Weekend Box Office Report: August 17-19, 2018

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

Crazy Rich Asians take over!

A bit of romance was the main attraction at theaters this weekend as CRAZY RICH ASIANS opened in first place with an estimated $25.2 million!

Directed by Jon Chu (G.I. JOE – RETALIATION, NOW YOU SEE ME 2), the new romcom opened on Wednesday and has a $34 million five-day domestic total.

The PG-13 melodrama, about a woman (Constance Wu) who discovers the family of her boyfriend (Henry Golding) is incredibly wealthy, cost a reported $30 million.

Most critics swooned for the adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel, giving it an average of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes. Be enchanted by the JoBlo review right HERE.

Monster-shark movie THE MEG took a dive to second with $21.1 million, sinking by 53% from its first-place opening last weekend. Jason Statham's tussle with a humongous prehistoric man-eater has a ten-day domestic total of $83.7 million.

Based on Steve Alten's book, the PG-13 oceanic thriller from NATIONAL TREASURE director Jon Turteltaub has gulped down a global total of $314 million (on a cost rumored to be somewhere between $130 million and $175 million).

Opening in third place was the new Mark Wahlberg vehicle MILE 22 with $13.6 million.

The R-rated action-thriller (also featuring John Malkovich, THE RAID's Iko Uwais and Lauren Cohan from "The Walking Dead") cost a reported $35 million.

Wahlberg's fourth collaboration with director Peter Berg didn't have their lowest opening (that would be PATRIOTS DAY's $11.6 million first wide weekend), but started under the $20.2 million opening of DEEPWATER HORIZON and far below the $37 million of LONE SURVIVOR in January of 2013.

Critics didn't seem to think the bullet-riddled mayhem would launch a new franchise for Wahlberg, giving the movie a 20% average on Rotten Tomatoes. You can scope out the JoBlo review HERE.

MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT was in fourth place with $10.5 million, reaching $180.7 million domestic after clinging to the top half of the chart for four weekends. The $178 million Tom Cruise espionage sequel has topped $500 million worldwide.

In fifth place was the new Ice Age action-thriller ALPHA with an opening of $10.5 million.

Directed by Albert Hughes (THE BOOK OF ELI), the PG-13 historical drama about a young hunter (Kodi Smit-McPhee) befriending a wolf cost a reported $51 million. The movie was originally set for release in September 2017 before ultimately roaming the schedule to this weekend.

Critics seemed to appreciate the visually impressive tale of (early) man's best friend, giving it an average of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes.

Disney's live-action/CG-animated hybrid CHRISTOPHER ROBIN was in sixth with $8.8 million. The PG-rated family fantasy with Ewan McGregor and Winnie the Pooh has a domestic total of $66.8 million and $89.6 million worldwide so far (on a reported $75 million cost).

In seventh was Spike Lee's BLACKKKLANSMAN with $7.3 million, a solid hold from last weekend's start with a 35% drop. The R-rated true story has a ten-day domestic total of $23 million on a reported cost of $15 million.

The PG-13 horror urban legend SLENDER MAN was in eighth place with $4.9 million, frightening away 56% of business from its opening last week. The $10 million thriller based on the supernatural internet myth has a ten-day domestic total of $20.7 million.

In ninth was animated sequel HOTEL TRANSYLVANIA 3: SUMMER VACATION with $3.6 million, cruising to $153.8 million domestic and $425 million worldwide after six weekends.

Musical romcom MAMMA MIA! HERE WE GO AGAIN finished up the list with $3.3 million for a $111.2 million domestic total and $319 million worldwide (around half of the original's global total).

Outside the chart, Marvel's ANT-MAN AND THE WASP shrank out of sight along with THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME and THE EQUALIZER 2. Of the weekend's limited releases, the Glenn Close/Jonathan Pryce drama THE WIFE fared the best with a $27k per-screen average.

Next weekend has Melissa McCarthy investigating puppet homicide in the R-rated comedy THE HAPPYTIME MURDERS and a boy meets a robot dog in A.X.L., while limited releases include Rami Malek and Charlie Hunnam trying to escape a penal colony in the new version of PAPILLON.

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