“Crazy Rich Asians” Brings Glamor to the Box Office

By Kip Mooney • On • In Weekend Box Office Report Weekend Box Office Report 0

BOX OFFICE REPORT

August 17-19, 2018

(estimates from BoxOfficeMojo.com)

TOP 5

Crazy Rich Asians  $25.2 million
The Meg $21.1 million
Mile 22 $13.6 million
Alpha $10.5 million
Mission: Impossible – Fallout  $10.5 million

Though it maybe didn't soar quite as high as predicted or anticipated, Crazy Rich Asians delivered at the box office. Its debut proves what only the foolish didn't know: that a mainly Asian cast can bring in a big, wide audience. It's gotten almost universally great reviews from both critics and audiences, which should spell continued success through the end of the summer. It's made nearly $35 million since opening Wednesday, and it certainly might end up being one of the biggest comedies of the year.

The Meg slipped to second place. It was a fairly big drop, but not prehistoric shark-sized. By next weekend, it should become the 17th movie of the year to cross $100 million. It's likely to end up being Jason Statham's biggest movie not tied to the Fast and the Furious franchise. Mile 22 continued the downward trajectory of Mark Wahlberg's collaborations with director Peter Berg. When Lone Survivor went wide in early 2014, it made a surprising $37 million. Then Deepwater Horizon only managed $20 million in the fall of 2016, with Patriots Day delivering just $13.7 over the four-day MLK Jr. Weekend in 2017. Maybe they should see other people.

Finally, Alpha and Mission: Impossible – Fallout are in a virtual tie for fourth place. The former was the oft-delayed solo effort from Albert Hughes (who previously had only made movies with his twin brother Allen). The marketing often seemed confused, sometimes going for a serious Revenant vibe, and other times playing up the adorable story of a boy and his beloved dog. That may have been why the movie didn't have a bigger debut. The sixth Tom Cruise entry continued its strong hold, as it's about to pass the original film.

Outside the top 5:

  • This Weekend's Indie Champ: The Wife, an acting showcase for Glenn Close. The film, which is picking up some Oscar buzz for its star, averaged $27,784 on its four screens.
  • It was a pretty good weekend for Ethan Hawke. Both his romantic comedy Juliet, Naked and his directorial effort Blaze, averaged more than $15,000 in their limited openings.
  • According to the Hollywood Reporter, Kevin Spacey's latest movie Billionaire Boys Club (and the first released since revelations of his inappropriate behavior came to light) made an appallingly bad $126 on its opening day.

Next week:

It's going to be a really slow end to the summer. The only big movie next week is The Happytime Murders. Despite the star power of Melissa McCarthy, I will be shocked if this R-rated Muppet comedy opens with more than $10 million.

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About Kip Mooney

Kip Mooney
Like many film critics born during and after the 1980s, my hero is Roger Ebert. The man was already the best critic in the nation when he won the Pulitzer in 1975, but his indomitable spirit during and after his recent battle with cancer keeps me coming back to read not only his reviews but his insightful commentary on the everyday. But enough about a guy you know a lot about. I knew I was going to be a film critic—some would say a snob—in middle school, when I had to voraciously defend my position that The Royal Tenenbaums was only a million times better than Adam Sandler’s remake of Mr. Deeds. From then on, I would seek out Wes Anderson’s films and avoid Sandler’s like the plague. Still, I like to think of myself as a populist, and I’ll be just as likely to see the next superhero movie as the next Sundance sensation. The thing I most deplore in a movie is laziness. I’d much rather see movies with big ambitions try and fail than movies with no ambitions succeed at simply existing. I’m also a big advocate of fun-bad movies like The Room and most of Nicolas Cage’s work. In the past, I’ve written for The Dallas Morning News and the North Texas Daily, which I edited for a semester. I also contributed to Dallas-based Pegasus News, which in the circle of life, is now part of The Dallas Morning News, where I got my big break in 2007. Eventually, I’d love to write and talk about film full-time, but until that’s a viable career option, I work as an auditor for Wells Fargo. I hope to one day meet my hero, go to the Toronto International Film Festival, and compete on Jeopardy. Until then, I’m excited to share my love of film with you.

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