 |
WARNER BROTHERS Director Jon M Chu (2nd from left), author Kevin Kwan (far right) and the cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians.' |
Despite the shortage of AANHPI presence at the Golden Globes and the upcoming Oscars, a pending AANHPI creative wave is about to change all that.
Adele Lim, part of the original screenwriting team, is back in the fold as showrunner. Having AAPI voices at the helm ensures that the "love language" of our culture remains the heartbeat of the show, rather than a background prop. Her involvement has been instrumental inreuniting members of the original cast.
While official contracts are still under wraps as of January 2026, the signal from the inner circle is clear: "Our cast will be there."
As of January 2026, the long-awaited scripts are in, the buzz is loud and excitement is bubbling in the AANHPI communities hungry to see themselves and share their stories.
Ever since Crazy Rich Asians broke down cultural and discriminatory barriers with its box office success, engaging characters and relatable storyline, fans have been waiting for the sequel based on the trilogy of novels by Kevin Kwan.
Chu has been vocal about the struggle to fit Kwan’s sprawling world into a single film. A TV series allows the writers and director to move past "vanilla representations" and dig into the complex, messy, and authentically human layers of our community that usually get left on the cutting room floor.
While drawing inspiration from China Rich Girlfriend, the second book of the CRA trilogy, this isn't a stale page-to-screen retread. Chu says the characters have "evolved" beyond the original novels, reflecting the growth of the AANHPI landscape since the first film broke the 25-year drought of all-Asian casts in 2018.
Adele Lim, part of the original screenwriting team, is back in the fold as showrunner. Having AAPI voices at the helm ensures that the "love language" of our culture remains the heartbeat of the show, rather than a background prop. Her involvement has been instrumental inreuniting members of the original cast.
Casting underway
While no deals are official, Chu has stated he is confident the original cast will return. Henry Golding (Nick Young) has mentioned that he and other cast members like Gemma Chan (Astrid Teo) and Awkwafina (Peik Lin Goh) have been in unofficial talks with the showrunner.“Everybody’s excited,” Golding shared on the Today Show recently.
“I was with Nora (Lum), Awkwafina, who is a fellow New Yorker, the other night, and we were discussing it. We had Adele Lim come over and visit me and Gemma [Chan] in London not too long ago to discuss where we’re heading. We have a larger, longer-running format because we’re doing a series. We have so much runway to really share the world you kind of got a glimpse of in Crazy Rich. We’re really excited to show more,” he added.
The original film follows Rachel Chu (Constance Wu), an American economics professor who travels with her boyfriend, Nick Young, to his best friend's wedding in Singapore, only to discover he is from an incredibly wealthy family.
It was the first major Hollywood film in 25 years to feature a predominantly Asian American and Asian cast in a contemporary setting since The Joy Luck Club. The film presented Asians as fully realized characters in roles beyond stereotypes.
The movie's surprising box office success and critical praise broke through the biases held by major Hollywood studios.
Since the movie's debut in 2018, cast members have been in high demand. The film’s ensemble cast also includes Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr, Nico Santos, Ronny Chieng, Jimmy O. Yang, Ken Jeong, and Lisa Lu, among others.
For years, Hollywood has been saying our stories are "niche." Chu is proving that when you lean into cultural specificity, you find something universal. The Crazy Rich Asians series isn't just about luxury—it's about the privilege of being seen as fully human on our own terms.
This project lands at a critical time. With Chu coming off the massive success of Wicked (which snagged 10 Oscar nods), he’s using his institutional power garnered by his proven track record to ensure Asian Americans aren't just "guests" in Hollywood, but the architects of the narrative.
For years, Hollywood has been saying our stories are "niche." Chu is proving that when you lean into cultural specificity, you find something universal. The Crazy Rich Asians series isn't just about luxury—it's about the privilege of being seen as fully human on our own terms.
The developing series dosn't mean the film sequel is off the table. “I don’t know if it’s in lieu of a sequel but it felt clear that every character we wanted to explore needed more room and just a movie wasn’t doing it for us,” Chu said. “
Even with the strong possibility of watching Asians depicted as fully rounded individuals beyond the martial artists, dragon ladies, computer nerds, submissive and background characters, no matter the medium, Crazy Rich Asians is just a harbinger of a wave of creativity from AANHPI artists.
Building an AAPI Powerhouse
With Chu officially launching his new era at Paramount earlier this month, we’re seeing a masterclass in how to turn cultural representation into institutional power.On January 2, 2026, Chu’s three-year first-look deal with Paramount Pictures and Paramount Television Studios officially went into effect. This isn't just another contract; it’s a strategic shift for Asian American stories in Hollywood.
Under this deal, Paramount gets the first crack at every new film and series Chu’s production banner, Electric Somewhere, develops. By moving onto the Paramount lot, Chu is positioned as a core architect of the studio’s future slate alongside heavyweights like the Duffer Brothers and Will Smith.
While Crazy Rich Asians remains at Max (Warner Bros.), the Paramount deal allows Chu to build a new pipeline of Asian-led projects. Paramount is betting that Chu can repeat the Wicked magic (which just shattered global records in late 2025) with original AAPI stories that have blockbuster potential.
The move signals a major studio’s commitment to "director-driven" projects that lean into Chu’s unique cultural lens. For the AAPI community, this means fewer hurdles to getting greenlit; we now have one of our own with a permanent seat at the table on Melrose Avenue.
Chu isn't just making movies anymore—he's building an infrastructure. After adapting two Broadway hits into movies, (In the Heights, Wicked), he is set to make his Broadway directorial debut with a stage adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, featuring music by Helen Park.
Chu isn't just making movies anymore—he's building an infrastructure. After adapting two Broadway hits into movies, (In the Heights, Wicked), he is set to make his Broadway directorial debut with a stage adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians, featuring music by Helen Park.
We're excited to learn the fate of Crazy Rich Asians' beloved characters Rachel and Nick, Astrid and Charlie, Peik, Eleanor and the other characters from the Kwan's novels.
Between the Crazy Rich Asians projects and Chu's new Paramount powerhouse, the era of being "just a guest" in the studio system is officially over. Let's hope a new inclusive era is beginning.
EDITOR'S NOTE: For additional commentary, news, views and chismis from an AANHPI perspective, follow me on Threads, on X, BlueSky or at the blog Views From the Edge.
No comments:
Post a Comment