'Crazy Rich Asians' Sequels To Shoot Back-To-Back

Fans of the cultural phenomenon Crazy Rich Asians will soon be flush with sequels. We already knew that a Crazy Rich Asians sequel, based on author Kevin Kwan's follow-up novel China Rich Girlfriend, was in the works, but producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson have revealed that two Crazy Rich Asians sequels will be filmed back-to-back, likely in 2020.

Crazy Rich Asians was a watershed moment for Asian-American representation in Hollywood, sparking a wave of Asian representation at the movies and in TV, and scoring the Jon M. Chu comedy two Golden Globe nominations. So it's no surprise that the all-star cast — including Golden Globe-nominated actress Constance Wu, as well as Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Sonoya Mizuno, Awkwafina, and Michelle Yeoh — are in high demand.

To combat their cast's increasingly packed schedules, producers Jacobson and Simpson told Deadline that they currently plan for the Crazy Rich Asians sequels to shoot back-to-back. The sequels will adapt Kwan's next two novels in his Crazy Rich Asians trilogy, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems. Deadline writes:

The script is currently being worked on by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli. By having fans wait a while upfront, "we'll make it up to them on the back end," says Jacobson, "by shooting two films together."

But the cast members aren't the only ones whose profiles have skyrocketed. Chu is just as in-demand as his stars, currently working on a feature adaptation of the Tony Award-winning musical In the Heights. But as soon as that film goes into post, he will likely prep the next two Crazy Rich Asians sequels for a 2020 shoot, Deadline writes. The next film will take us to mainland China, following protagonist Rachel Chu (Wu) in her search for her father.

Though fans have to wait a little longer for the next Crazy Rich Asians movie, they'll soon be surrounded by a wealth of cultural representation and rom-com fun.

"There's a great appetite both commercially and critically to see these types of stories, ones which used to be overlooked by an industry that tended to favor stories by people who look like corporate board rooms instead of audiences," Jacobson said. "Audiences have been ready for a while, it's corporate and the studios who are just waking up and this year has proved it," Simpson added.