The Weekend Report

Orient Express

Appropriately Crazy Rich Asians debuted on Chinese Valentine’s Day and its sweet message took the weekend box office crown with an estimated $25.3 million. The session saw two other national freshmen releases. The testosterone-charged Mile 22 ranked third with $13.6 million while the tale of canine origins was a couple of slots back with $10.4 million.

In the niches a flood of new Indian imports cued to holiday audiences arrived with the Telugu Geetha Govindam and the Hindi Gold emerging as top grossers with respective weekends of $1 million and $528,000. Also flush were exclusive openers that posted sufficient reason for expansion. The troubled marriage of The Wife garnered $108,000 from four venues, the Outfest top prized We the Animals opened with $65,300 at three locations and the musical rom-com Juliet, Naked grossed $58,700 from four screens.

Aside from a strong push that Crazy Rich Asians was a comedy for everyone, there was little doubt that the rarity of essentially an all-Asian cast would bring out an ethnically under-represented group. Tracking ranged widely from low-end predictions that touched on $30 million for its five day span (it opened on Wednesday) to an optimum pegged at $35 million that it almost reached. (The studio did not provide a percentage for Asian ticket buyers)

The domestic audience tilted female with an unexpectedly high 68% with 66% of viewers aged 25-years and older.

The film also opened in six overseas markets to an estimated $730,000. None of the initial release nations were Asian. Next week will provide a better sense of its foreign appeal with openings in Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia.

Mile 22 also had an Asian connection with the presence of Indonesian actor Iko Uwais as the “package” being transported by the government team. The film was a bit shy of industry expectations in the range of $15 million to $16 million. It audience to no great surprise tilted 60% male with 73% aged 25-years and older.

The film dipped its toe in the international arena with openings in six territories including Singapore and Taiwan that saw an initial gross of $550,000.

The last of the season’s dog days saw the arrival of the Ice Age-set Alpha that promoted the story of the beginnings of man’s faithful companion. Tracking suggested a tame start of $7 million to $8 million that underestimated the appeal to dog’s devoted companions. They showed up at the multiplex 56% male and 73% aged 25-years and younger. Those identifying as families accounted for two-thirds of viewers.

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