OK, I can get with this. It has been announced that Emmy nominated Barry producer and scribe Jason Kim is set to write a spinoff of Crazy Rich Asians which will center around the Gemma Chan character of Astrid Young Teo and her romance with Charlie Wu, played by Harry Shum Jr. in the original movie.
According to Deadline, Kim came up with a really great pitch that the studio loved which made them want to get in the early stages of developing the project. In the first film, Astrid learns that her husband Michael (Pierre Png) has been having an affair. She reconnects with Charlie after they run into each other at Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel’s (Constance Wu) engagement party. I believe more scenes were shot with these two for the first movie but they were ultimately cut.
Despite the movement on this spinoff, the sequel to Crazy Rich Asians is also still in development. The film is being written by Amy Wang and both the spinoff and Crazy Rich Asians sequel will be tied to Kevin Kwan’s second book in the trilogy, “China Rich Girlfriend.” That book, in addition to covering Astrid and Charlie’s relationship, follows Rachel and Nick on a trip to Shanghai to find the former’s birth father.
Released in 2018, Crazy Rich Asians was the first Hollywood studio movie since 1993’s The Joy Luck Club to star an all-Westernized Asian ensemble. The movie was a hit with critics and moviegoers, debuting at $35.2 million over 5-days and eventually grossing $174.5 million domestic and $238.5 million worldwide. The movie received a feature cast ensemble nomination from SAG, won Best Comedy at the Critics Choice Awards, and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Comedy/Musical as well as a nomination for Comedy or Musical Actress Constance Wu. A sequel was announced soon after the first film became a hit but the film’s cast and director, Jon M. Chu, became very busy following the success of the movie. Henry Golding quickly became a sought-after leading man while Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, and Constance Wu were soon offered numerous film roles. The sequel has been a victim of finding the time to get it down but maybe movement on this spinoff will move things along.
Are YOU interested in the Crazy Rich Asians spinoff?