GLITZ OVER GUNS
Crazy Rich Asians surpasses expectations to win weekend box office
The gilded romance Crazy Rich Asians debuted at No. 1 in North American theatres this weekend, surpassing industry expectations and beating out action-packed fare including Mile 22 and The Meg.
Warner Bros. estimates that Crazy Rich Asians earned $25.2 million over the weekend and $34 million since its opening Wednesday. It’s a surefire win for the film, which cost $30 million to produce and went into the weekend with months of buzz and a 93 per cent “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
Breakout star Henry Golding on Sunday said the film’s performance is a “testament to the people who are turning up.”
“It’s not just the Asians who are coming. It’s people of all colours from all walks of life who are enjoying this cinematic experience,” Golding said. “It’s a real shift in Hollywood.”
Adapted from Kevin Kwan’s bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu as a U.S. woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend’s obscenely wealthy family in Singapore. The studio strategically bumped up the film’s opening to a Wednesday earlier in the summer.
“We knew we’d get avids who read the book and a large Asian following,” said Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Jeff Goldstein. “We figured OK, we get good reviews, open on Wednesday, word of mouth will spread and really propel the movie into the weekend, and that’s exactly what happened.”
As recently as July 26, box office experts were predicting the film would open to at least $18 million over its first five days, but no one expected a launch of more than $30 million.
“I think the audience isn’t an obvious audience,” Goldstein said. “When you get a culturally important event like this movie, I think it just takes off like wildfire.”
The stakes were high for the first studio-produced movie led by Asian-Americans in 25 years. The filmmakers even turned down a big offer from Netflix to give the historically significant film a theatrical platform. Cast members and fans started using the hashtag #GoldOpen to try to encourage more opening weekend support.
Director Jon M. Chu tweeted his appreciation Sunday and asked audiences to keep spreading the word.
“We still have a long run to go but our message to the world has been heard. We have arrived,” Chu wrote. “Now let’s go tell more of our stories! We have a lot more to say. And I don’t want to wait another 25 years to see them. This is only the beginning.”
The Meg fell 53 per cent in its second weekend, adding $21.2 million. The Jason Statham-led shark movie has now grossed more than $300 million worldwide.
Mark Wahlberg ’s action-packed Mile 22, his fourth collaboration with director Peter Berg, debuted in third place with an estimated $13.6 million. The STX film had a $35-million production budget.
Launching with $10.5 million, Alpha, an Ice Age-set adventure tale, tied for fourth place in its opening weekend with Mission: Impossible — Fallout.
In limited release, Sony Pictures Classics’ The Wife opened with $111,137 and Roadside Attractions’ Juliet, Naked debuted with $60,922. Both films opened in four theatres.