Just as Crazy Rich Asians is bringing movie buffs to theaters by the boatloads, plans for a follow up are already underway.
Sure, that's crazy fast, but the comedy is already an instant hit having raked in $40+ million in less than a week, prompting the powers that be to bank on another money-making movie fans will be sure to flock to. According to Rolling Stone, Warner Bros. will be adapting China Rich Girlfriend to become the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians, which is still screening in theaters and selling out.
Why is everyone so crazy for Crazy Rich Asians? It's funny. It's fresh. It's finally featuring an all-Asian cast for the first time since 1993's The Joy Luck Club. Lighthearted laughs and a love story filled with the rom-com charm theatergoers rely on, the film is a fun one, the perfect departure from real-world worries and woes. The production is perfect, the story is sincere, and the cast's chemistry is undeniable. A sequel is a no-brainer, so long as it stands up to what's showing now.
As per Hollywood Reporter, "Jon M. Chu, who helmed the groundbreaking film is planning to return for the sequel. Warner Bros. is moving forward with development on the follow-up, with plans to reunite the first movie's original team, including producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force and John Penotti of Ivanhoe." The New York Times notes, "Negotiations are still continuing to bring back Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, who wrote the Crazy Rich Asians screenplay."
While patience is paper-thin for today's blink-and-you-missed-it entertainment-engaged crowd, fans of the film may have to wait a while for the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians to hit theaters. As The New York Times reports, "A sequel could also take some time to materialize because Mr. Chu will soon begin shooting another Warner project — an adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's Broadway musical In the Heights, which is scheduled for release in summer 2020." Looks like Chu is about to have some financially fantastic years ahead of him! Life imitates art, or vice versa?
So, what will the highly-anticipated sequel be about? "China Rich Girlfriend finds leading characters Nick and Rachel (played by Henry Golding and Constance Wu in the current film) searching for her lost father in China. It also brings Nick's fashionista cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan) more to the fore," reports The New York Times. If it's as captivatingly crazy as the first, China Rich Girlfriend will be another box office beauty.
If you haven't seen Crazy Rich Asians yet, you're crazy! Snag a seat at your local cinema this weekend and make your life richer.
Melissa A. Kay is a New York-based writer, editor, and content strategist. Follow her work on Popdust as well as sites including TopDust, Chase Bank, P&G, Understood.org, The Richest, GearBrain, The Journiest, Bella, TrueSelf, Better Homes & Gardens, AMC Daycare, and more.
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