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Author Kevin Kwan’s bestselling novel Crazy Rich Asians was turned into a blockbuster movie of the same name, and the results were both romantic and hilarious. In fact, some say the film is bringing back the rom-com genre.
The story follows college professor Rachel Chu as she travels with her fiance, Nick Young, to Singapore to meet his family. She soon discovers that his family is one of the richest in the country…and his mother is an ice queen (classic!).
The all-Asian cast created an instant buzz for the movie, which was critically acclaimed and one of the highest grossing films of the past ten years. Here are ten more crazy facts about Crazy Rich Asians.
1. Constance Wu, who played Rachel Chu, feared scheduling conflicts with Fresh Off The Boat.
Photo Credit: Flickr
So she wrote a letter to director John Chu, convincing him to change the schedule because she connected with Rachel’s character so much.
2. Henry Golding being cast as Nick Young caused some controversy.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
Golding’s father is white and his mother is Malaysian. Korean-American celebrity, Jamie Chung, took issue with the fact that Golding “wasn’t Chinese enough.” Golding graciously said he was happy that people were looking at the casting and voicing their opinions. Chung has since apologized.
3. Michelle Yeoh, who plays domineering MIL Eleanor, is also Malaysian.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
She and Golding have another fellow countryman in the film: Ronny Chieng, who played Eddie Cheng, Nick’s cousin.
4. One producer interested in the film project early on suggested Rachel be white.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
Thankfully, Kwan optioned the project to Warner Bros instead for $1 to keep creative control and avoid any more stupid suggestions like that.
5. This was Golding’s first film.
Photo Credit: IMDB
Before starring in Crazy Rich Asians, Golding’s only on-camera experience was hosting a travel show.
6. Many people in Singapore criticized the movie by saying casting did not truly reflect their demographic because it lacked Chinese and Southeast Asian actors.
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons
However, global reception of the movie has been much more positive.
7. Chu and his music supervisor searched YouTube to find singers fluent in Mandarin to provide covers for the soundtrack.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
And if you’ve heard it, you know all that research definitely paid off.
8. The film, which had a production budget of $30 million, has grossed $238 million worldwide.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
It out-grossed Sandra Bullock’s The Proposal and Sarah Jessica Parker’s Sex and the City, making it the top grossing romantic comedy in the past ten years.
9. The sequel has already been optioned, and it’s called China Rich Girlfriend.
Photo Credit: Flickr, Courtesy of fad3away
Sounds like that’s more of a prequel in my opinion, but I’ll wait till it comes out to judge.
10. Wu has been nominated for a Golden Globe for Best Performance by an Actress in a Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy.
Photo Credit: Warner Bros.
Obviously, the movie is more than just your average rom-com.
What makes Crazy Rich Asians so special is what it highlights: just because people are the same ethnicity in a broad sense doesn’t make them alike (a pretty uncontroversial point that for some reason still needs to be emphasized in 2018). Every family and each individual carries unique experiences and backgrounds that set them apart – but at the same time, family and love are pretty universal.
Also, being rich doesn’t always mean having a lot of money.
