Lead actor Constance Wu delivers a positive update on the production status of Crazy Rich Asians 2. Jon M. Chu's 2018 adaptation of the first of a trilogy of books by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians was a box office hit for Warner Bros., earning praise for its buoyant cinematography, earnest rom-com formula, groundbreaking representation, and charming performances. The film starred Wu as the NYU economics professor Rachel, who flies to Singapore to meet her boyfriend Nick's (Henry Golding) family, only to discover that they are one of the wealthiest ones in the country. With a $238 million worldwide revenue, Crazy Rich Asians is ranked among the highest-grossing romantic comedies of its decade, and its opening was strong enough to warrant a sequel almost immediately.
Although WB was quick to announce a follow-up, Crazy Rich Asians 2 is taking some time to get off the ground. First, all the actors were committed to other projects, and the movie later faced a roadblock after original screenwriter Adele Lim, who shared credit for the movie with Peter Chiarelli, departed Crazy Rich Asians 2 over pay inequity. After Lim's exit, the development on the sequel hit a pause. But a few months back, up-and-coming writer Amy Wang was hired as the new, sole screenwriter, and now, it appears that Crazy Rich Asians 2 is all set to get the ball rolling again.
On Thursday, during an exclusive interview with Screen Rant about her upcoming Amazon thriller series, The Terminal List, in which she co-stars alongside Chris Pratt, Wu offers some encouraging news about Crazy Rich Asians 2. The actor says she met the producers only a few weeks ago to talk about getting ready for filming. Wu shares her excitement about reuniting with her co-stars, particularly close friend Awkwafina, and says she was keen on bringing the sequel to the ardent fans soon. Check out her full comment below:
Yeah! Well, I did just have lunch with one of the producers a few weeks ago to talk about getting ready to film the sequel. And I loved working with everybody. Awkwafina has become one of my best friends, so I'm really excited to get back in that saddle and give you all a sequel.
Currently, plot details on Crazy Rich Asians 2 aren't exactly abundant, though it's been reported that the movie is being shot back-to-back with a threequel, adapting both Kwan's second and third books, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Earlier, Chu did not want to begin work until the writing was settled, but that issue now seems to have been resolved. Additionally, a Crazy Rich Asians spinoff movie centered on Gemma Chan's character Astrid has also been ordered, so it makes sense for the sequel to end its prolonged hiatus and get production underway.
Of course, Wu's new comments bear glad tidings for fans who have been waiting for more of the original movie's deluxe rom-com escapism for about four years now. Of course, Wu, Chan, and Awkwafina have just finished work on their respective big assignments, Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile, Don't Worry Darling, and The Little Mermaid, so they can now commit to filming Crazy Rich Asians 2. The movie will still need to wait for Golding to clear his schedule, as he is currently busy working on Netflix's The Old Guard 2, but as Wu suggests, with several obstacles now behind it, hopefully Crazy Rich Asians 2 can get everyone on board and commence production soon. The movie franchise has surely run into its fair share of trouble over the past few years, but fans are hoping not to hear news about any more hiccups moving forward.