Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu has revealed why his successful 2018 movie is set for a TV show spinoff before a movie sequel. Based on the 2013 novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians featured diverse and interesting characters, and struck a chord with audiences, grossing more than $239 million globally. The movie follows a Chinese-American professor who travels with her boyfriend to Singapore, only to discover his family is one of the wealthiest in the country. The success of the film prompted discussions of a sequel, but recent developments suggest a new direction.
Per The Hollywood Reporter, Chu reveals that the future of Crazy Rich Asians will first come in the form of a TV show spinoff. However, he refuses to rule out the possibility of a sequel. Chu also mentions that screenwriter Adele Lim, who penned the movie, is set to return for the show as well. Check out Chu’s full comments below:
“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. We got to bring Adele back into the fold and so we’re starting this now, it’s going to be fun.”
What These Comments Mean For The Future Of Crazy Rich Asians
TV The Ideal Medium For A More Expansive Story
Chu’s comments touch on one of the key reasons why a Crazy Rich Asians TV show makes more sense than a follow-up movie, and what advantages this brings. The fact that he (and the team) is looking to explore multiple characters in detail lends itself much more to the long-form storytelling of television. Being able to tell a story and explore character arcs over multiple hours makes for a more satisfying and complete narrative, and this can improve the experience.
The success of the Wicked movie adaptation will no doubt afford Chu the choice of doing whatever he wants for his next projects…
Crazy Rich Asians is a world full of interesting and multi-faceted characters, and not all of them were able to be fully utilized in the movie. It would not be a surprise if the show looked to bring back many of the prominent characters (and actors) from the movie. It sounds like this is a project that has been planned out for some time, and the decision has been made to convert it from a movie into a TV show, which could help other characters become more prominent.
Our Verdict On A Crazy Rich Asians TV Show
Don’t Rule Out a Future Movie Sequel
TV is very much the right medium to be in for writers and directors looking to explore long-form stories and interesting character arcs. However, the development of a sequel show does not necessarily mean that Crazy Rich Asians 2 is not going to happen at some point down the line. The success of the Wicked movie adaptation will no doubt afford Chu the choice of doing whatever he wants for his next projects, and he clearly feels taking Crazy Rich Asians to the small screen is something that excites him creatively.
Source: THR
