A SPINOFF of the 2018 romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians is reportedly in early development at Warner Bros. and will focus on a new love story between Nick’s cousin Astrid Leong-Teo (Gemma Chan) and Charlie Wu (Harry Shum Jr.).
The original film was a major box office hit for the studio, grossing nearly US$239 million (RM1.04 billion) worldwide, and while audiences were rooting for the romance between lead characters Nick (played by Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu), they were also intrigued by the star-crossed love affair between Astrid and her ex-boyfriend Charlie.
Originally intended for a larger role in the movie, Shum, 40, appeared in a mid-credits scene, his character reuniting with Astrid at Rachel and Nick’s engagement party. In the book from which the film is adapted, written by author Kevin Kwan, Charlie helps Astrid investigate the infidelity of her husband Michael. In the movie, Astrid left her husband Michael (Pierre Png) after finding out he was having an affair.
The new film will be based on Kwan’s second book in the Crazy Rich series, titled China Rich Girlfriend. It will follow the romance between Astrid and her first love Charlie, to whom she was previously engaged until her parents broke them up as they didn’t see him as a suitable partner.
According to director John M. Chu, Shum’s scenes were cut in order to focus more on Astrid’s journey throughout the film, as she learns to find her own independence. However, fans clearly wanted to see more of Astrid and Charlie, who are major supporting characters in the books.
According to a report in Deadline, the studio reportedly jumped on the project after a pitch from writer Jason Kim, who will pen the spinoff.
In addition to the spinoff, a Crazy Rich Asians sequel is still in the works, also based on the second book in the series. Chu is reportedly set to return to helm the film, which will follow Rachel and Nick to Shanghai, where they search for her father.
