Crazy Rich Asians was a blockbuster hit in the U.S. but not so in China. The film did not sit well with Chinese moviegoers and flopped during its opening weekend.
The rom-com, which is a live-adaptation of the Kevin Kwan novel of the same name, made its debut in Chinese theaters over the weekend to surprisingly low sales. It barely managed to earn $1 million. According to reports, the film only brought in $410,000 and $400,000 on Friday and Saturday, respectively.
Due to its low viewership, the film ended up being screened in a few theaters. From 32,000 screens on Friday, it was down to 18,700. In the end, Crazy Rich Asians landed the eighth spot at the local box office. It ranked behind the Chinese film A Cool Fish from director Rao Xiaozhi and the Tom Hardy film Venom.
Contrary to China, Crazy Rich Asians opened to a whopping $26 million in the U.S. It then amassed $173 million at the domestic box office. It earned $5 million in Singapore, where much of the film's story takes place. Its worldwide tally amounted to a staggering $237 million, which is more than enough sales from a production budget of $30 million.
Analysts cite several factors that could have led to low ticket sales. One is the huge gap in the release of the film between the U.S. and China, and the rest of the world, for that matter. The movie opened in North America and East Asia in August and September, respectively, which is nearly three months apart from its release in China. A lot could have happened in those months, including piracy. Most Chinese moviegoers may have found a way to stream it online or pirate it, thus decreasing its potential to earn more in theaters.
Moreover, the plot and story did not appeal so much to Chinese viewers. One commented that it was passable but that it made the viewer want to vomit. Another noted that the film did not particularly depict anything about the life of Chinese mainlanders. Instead, it focused on the never-ending issue about ethnicity and inclusion in the U.S.
"So Chinese people in the eyes of Europeans and Americans are just about clans, extravagant snobbery, a blind sense of superiority, and stubbornly clinging to outdated rules and ideas?"
Still, a Chinese release for Crazy Rich Asians was deemed vital for the sequel China Rich Girlfriend. Warner Bros. plans to shoot the installment in China.
