“Crazy Rich Asians” is Coming to China

No, not to theaters. Rather, the actual story, characters, and cinematic goodness are all slated to make a return, as (according to Deadline) Warner Bros has already confirmed development of a sequel — this time, set in China.

The story will apparently follow the second (and possibly third) book in author Kevin Kwan’s Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, China Rich Girlfriend, which sees main character Rachel Shu (Constance Wu) traveling to China in search of her father.

It comes as no real surprise, with director Jon M. Chu’s film taking the number one spot in the US on opening weekend, and looking ready to hold onto it through next weekend’s screenings. Chu is reportedly planning to return, and so are screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim. If faithful to the book, the sequel will host the return of the central two characters played by Constance Wu and Henry Golding, as well as those from the first film played by actors such as Gemma Chan (pictured above) and Jimmy O. Yang.

Related:

Asia Reacts to “Crazy Rich Asians”: Asians, Americans, and Stars on Film’s Impact

While it remains unclear as to whether Crazy Rich Asians will receive a China release, the sequel might just have a shot. Not only is the franchise now a proven success at the US box office, but with the story taking place in China, audiences over here might just perk up and pay attention.

“The only drawback is that it’s set in Singapore,” one commenter wrote of the first film on social media platform Douban. “Why not our country?”

If the film receives a release in Chinese theaters, that could spell big international multipliers for revenue. Colorful escapism and romantic comedies both tend to play well with China’s moviegoers, and a Hollywood blockbuster set in their home country might have all the ingredients for a smash hit (the last one we remember is Jackie Chan and Jaden Smith’s Karate Kid reboot, but maybe the less said about that the better).

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Photo: Shutterstock

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