After months of breathless hype, joyous reviews, and a stellar $35.3 million five-day opening, Crazy Rich Asians is getting a sequel. Of course it is! According to The Hollywood Reporter, Jon M. Chu is once again circling the directors chair, a well-deserved gig after he guided the first film to box-office success. Original producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force and John Penotti of Ivanhoe will also return, as will screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, who gamely turned the best-selling beach read into an endearing rom-com.
Warner Bros. has yet to fully greenlight the project, but it is getting the ball rolling on development. The book on which the first film was based is part of a trilogy, written by Kevin Kwan—so naturally, Warner Bros. has the option for all three. Simpson also previously told T.H.R. that the production team has “a plan with Kevin for the next two films.”
The second book in the series is China Rich Girlfriend, which follows the continued adventures of wealthy dreamboat Nick Young (played by handsome breakout Henry Golding) and American newcomer Rachel Chu (the charming Constance Wu). This time around, though, the story turns its gaze away from the crazy-rich elites of Singapore and over to the crazier, wealthier elites of mainland China. “These people arent just everyday rich with a few hundred million,” head matriarch Eleanor Young (elegantly played by Michelle Yeoh) explains in the book. “They are China rich!”
The story also focuses more on Astrid Leong (Gemma Chan), who (spoiler alert!) is briefly shown in the first films mid-credits scene making eyes at Charlie Wu (Harry Shum Jr.), an old lover. Though Charlie has a fairly substantial part in the first Crazy Rich book, he ended up being cut out the film almost entirely. Maybe hell get his due the second time around. Speaking of getting their due: prepare to see more of airhead actress and aspiring Singaporean elite Kitty Pong (Fiona Xie) in the sequel as well. She has a surprisingly vital role in the second book, digging her claws even deeper in the social scene in an attempt to be accepted by its luxe, snobby circles.
The films core cast, including Wu, Golding, and Yeoh, all have options in place for sequel films, per T.H.R., and will likely return for China Rich Girlfriend as well—after negotiating bigger (crazier! richer!) deals after the first blockbusters success.
Get Vanity Fairs HWD NewsletterSign up for essential industry and award news from Hollywood.Full ScreenPhotos:The Must-See Looks from the Crazy Rich Asians PremiereYohana DestaYohana Desta is a Hollywood writer for VanityFair.com.
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