The newest romantic-comedy, Crazy Rich Asians, scores the genre’s biggest box office opening weekend in years. Adapted from the novel of the same name, the film rode a wave of positive buzz into theaters, as it earned several enthusiastic reviews. Not only did critics find its story heartwarming and charming, but many saw it as a major step forward for onscreen representation. Hence, there was much excitement over its release this weekend.

Arriving at the tail end of the summer, Crazy Rich Asians seemed poised to do solid business, seeing that it faced minimal competition. Save for the occasional studio tentpole (the original Guardians of the Galaxy), August tends to be something of a dead zone commercially, so a well-received film like Asians looked to be in a great spot. Now that the numbers are in, we can safely say it’s a hit.

Per Box Office Mojo, Crazy Rich Asians grossed $23.2 million over the traditional three-day weekend to secure the top spot on the box office charts. It debuted on Wednesday, August 15, so its 5-day total stands at $34 million. This development means the film has the highest rom-com opening weekend since 2015’s Trainwreck, which made $30 million in its first three days.

Crazy Rich Asians has already eclipsed its production budget ($30 million) at the box office, so it’s well on its way to turning a nice profit for Warner Bros. Using Trainwreck as a comparison, the Amy Schumer vehicle earned $110.2 million in its domestic run, opening in between blockbusters like the original Ant-Man and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation. In all likelihood, Asians will be able to net at least that much - if not more. There aren’t any other rom-coms on the horizon, and August’s other high-profile titles, like The Happytime Murders, are premiering with limited fan fare. Crazy Rich Asians could be set up for a very fruitful run of its own, as it should have strong legs.

Elsewhere in the top five this weekend, last week’s champ The Meg came in second with $21.1 million. The Jason Statham action thriller now stands at $83.7 million domestically. Other new releases like Mile 22 ($13.6 million) and Alpha ($10.5 million) failed to make much of an impression at the box office, suggesting neither will be sticking around for much longer. In the case of Mile 22, the action film was ravaged by critics, so it had an uphill climb to begin with. Mission: Impossible - Fallout earned $10.5 million in its fourth weekend, raising its U.S. total to a strong $180.7 million. It is still way ahead of where Rogue Nation was at the same point in its run, so Fallout should eventually become the biggest M:I film of all-time.

MORE: Crazy Rich Asians Has a Mid-Credits Scene That Sets Up a Sequel

Source: Box Office Mojo

  • Crazy Rich Asians Release Date: 2018-08-15