Crazy Rich Asians was a big sleeper hit in the states over the summer and it has become one of the highest grossing romantic comedies of all time. That success did not translate during its debut in China where it experienced a lackluster opening weekend.
Crazy Rich Asians opened to $1.2 million over the weekend in the Middle Kingdom. Crazy Rich Asians began its global rollout back in August but China took its time giving the film a shot. An official announcement of its release didn’t come until mid-October and it was determined then that the film would open on November 30. While the film has been a massive hit worldwide with $238 million at the global box office, the film’s all-Asian cast is not a novelty in China.
The market in China has a host of its own homegrown romantic comedies which doesn’t allow Crazy Rich Asians to stand out the way it did in the states. Overall, Hollywood romantic comedies are hit-and-miss abroad and the last one in recent memory to gain access to China was Bridget Jones’s Baby which did just about $750,000.
Some are wondering if this will affect the sequel, China Rich Girlfriend because it was rumored to be filmed in China. As of now, a script has yet to be turned in and any decisions about locations will come much further down the line.
