A series adaptation of “Crazy Rich Asians” is in development at Max. Adele Lim, who co-wrote the 2018 film, has been set as showrunner and executive producer, while director Jon M. Chu will also return to executive produce.
via: THR
The fate of Crazy Rich Asians has been up in the air for years. After the 2018 film starring Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu and Henry Golding grossed $240 million at the global box office, a sequel was a no-brainer. Warner Bros. Pictures confirmed development on a sequel drawing from novel China Rich Girlfriend was in development within weeks of the opening. But scheduling and the eventual departure of Lim stalled development — as did Chu’s massive commitment to directing Wicked and its upcoming conclusion, Wicked: For Good.
Kwan’s novels follow Asian-American Rachel Chu as she is introduced to her boyfriend’s wildly wealthy family from Singapore. Hijinks ensue. Wu and Golding starred as the central couple, with Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Jimmy O. Yang and Ronny Chieng rounding out the starry cast.
HBO chief Casey Bloys first teased a Crazy Rich Asians series in 2024, revealing that the Warner Bros. Discovery property was in development for something other than a film. He did not note Chu and Lim’s involvement, the latter of whom’s return to the franchise is especially interesting.
Lim famously departed the planned sequel in 2019, revealing to THR at the time that she was being offered a fraction of salary Warner Bros. was offering co-writer Peter Chiarelli, a white man. She declined to comment on specifics, but sources art the time said starting offers to $800,000 to $1 million for Chiarelli and only $110,000-plus for Lim.
Four years later, she reflected on the episode in a lengthy conversation with THR while promoting directorial debut Joy Ride. “You never want to be the difficult person, especially if you’re a woman,” she said. “There’s always that fear that you’re never going to work again. But these are the lies that we’re fed: “If you work hard enough, you’ll get there! And if you don’t, it’s because you just didn’t have it.” Not talking about that is the problem. Nobody wants to be the face of pay equity, but I’m glad it came out.”
She was also careful not to rule out a potential return. “I love that movie,” she said “I love what it did for Asian Americans. I want a sequel. Whether or not I’m writing it or at the helm of it, I want it to do well.”
That sequel may still be in limbo, but Crazy Rich Asians lives on.
Lim will serve as showrunner on the project, which has opened a development writers room, and executive produce via her 100 Tigers banner. Chu (via his Electric Somewhere) is also exec producing with Naia Cucukov of 100 Tigers, Kwan, and Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force, which developed and produced the film. SK Global Entertainment also produces, with the company’s Chloe Dan is overseeing the project.
Lim is repped by Paradigm and Ginsburg Daniels. Chu is with Artists First, UTA and Goodman Genow. Kwan is with CAA and Lichter Grossman. Cucukov is repped by Paradigm and Sean Marks.
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I never understood after the success of Crazy Rich Asians why it took so long for Warner to develop the other books into cinematic features. It's as if Hollywood loves to act like they're all about diversity, but don't want to put up the money when there is an audience craving for representation.
Case in point, we're still waiting for a Shang Chi sequel, and that film was a big hit for the MCU.
I truly feel that Crazy Rich Asians will have much more success as a series, because you can explore the characters and the world they live in much more.
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