HBO greenlights ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ sequel series as familiar faces return for a new chapter
HBO has ordered an eight-episode drama series based on ‘Crazy Rich Asians,’ bringing the film’s love story back to the screen eight years after its debut. The series will continue the story introduced in the 2018 film, with Constance Wu (Rachel Chu), Henry Golding (Nick Young), and Ronny Chieng (Eddie Cheng) set to return as series regulars. Oscar-winning actress Michelle Yeoh (Eleanor Young) will also be part of the show in a recurring role.
Showrunner Adele Lim was quoted as saying by Deadline, “It’s a Crazy Rich family reunion! This series is the sequel we’ve been waiting for, but instead of just one movie, we get eight episodes to delve into the characters and worlds of Kevin Kwan’s brilliant books. Getting to work with the original creative team, with the support and vision of HBO and Warner Bros. Television, has been a dream. Our writers’ room is humming, and we can’t wait to share what we’ve come up with.” HBO and Warner Bros. are co-producing the project. Lim is also an executive producer through her company 100 Tigers, with Kwan and Jon M. Chu (who directed the 2018 movie) producing through Electric Somewhere, along with Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson from Color Force, the company that developed the movie.
The series marks Lim’s return to the franchise after she stepped away from potential film sequels in 2019 amid a dispute over compensation with Warner Bros. She wrote the 2018 film’s screenplay with Peter Chiarelli and later returned the script for a new round of revisions that included the mahjong showdown between Rachel and Eleanor. Post-announcement, Lim went on to co-write Disney’s ‘Raya and the Last Dragon’ (2021) before directing her first feature-length film, ‘Joy Ride’ (2023). The Hollywood Reporter has reported that filming will commence in 2027. In addition, HBO’s official announcement also confirmed that the project will be an HBO Original series. The television adaptation comes after plans for a feature-film sequel based on ‘China Rich Girlfriend,’ the second book in Kevin Kwan’s trilogy, failed to move forward.
The original premiered on August 7, 2018, at the TCL Chinese Theatre, before releasing in the United States on August 15. It earned nearly $240 million worldwide on a $30 million budget and became the highest-grossing Hollywood studio romantic comedy at the North American box office in almost a decade. The film revolves around Rachel, an economics professor who travels to Singapore and realizes that her boyfriend Nick comes from one of the richest families in the city. Kwan’s trilogy also consists of ‘China Rich Girlfriend’ (2015) and ‘Rich People Problems’ (2017).
