The Megrode the last wave of summer blockbuster action this past weekend and brought in a much better than expected $45.4 million haul. The giant shark extravaganza is likely to surrender thebox officecrown as the highly-anticipated and critically-acclaimed romantic comedyCrazy Rich Asiansrolls into theaters. Mark Wahlberg is also getting gritty withMile 22and Sony has the ancient man and his dog storyAlphaalso debuting this weekend.
Crazy Rich Asianshas been bolstered by excellent reviews, currently boasting a 98 percent approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, and tracking numbers have gone up and up over the course of the last week. The movie will see a mid-week Wednesday release and is tracking for a five-day total of $26 million or more. However, with very positive buzz and moviegoers who may be craving something other than big shark madness could easily push it past the $30 million mark. That should be enough to give the Jon M. Chu feature the top spot. This is the first American movie to feature an all Asian cast sinceThe Joy Luck Clubin 1993. IfBlack Pantherproved anything, it’s that quality and diversity is a recipe for success.
As mentioned, Jason Statham’sThe Megdid way better than tracking expected. However, the movie has still been subject to middling reviews and it’s likely that its second weekend holdover won’t be as impressive. It should find itself in a relatively close race, ultimately washing up in the number two spot with a take somewhere in the $20 million range.
Mark Wahlberg has once again teamed up with director Peter Berg forMile 22, which also starsThe Walking Dead’s Lauren Cohan. Berg and Wahlberg is a team that has worked in the past with movies likeLone SurvivorandPatriot’s Day. Their latest actioner, which already has a sequel in development, should arrive with around $18 million. That will make it a profitable venture for studio STX. The weekend’s other new entry,Alpha, which takes place during the ice age and centers on a young hunter befriending a wild dog, will miss the top five, but should take in around $7 million.
The top five should be rounded up by a couple of solid holdovers in the form ofMission: Impossible - Fallout, which has done exceedingly well up to this point. The Tom Cruise-led flick should land at the number four spot with between $11 and $12 million. Last, but certainly not least, the top five could be rounded out withBlacKkKlansman. Spike Lee’s latest has been a huge hit with critics and audiences and will have a phenomenal holdover heading into its second weekend. Expect to see the awards season hopeful add another $10 million, give or take, to its total. Be sure to check out our full list of top ten predictions below and check back with us on Sunday for the full list of weekend estimates. These numbers come to us courtesy ofBox Office Mojo.
