The Crazy Rich Asians cast is coming together again for a sequel with Warner Bros., after ruling the box office for five days, NBCreported.
The groundbreaking film owned the box office with a $35.5 million, five-day opening and was the first film from a Hollywood studio to feature a mostly Asian cast in over 25 years. The film is said to have been derived in light of Hollywood being pressured to grow diversity on screen.
The movie was also the largest launch for a romantic comedy in recent years, holding an impressive 93 percent certified fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes. With such an impressive opening and first week, a sequel is a “no brainer.”
The sequel to the hit is already in development at Warner Bros, confirmed by Variety. Director Jon M. Chu, is expected to return for the follow up as well as most of the film’s original team, including producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force and John Penotti of Ivanhoe.
Chu, with a list of impressive past credits, has a busy schedule but told sources he will be joining the team after shooting Lin-Manuel Miranda’s first musical, In The Heights, debuting from Warner Bros in June 2020.
According to TheHollywood Reporter, though the details are not yet set in stone, the plan is to bring back screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, who wrote Crazy Rich Asians.
The original film is based off Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, which includes 2015’s Crazy Rich Girlfriend and 2017’s Rich People Problems, giving Warner Bros. the option to choose their next direction.
“We have a plan with Kevin for the next two films,” said producer Simpson.
Chu told The Hollywood Reporter that the second film will be based on Crazy Rich Girlfriend, following the relationship between the newly single Astrid, played by Gemma Chan and Charlie Wu, played by Harry Shum Jr.
Scenes between the two were shot for the first film but cut for the storyline, Chu said. A short mid-credits scene between the two was included in the cinema release of Crazy Rich Asian. The scene was excised from the film to avoid giving the impression that Astrid was leaving her husband Michael, played by Perre Png, for another man.
Instead, Charlie and Astrid will have a second chance at romance during the sequel, according to Chu.
“The idea is to tell the story in the next movie, I made a promise to Harry so I’m going to do it.”
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