More riches for Crazy Rich Asians as romcom tops US box office for 2nd weekend

WASHINGTON - Romcom Crazy Rich Asians continued to sparkle in North America, topping the box office for the second weekend running, according to industry estimates Sunday (Aug 26).

The Warner Bros adaptation of Singapore-born author Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel of the same name took US$25 million (S$34 million), almost matching its US$26.5 million debut last week, box office tracker Exhibitor Relations said.

Starring veteran actress Michelle Yeoh, British-Malaysian former BBC host Henry Golding and American sitcom star Constance Wu, the film tells the story of an American economics professor who meets her super-wealthy boyfriend's family in Singapore.

It is the first major studio release with a mostly Asian cast since The Joy Luck Club in 1993.

Shark attack thriller The Meg clung on to the runner-up spot for another week, taking US$13 million - a significant tumble from last week's earnings of US$21.2 million.

It stars action movie regular Jason Statham as a rescue diver who tries to save scientists trapped in a submarine from a huge, prehistoric shark.

In at third was newly-released mystery The Happytime Murders, which took US$10 million.

Based in a world where humans and puppets co-exist, the film follows a joint police force as they probe a recent murder spree targeting puppet TV stars.

On its heels with takings of US$8 million was Tom Cruise's action blockbuster Mission: Impossible - Fallout, which took fourth place in its fifth weekend in theatres.

Fifth went to Disney's live-animated hybrid Christopher Robin, which took US$6.3 million.

Ewan McGregor plays Winnie the Pooh's now grown-up and stressed-out pal who reunites with his old stuffed friend.

Rounding out this weekend's top 10 were: Mile 22 (US$6 million); Alpha (US$5.6 million); BlackKklansman (US$5.3 million); A.X.L (US$3 million), and Slender Man (US$2.8 million).