August is typically a slower month for moviegoing but after The Meg debuted above expectations last week, Crazy Rich Asians proves to be another example of exceeding box office tracking and having a stellar debut at number one.
Crazy Rich Asians grossed an estimated $25.2 million over the weekend and a robust $34 million since opening last Wednesday. The five day total is about where I predicted it would land when I made my predictions and it’s definitely ahead of the five-day tracking which had it grossing $25-26 million. That’s a figure the film matched with its three day total. Crazy Rich Asians benefitted a lot from solid reviews (92% on Rotten Tomatoes) and even better word of mouth (the film received an “A” CinemaScore). Being the first all-Westernized Asian cast in a studio film in 25 years was also a huge factor and proves again that inclusion is necessary in the industry and that the demographic will respond when they’re properly serviced.
Falling to second is The Meg with an estimated $21.1 million. That’s a drop of 53% which is to be expected from a film like this. The budget is reported to be $130-150 million but the film is proving to be a strong performer domestically and abroad. The film has grossed $83.7 million in the states and picked up another $67 million from foreign markets over the weekend which brings its worldwide total to $315 million. Don’t be surprised when you hear The Meg 2 going forward any day now.
Debuting in third is Mile 22 with an estimated $13.6 million. That puts it below my $17 million prediction and where it was tracking as it came into the weekend. The film has a modest $35 million budget so the loss won’t be too bad but there were reports that this was going to be a franchise starter for Mark Wahlberg and director Peter Berg, which seems unlikely now due to the soft debut. The film received a not so great “B-” CinemaScore so it doesn’t look like word of mouth is going to be on this one’s side.
Falling to fourth and, as of this writing, tying with the new release Alpha, is Mission: Impossible – Fallout with an estimated 10.5 million. That’s a drop of 45.7% and yet another weekend where the drop was less than 50%. The film has grossed $180.7 million domestically to date and continues on its way to becoming the biggest film of the franchise. The film has grossed over $500 million worldwide and still has openings in Italy and China on the way. This one isn’t done just yet.
Alpha also grossed $10.5 million this weekend and it’s likely that one will come out ahead when the final numbers are released. The good news is that it came in above tracking and my predictions but the bad news is that it has a reported $50 million budget. It’s going to need some overseas help to break even but reviews for this one were surprisingly solid with an 82% on Rotten Tomatoes and a decent “B+” CinemaScore.
Check out the full top ten results below:
| Film | Total | % Change | Gross to Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Onward | $10,601,952 | -72.9% | $60.3 |
| Bloodshot | $9,176,695 | NEW | $9.17 |
| I Still Believe | $9,103,614 | NEW | $9.10 |
| The Invisible Man | $5,890,805 | -61.1% | $64.3 |
| The Hunt | $5,304,455 | NEW | $5.3 |
| Sonic the Hedgehog | $2,522,584 | -67.3% | $145.7 |
| The Way Back | $2,356,115 | -71.2% | $13.3 |
| The Call of the Wild | $2,226,720 | -67.1% | $62 |
| Emma. | $1,295,215 | -73% | $9.9 |
| Bad Boys for Life | $1,102,208 | -63.5% | $204.2 |
