Crazy Rich Asians pockets $34 mn over five-day opening weekend at North American box office

Highly anticipated rom-com Crazy Rich Asians — the first Hollywood film with a primarily Asian cast in a generation — dazzled the North American box office in its debut weekend, claiming the top spot, industry estimates showed on Sunday.

The Warner Bros. adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name became the highest-opening romantic comedy since 2015's Trainwreck, starring Amy Schumer, reports Variety. The film raked in $34 million since hitting theaters on Wednesday. Of the total, the film took in $25.3 million at the weekend.

Henry Golding and Constance Wu in Crazy Rich Asians promotional banner. Image via Twitter

Starring veteran actress Michelle Yeoh, British-Malaysian former BBC host Henry Golding and American sitcom star Constance Wu, the film tells the story of a American economics professor who meets her super-wealthy boyfriend's family in Singapore — and all the drama that ensues. It is the first Tinseltown film with a predominantly Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993.

Jeff Goldstein, Warner Bros.’ head of domestic distribution, credited the film’s success to 'word of mouth'. “This movie is so culturally significant and so unique in that there hasn’t been a cast that’s predominately Asian [in years]," he said. "This is one of those few projects that a whole studio comes together with lots of passion.”"

Shark thriller The Meg tumbled to second place in its second week, taking in $21.2 million. It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists in a submarine from an attack by a huge, prehistoric shark.

Mile 22 — a new spy thriller-action flick starring Mark Wahlberg — opened in third place at $13.6 million.

(With inputs from Agence France-Presse)