Jon M. Chu has confirmed that a Crazy Rich Asians television series is officially in development. The director shared that scripts are complete and production is awaiting approval. He also stated that the original cast is expected to return when the project moves forward.
Jon M. Chu says Crazy Rich Asians TV show is ‘a real thing’
Jon M. Chu confirmed that a Crazy Rich Asians TV series is in active development at HBO Max. He told Esquire, “It’s a real thing. We have scripts, and we’re waiting to be officially ready to go.” Chu said the new project will take inspiration from Kevin Kwan’s second novel, China Rich Girlfriend, and adapt storylines that expand on the characters from the 2018 film.
The director noted that the adaptation process is complex because “our characters changed so much in the first movie,” explaining that the show will not follow the books exactly. “It’s so different [from] the books, actually, even though it feels like it’s the same,” he said. “You couldn’t go one-to-one. But we can use a lot of inspiration from the book to dig out more story from it.”
Chu said, “Our cast will be there,” though the official announcement is still pending. His statement indicates that original stars Constance Wu and Henry Golding will likely return. Crazy Rich Asians screenwriter Adele Lim leads the development room and serves as showrunner and executive producer alongside Chu and Kevin Kwan.
According to Deadline, the series will not replace the long-awaited film sequel. Instead, it will serve as a complementary adaptation within the same universe. The 2018 film earned over $239 million worldwide and received a Golden Globe nomination for Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. It starred Wu as Rachel Chu, an NYU professor who learns that her boyfriend, Nick Young (Golding), comes from one of Singapore’s wealthiest families.
Chu is also working on several other projects. His upcoming release Wicked: For Good hits theaters on November 21. He is further developing film adaptations of Hot Wheels and Oh, the Places You’ll Go!