Insanely rich sequel! More than four years after “Crazy Rich Asians” debuted, a second film may finally be in the works, but that journey hasn’t been easy.
In 2018, John M. Chu’s blockbuster won the hearts of moviegoers and was the leader at the box office. The film broke records, collected millions worldwide and became the most successful romantic comedy in a decade. The predominantly Asian cast has also paved the way for a more diverse representation in Hollywood.
“Insanely Rich Asians,” based on Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name, tells the story of Rachel Chu, an Asian-American professor played by Constance Wu. She goes to Singapore with her boyfriend Nick Young (Henry Golding) for his best friend’s wedding and finds out that Nick is part of one of the richest families in the country. The film also stars Gemma Chan, Lisa Lu, Aquafina, Ken Jeong and Michelle Yeoh.
Given the huge success of the film — and with the help of the post—credits scene – a sequel was never out of the question. Kwan’s series includes two more books, but when it comes to expanding the film franchise, everything is up in the air.
The potential second part made headlines when screenwriter Adele Lim left the project in 2019 due to a pay gap. At the time, Lim told The Hollywood Reporter that co-writer Peter Chiarelli (who wrote “The Proposal”) received a significantly higher fee compared to her own. Chiarelli’s offer allegedly ranged from $800,000 to $1 million, while Lim was offered only $110,000. It is reported that Chiarelli volunteered to share his earnings with Lim, but she refused.
“Pete was just incredibly kind, but what I’m doing shouldn’t depend on the generosity of a white writer,” she said in the same interview. “If I couldn’t get pay equity after the CRA, I can’t imagine what it would be like for anyone else, given that the standard of how much you’re worth is set quotes from previous films that women of color have never been [hired for]. So there is no real way to achieve true equality.”
The production was looking for a new screenwriter, as both Chiarelli and Lim left the project. In March 2022, Deadline reported that Amy Wang, whose previous credits include Netflix Brothers Sun and From Scratch, got the job. However, the sequel still faces another problem: the availability of the cast.
“We have a screenwriter… but now I think the big problem is that everyone will get back together,” Golding shared with Access Hollywood at the Vanity Fair Oscars Party in March 2022.
The star cast has been in great demand since the success of “Insanely Rich Asians”. Wu starred in Hustlers alongside Jennifer Lopez, and Chan joined the Marvel cinematic universe. Golding, for his part, continued to appear in the films “A Simple Favor” and “Snake Eyes”. Even Aquafina joined the MCU, combining her voice acting with the filming of her Comedy Central TV show “Aquafina — Nora from Queens”.
The “Insanely Rich Asians” team originally planned to shoot the second and third films in a row in 2020 in order to adapt to the limited number of their stars. However, due to the global coronavirus pandemic and other setbacks, the project was suspended. Chu continued to work on the film “On the Heights” in 2021 and is working on the long-awaited film adaptation of Broadway’s “Evil”.
Fans are still waiting for answers about “Insanely Rich Asians 2” — scroll down to find out everything that is known about a possible sequel.
When will the premiere take place?
The premiere date has not been confirmed.
When does production start?
As of March 2022, the film is officially in production and Wang is writing the script.
What caused the delay?
The sequel to “Insanely Rich Asians” faced many obstacles, from the loss of the original screenwriters to the tight schedule of actors. The global COVID-19 crisis also caused the postponement of the project.
Who is writing the sequel?
Wang will write the script of the expected sequel. Wang will replace Lim and Chiarelli, who wrote the original film.
Who’s coming back?
No one has been officially confirmed yet, but it would be shocking if Wu, Golding, Chan, Aquafina, Lu, Chong, Yeo and Harry Sham Jr. didn’t reprise their previous roles.
In an exclusive interview in April 2021, Golding teased us about a possible sequel, saying that “it’s all about telling the story right.”
Golding shared an update on the film in March 2022. “I always worry [director John M. Chu] about this,” he said in an interview with Screen Rant. — They are trying to understand the script. I know they’re “working on it, but hopefully sooner rather than later.”
How did the original end?
At the end of the first movie, fans got an idea of what to expect from the next movie, in the scene after the credits. Astrid (Chan) is reunited with her ex-fiance Charlie (Sham Jr.), which serves as the main plot in the second novel. Since the first film practically mirrored the novel, the sequel is likely to remain as true to Kwan’s story.
