With today's release of romantic-comedy Crazy Rich Asians, audiences are flocking to see a little more than another love story. Since it is the first Hollywood film to feature an all-Asian cast in 25 years, buying a ticket is an investment in support of a larger shift in Hollywood to tell more inclusive stories. Early sold-out preview screenings and overwhelmingly positive reviews places Crazy Rich Asians on a track to be a success. If the movie does do well at the box office, then there's always the possibility of a sequel, especially since there are two more books in the series the first movie will be based on. Cast member Awkwafina was recently asked at the Los Angeles premiere for Crazy Rich Asians about her thoughts on signing on for another one and here's what she said:
I don't know, but I hope that there is one. And I think that if there is a sequel, that's a message right there. That, in itself, meant it was explosive enough to bring us all back. It would be an absolute privilege and an honor if there was one. I believe in this movie and in this franchise all the way. If there's ever a chance, that would be amazing.
The 25-year-old breakout star Awkwafina, also known as an actress, rapper and television personality, has had a big summer at the movies, first when she was one of the ladies in Ocean's 8 and now as a major character in this new movie. Speaking with ET Online, she seems positive about the release and its potential, noting that she would be happy to see a sequel happen down the line. In fact, Crazy Rich Asians is an adaptation of a best-selling novel by Kevin Kwan and is about a Chinese-American New Yorker named Rachel, played by Fresh off the Boat's Constance Wu, who is invited by her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to Singapore to meet his extremely affluent family. Awkwafina plays Rachel's best friend from college and past roommate, Goh Peik Lin. The release of the movie has been named a "movement" by director Jon M. Chu and it definitely has the potential to continue into a franchise, considering all of the buzz it's receiving.
After the huge success of the novel Crazy Rich Asians, author Kevin Kwan wrote two sequels to his best-seller, China Rich Girlfriend in 2015 and the final installment Rich People Problems in 2017. This means that a franchise would theoretically have plenty of content to continue into at least three films. While Crazy Rich Asians focuses on the wealthy Singapore elite, China Rich Girlfriend explores Rachel's roots in Mainland China after she learns the truth about her father. The story also continues sharing details about the lives of other characters, like Astrid and Peik Lin, as well.
For the Asian-American community, Crazy Rich Asians may look like a once in a quarter of a century affair, but it could also mark the beginning of a shift in the types of movies Hollywood is willing to make. Kevin Kwan's best-selling book series offers more opportunities for the ensemble Asian talent to return to their characters in the future and odds are the cast wouldn't pass up another reason to work together again, should a sequel be signed on for.
