‘Crazy Rich Asians’ TV Spinoff Gains Momentum with Scripts Completed and Cast Meetings
A highly anticipated television series continuing the story of the beloved 2018 film Crazy Rich Asians is moving closer to reality, with director Jon M. Chu confirming scripts are finalized and key cast members have engaged in discussions with the showrunner.
Seven years after Crazy Rich Asians shattered box office expectations as a summer blockbuster, fans have eagerly awaited a continuation of the story. Initial plans for a sequel stalled, but now a spinoff series, spearheaded by HBO Max, appears to be the “real thing,” according to Chu.
The success of the original film in the summer of 2018 propelled the careers of its stars, including Henry Golding and Awkwafina, and its director, Jon M. Chu. The subsequent demands on their time seemingly hindered swift progress on a follow-up project. However, Chu recently shared a promising update: “It’s a real thing. We have scripts, and we’re waiting to be officially ready to go. Our cast will be there.”
The series, first reported in February, will feature Crazy Rich Asians co-writer Adele Lim as showrunner, producer, and writer, alongside Chu and the novel’s author, Kevin Kwan. In a recent interview with Esquire, Chu elaborated on the creative challenges and opportunities presented by adapting the source material for television.
“It’s hard to do the continuation of the books, because our characters changed so much in the first movie,” Chu explained. “It’s so different [from] the books, actually, even though it feels like it’s the same. So you couldn’t go one-to-one. But we can use a lot of inspiration from the book to dig out more story from it.”
Specifically, the untitled series is expected to draw heavily from Kwan’s first sequel novel, China Rich Girlfriend. This direction follows reports from April that Lim met with Golding and Gemma Chan to discuss their respective characters’ arcs.
The renewed momentum is particularly encouraging after years of tentative announcements. In 2022, Constance Wu alluded to a sequel in development, and a musical adaptation was discussed in 2024. However, Chu’s latest comments – referencing completed scripts and cast involvement – represent the most substantial progress to date.
Crazy Rich Asians grossed $239 million worldwide upon its release in 2018, becoming the highest-grossing romantic comedy since 2009’s The Proposal. The film’s cultural impact and commercial success have yet to be replicated by other entries in the rom-com genre.
As audiences await the return to the world of Crazy Rich Asians, fans can look forward to Chu’s next project, the second Wicked film, For Good, which is slated for release on November 21.
