'Crazy Rich Asians' Dominates the Competition in Its Second Weekend

It was another crazy rich weekend for Warner Bros.'s Crazy Rich Asians, which dropped just 5.7% in its second weekend based on estimates, and if last weekend's performance is any indication, don't be surprised to see that weekend number climb once actuals are received on Monday afternoon. As for the weekend's new wide releases, both The Happytime Murders and A.X.L. struggled, though Sony's limited release of Searching delivered a chart-topping per theater average in limited release, in advance of going wide next weekend.

With an impressive $25 million, WB's Crazy Rich Asians dropped just 5.7% compared to its opening weekend, easily remaining the #1 film at the weekend box office. The film's domestic gross now totals over $76 million after just 12 days in release, on its way to what looks like it could be a $150+ million domestic run.

The film's second weekend drop is one of the smallest of all-time and to have done it without the benefit of a holiday weekend makes it even more impressive. To that point, how the film performs over the four-day Labor Day holiday next week may end up being just as impressive as this weekend's hold.

Crazy Rich Asians also bumped up its international presence this weekend, adding 12 markets for a total of 18, from which it brought in an estimated $6 million for an early overseas cume totaling $7.1 million. This weekend it brought in $1.8 million from Singapore, the largest opening for a romantic comedy ever in the market, followed by a $1.5 million opening in the Philippines. Looking ahead, the film will open in Australia on August 30 followed by a mid-September debut in the UK.

In a repeat of last weekend, WB scored both the number one and two slots as The Meg once again finished in the runner-up position. This weekend the shark feature devoured an estimated $13 million bringing the film's domestic total to an impressive $105.3 million. The film is now the 17th release of 2018 to top the century mark and there is still plenty of chum in the water.

Internationally, The Meg chomped down another $32.7 million this weekend from 65 territories for an international total that now stands at $303.3 million for a worldwide tally totaling $408.6 million. This weekend the film opened in France where it brought in an estimated $4.5 million while China remains the film's top market with $143 million followed by Mexico ($17m), UK ($15.3m), Russia ($11.9m) and Spain ($8.4m). The film has still yet to open in Japan where it will begin hunting unsuspecting moviegoers on September 7.

In third is STX's The Happytime Murders, debuting with a disappointing $10 million. There were signals heading into the weekend that this one could underperform, the final of them being the troubling critical reception resulting in a 27 on Metacritic. The rating is well below pre-weekend comps such as star Melissa McCarthy's own Life of the Party (46) and Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates (51), neither of which would be described as a critical darling. Following that, audiences gave the film a "C-" CinemaScore, compared to the "B" both Life of the Party and Mike and Dave received before opening with $17.8 million and $16.6 million respectively.

From an audience perspective, 59% of the opening weekend crowd was male and 63% was 25 or older, both of which tell of a more male-dominated and younger crowd than turned out for Life of the Party. Mike and Dave also played to a majority female audience, but its crowd was even younger than Happytime.

Paramount's Mission: Impossible - Fallout dipped just 26% this weekend, delivering an estimated $8 million. The film's domestic total is now just shy of $194 million as it enters its fifth week in release. The film continues to pace ahead of domestic franchise-leader Mission: Impossible II by ~$5 million as Paramount is surely hoping this one rides it out to a franchise best performance. The film also added another $13 million internationally this weekend from 61 markets, pushing the its worldwide total over $538 million.

Rounding out the top five is Disney's Christopher Robin with an estimated $6.3 million, signaling just a 28.5% drop as the film's domestic gross now stands at $77.6 million. The film has so far brought in $35.1 million internationally for a worldwide cume that currently totals $112.7 million.

It isn't until ninth position that we find Global Road's A.X.L., which debuted in 1,710 locations this weekend and brought in an estimated $2.9 million for a weak, $1,719 per theater average. While the performance is definitely nothing to celebrate, the studio has more to worry about as it has been reported "the company's domestic feature production and distribution division will now be overseen by its financial backers" and the next step may be to declare bankruptcy. While a pair of film's remain on Global Road's upcoming slate, it may not be Global Road that releases any of them.

Outside the top ten we find Bleecker Street's debut of Papillon starring Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek. The remake delivered an estimated $1.15 million from 544 locations for a $2,115 per theater average.

Further down the list we come to Sony's release of Searching. The cyber-thriller debuted in just nine locations this weekend and brought in an estimated $360,000 for a strong, $40k per theater average. Sony is expected to expand the film's reach next weekend into over 1,100 locations.

Additional limited releases include Greenwich's release of The Bookshop into four theaters where it brought in an estimated $48,000 ($12,000 PTA); Janus's re-release of Andrei Rublev delivered $12,979 from two locations; and Oscilloscope's John McEnroe: In the Realm of Perfection debuted with $8,060 from New York's Film Forum this weekend.

One final note is the debut of Ant-Man and the Wasp in China where it brought in an estimated $68 million, the fourth largest opening for a film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the market. The performance pushes the film's global tally over $544 million. Ant-Man and the Wasp opens in Japan, its final major market, next weekend.

Next weekend marks the "official" end of the summer movie season, and on top of the expanded release of Sony's Searching, Lionsgate will release Kin in ~2,100 theaters. The weekend will also feature a couple of moderate releases in Focus's The Little Stranger in 475 theaters and Pantelion's Ya Veremos in 350 sites.