Fans of the blockbuster hit movie from 2018 are anxiously anticipating a sequel to the film, and AbandoAwkwafina has said that her co-stars in Crazy Rich Asians are “like my family.”
Awkwafina, whose actual name is Nora Lum, made an appearance on Good Morning America on Monday to promote her voice part as Scuttle in Disney’s upcoming film adaptation of The Little Mermaid. During her interview, the actress said that she is aware that a Crazy Rich Asians sequel is still “being hashed out.”
“I am aware of it, and I communicated that to them. When queried by Michael Strahan about the progress of the rumored sequel, she responded by saying, “I was like, ‘Where is it?’ ” “Yes, I really do believe that, but I have no clue when. It seems like a solution is being worked upon.”
“It would have such a profound impact [if we made a sequel]. They’re like family to me, and it’s been so long since we’ve seen each other,” she went on to say. “Getting back together with everyone would be a dream come true.”
Awkwafina performed the role of Peik Lin Goh in the 2018 romantic comedy that was directed by Jon M. Chu. The sequels to this film have been in development for many years.
After having a disagreement with Warner Bros. in 2019, screenwriter Adele Lim, who had collaborated with Peter Chiarelli on the writing for the first film, decided not to participate in the production of the sequel.
Deadline reported a year ago that both a sequel to Crazy Rich Asians and a spinoff centered on the characters of Astrid Leong-Teo (played by Gemma Chan) and Charlie Wu (played by Harry Shum Jr.) were in the early stages of development at the studio. China Rich Girlfriend, the middle volume in a trilogy of books written by Kevin Kwan, was said to serve as the inspiration for both of these projects.
The book continues the main protagonists from the first Crazy Rich Asians novel, Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding), as they travel to China in search of Rachel’s father. In addition, the book explores a relationship between Astrid and Charlie, which was foreshadowed in a moment during the film’s mid-credits sequence.
In a prior interview with E! News from March 2022, Golding, age 36, said that a sequel to the film will be released “hopefully sooner rather than later.”
When questioned about it at the time, he said, “I always bug [director Chu] about it and he tells him the same thing every time: They’re trying to figure out the writing.” “I know they’re working on it, but hopefully sooner rather than later.”
“I can’t wait to get back to Singapore,” he continued at the time. “I miss my friends and family there.”
According to Box Office Mojo, the movie Crazy Rich Asians was a huge success at the box office in 2018, making a total of $238 million worldwide on a budget of just $30 million. Awkwafina herself has praised the film’s broader cultural influence, stating to Harper’s BAZAAR in 2019 that the film helped “open the door” for further Asian representation in the film business. This quote comes from Awkwafina’s comments on the film’s wider cultural impact.
“Asian-American actors have told me that before Crazy Rich Asians they couldn’t get one audition,” she noted at the time. “Before Crazy Rich Asians they were completely shut out of the industry.” “They are now receiving a significant amount.”
