August 22, 2018
It was announced today that Jon M. Chu, director for "Crazy Rich Asians" will be coming back for the sequel.
Original producers Nina Jacobson, Brad Simpson, and John Penotti will all be returning. It is also rumored, though, that original screenwriters Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim are on board, as well.
The movies are based on the trilogy of books by author Kevin Kwan. The sequel will be based off the second book in the series, China Rich Girlfriend, released in 2015. Warner Bros. holds the options for all three books, including the 2017 release of Rich People Problems.
“We have a plan with Kevin for the next two films,” Simpson said to The Hollywood Reporter.
Though it looks like Kwan is in a bit of hot water. It was released today by the Singapore Ministry of Defense that the author, 44, is currently wanted in Singapore for not registering for the National Service in 1990 and for never obtaining the right permit for a long-term stay overseas. Kwan moved to the U.S. from Singapore when he was 11 and still resides here. He tried to renounce his citizenship in 1994 but was denied. While all of the cast and crew were in attendance at the Singapore premiere on Tuesday, Kwan was noticeably absent.
Though Warner Bros. has not officially green-lit the sequel, it is still moving forward with development. It is likely that Warner Bros. is waiting to see how the film does overseas before giving the official go-ahead. It doesn't look like that will be too much of a problem, though. Not only has it opened better than any other comedy this year, but it has enjoyed the best box office opening for a romantic comedy since 2015's "Trainwreck."
The time frame for the second movie looks a little long, however, as Chu wants to get through Lin-Manuel Miranda’s musical, "In the Heights," first, which is slated for a June 26, 2020 release, before moving forward with the sequel.
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