Eight years after Crazy Rich Asians became a global hit and a landmark for Asian representation in Hollywood, its extravagant world of wealth, romance and family rivalry is heading back to the screen. This time, the story will unfold in a television series, with several stars from the original film returning to their roles.
According to CNN, HBO Max announced the series on social media, confirming that Michelle Yeoh, Constance Wu and Henry Golding will reprise their roles. The streaming platform also revealed that production will begin in 2027. “Not just rich – crazy rich,” HBO Max wrote on Instagram. The platform and CNN share Skydance as their owner.
When the romantic comedy opened in cinemas in 2018, it made history with an all-Asian cast in a major Hollywood film, the first of its kind in more than two decades. The film earned more than $230 million worldwide and won widespread critical praise. For many Asian audiences, it became a source of cultural pride, bringing rare mainstream attention to the community’s diversity, influence and growing visibility.
Director Jon M Chu welcomed the news on Instagram Stories, reflecting on the film’s lasting connection with audiences.
“Eight years ago, Crazy Rich Asians changed my life,” he wrote. He said it had been incredible to watch audiences make the film part of their lives, from mahjong nights to turning it into an “ultimate airplane movie”. He added that he could not wait to share what came next.
“Finally, I get to answer the question I’ve been asked almost every day for eight years: ‘when are we getting the sequel?’” Chu wrote.
Based on Kevin Kwan’s novel, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, played by Wu, a New York economics professor whose relationship with Nicholas Young, played by Golding, takes her into the world of Singapore’s wealthy elite.
Nick inherits his place in one of Singapore’s richest families. He brings Rachel home to attend his best friend’s wedding, where she must win over his formidable mother, Eleanor, played by Yeoh. Rachel also encounters Nick’s eccentric relatives and friends. Some help her navigate the unfamiliar world, while others try to undermine the couple’s romance.
The film’s ensemble cast also featured Ken Jeong, Awkwafina, Ronny Chieng and Gemma Chan. HBO Max said Chieng is expected to return as Edison “Eddie” Cheng, Nick’s status-conscious cousin from Hong Kong.
Adele Lim, who co-wrote the 2018 film, also celebrated the announcement on Instagram. She said the team would finally make the sequel audiences had been waiting for, but in a different format.
“We finally get to make the sequel the world been clamoring for, but instead of one more movie, we’ll have EIGHT EPISODES OF CRAZY RICH MAGIC,” Lim wrote.
Kwan’s novels offer the creative team more material to explore. He published Crazy Rich Asians in 2013, followed by China Rich Girlfriend in 2015 and Rich People Problems in 2017. However, HBO Max has not clarified whether the series will draw directly from the two follow-up books.
The original film arrived amid growing calls for greater representation in Hollywood, where critics had repeatedly challenged the industry over “whitewashing” and its treatment of Asian characters.
Chu later reflected on how those debates influenced his work in a 2021 interview with CNN. He said he had been affected by people speaking out, finding one another and uniting to discuss issues they had long known about but felt others did not care enough to address.
“I realized I had been in those rooms, where I was being told ‘you can’t cast this person or that person as this romantic lead,’ because it needed to ‘play globally,’” he said.
Jeong, who played Papa Goh, an eccentric Singaporean businessman who had recently become wealthy, also spoke to CNN in 2018 about the response to the film.
“This is beyond expected for all of us,” he said. “It’s been highly emotional for the whole cast and crew. The fans have spoken … I’m so grateful to the fans and it just shows that it’s time.”
