As impressive as the box-office debut of “Crazy Rich Asians” was last weekend, its second week may have been even more so.
The romantic comedy kept its hold at No. 1, earning an estimated $25 million, after ticket sales slipped only 6% in its second weekend — a miniscule decline that’s almost unheard-of outside of holiday blockbusters.
“Every now and then, all the stars align, and this is what happened here,” Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ head of domestic distribution, told Variety. “The word of mouth has just spread.”
The film from AT&T’s T, +0.46% Warner Bros. is the first major Hollywood production in 25 years to feature an almost entire cast of Asian descent, and has now earned $76.8 million domestically — more than twice its production budget. It also expanded its audience in its second week, picking up more white and Latino moviegoers, the studio reported.
“There’s no greater indicator of the enthusiasm of an audience than a minimal drop in a second weekend,” comScore senior media analyst Paul Dergarabedian told the Associated Press. “This isn’t the product of opening-weekend hype. This is the product of a great movie resonating very strongly with all audiences. The movie has become a cultural phenomenon.”
Meanwhile, Warner Bros.’ shark thriller “The Meg” continued to perform swimmingly, staying in the No. 2 spot after earning $13 million and crossing the $100-million mark domestically. Globally, its haul is even better, with more than $400 million in three weeks.
Receipts were far more grim for a pair of newcomers, as the raunchy puppet comedy “The Happytime Murders” from STX Entertainment flopped, earning just $10 million, and the family-oriented “A.X.L.” opened to just $2.9 million. “The Happytime Murders” was panned by critics and audiences alike, and was star Melissa McCarthy’s lowest opening-weekend gross ever.
