiming the top spot, industry estimates showed Sunday.

The Warner Bros. adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel of the same name raked in $34 million since hitting theaters on Wednesday, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said. Of the total, the film took in $25.2 million at the weekend.

Starring veteran actress Michelle Yeoh, British-Malaysian former BBC host Henry Golding and American sitcom star Constance Wu, the film tells the story of a American economics professor who meets her superwealthy boyfriend’s family in Singapore — and all the drama that ensues.

It is the first Tinseltown film with a predominantly Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993.

Shark thriller The Meg tumbled to second place in its second week, taking in $21.2 million. It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists in a submarine from an attack by a huge, prehistoric shark.

Mile 22 — a new spy thrilleraction flick starring Mark Wahlberg — opened in third place at $13.6 million. Mile 22 is the fourth collaboration between Wahlberg and director Peter Berg. The hope is that the action thriller will spawn a franchise, but that remains to be seen given the film’s estimated budget is between $30 million and $50 million.

Another debut film, prehistoric adventure tale Alpha, shared fourth place at $10.5 million with summer blockbuster Mission: Impossible - Fallout.

The latest installment in the M:I franchise has now taken in $180.7 million overall. Overseas, it pocketed another $20.5 million for an international total of $320 million.

Rounding out the weekend’s top 10 were: Christopher Robin

($8.9 million); BlacKkKlansman ($7 million); Slender Man ($5 million); Hotel Transylvania 3: Summer Vacation ($3.7 million); and, Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again

($3.4 million). —