 |
| The romantic comedy 'Crazy Rich Asians' stars Henry Golding, left, and Constance Wu |
THE ROMANTIC COMEDY Crazy Rich Asians surpassed Hollywood expectations at the box office over the weekend.
Crazy Rich Asians, which features an all-Asian cast, took in an estimated $26.5 million over the weekend topping the Jason Statham shark thriller The Meg followed by the Mark Wahlberg-led shoot-m-up Mile 22
UPDATED: Aug. 20 -- Revised numbers put the five-day total at $35.3 million, and the three-day total at $26.5 million.
Since its debut on Aug. 15, the romantic comedy took in $35.3 million in five days exceeding industry expectations that predicted a $25 million opening. The movie, distributed by Warner Bros., cost an estimated $30 million to make.
Adapted from Kevin Kwan's bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of an Asian-American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend's ultra-wealthy family in Singapore.
Adapted from Kevin Kwan's bestseller, Crazy Rich Asians tells the story of an Asian-American woman who gets a culture shock meeting her boyfriend's ultra-wealthy family in Singapore.
The film's all-Asian cast, led by Fresh Off the Boat's Constance Wu, newcomer Henry Golding and Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon''s Michelle Yeoh, is the first such studio-backed project showing contemporary Asians and Asian Americans since the Joy Luck Club 25 years ago.
The film is being hailed as a long overdue showcase of a long-marginalized part of American society.
The film is being hailed as a long overdue showcase of a long-marginalized part of American society.
One of the questions was whether or not non-Asians would be attracted to the moviewith its Asian theme. The answer is a resounding "Yes!"
While it is no surprise that Asian Americans came out in droves to watch the highly anticipated film, the movie showed its cross-over appeal with its universal themes of love and family.
Nearly 40% of the audience for Crazy Rich Asians was Asian, bolstered by free screenings as wealthy Asians bought out theaters under the #GoldOpen campaign spurring a strong word-of-mouth campaign through social media.
Asian Americans accounted for 11% of frequent moviegoers in the US, as of 2016. They’re the demographic with the highest attendance per capita, going to the movies approximately 6.1 times per year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Nevertheless, that meant 60% of the audience was non-Asian demonstrating in no uncertain terms to Hollywood that a diverse cast is no hindrance to box-office success. Caucasians made up 41% and Latinos and African Americans splitting the balance.
Chu and his cast were ecstatic at the wide acceptance his film has garnered.
The successful opening may be a harbinger of more Asian and Asian American-led projects. "I personally know of six projects waiting to be greenlit," said CRA director Jon M. Chu. That could very well mean the other two books in the Kevin Kwan trilogy will be made into movies.
Two weeks ago, when the director was asked at his father''s Bay Area restaurant if there would be a sequel, Chu said, "It all depends if people show up."
Well ...?
_______________________________________________________________________________
While it is no surprise that Asian Americans came out in droves to watch the highly anticipated film, the movie showed its cross-over appeal with its universal themes of love and family.
Nearly 40% of the audience for Crazy Rich Asians was Asian, bolstered by free screenings as wealthy Asians bought out theaters under the #GoldOpen campaign spurring a strong word-of-mouth campaign through social media.
Asian Americans accounted for 11% of frequent moviegoers in the US, as of 2016. They’re the demographic with the highest attendance per capita, going to the movies approximately 6.1 times per year, according to the Motion Picture Association of America.
Nevertheless, that meant 60% of the audience was non-Asian demonstrating in no uncertain terms to Hollywood that a diverse cast is no hindrance to box-office success. Caucasians made up 41% and Latinos and African Americans splitting the balance.
Chu and his cast were ecstatic at the wide acceptance his film has garnered.
 |
SCREEN CAPTURE
'Crazy Rich Asian' director Jon M. Chu was interviewed by CNN over the success of his movie. |
The successful opening may be a harbinger of more Asian and Asian American-led projects. "I personally know of six projects waiting to be greenlit," said CRA director Jon M. Chu. That could very well mean the other two books in the Kevin Kwan trilogy will be made into movies.
Two weeks ago, when the director was asked at his father''s Bay Area restaurant if there would be a sequel, Chu said, "It all depends if people show up."
Well ...?
_______________________________________________________________________________
No comments:
Post a Comment