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Awkwafinasays herCrazy Rich Asianscostars are “like my family” as fans eagerly anticipate a sequel to the 2018 smash hit movie.
As Awkwafina — real name Nora Lum — appeared onGood Morning AmericaMonday to discuss her voice role as Scuttle in Disney’s newLittle Mermaidmovie, the actress said she understands aCrazy Rich Asianssequel is still “being hashed out.”
“It would be so meaningful [to make a sequel]. They’re like my family, and at this point it’s been so long,” she added. “We would love to all get back together.”
Adele Lim, the screenwriter who co-wrote the original film’s script with Peter Chiarelli,dropped out of working on the sequelin 2019 after a dispute with Warner Bros.
Last year,Deadlinereported that both aCrazy Rich Asianssequel and a spinoff centering around Astrid Leong-Teo (Gemma Chan) and Charlie Wu (Harry Shum Jr.) were in early development at the studio. Both projects were reported to be based on the second book in author Kevin Kwan’s trilogy of novels,China Rich Girlfriend.
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The book follows central characters from the originalCrazy Rich Asiansnovel, Rachel (Constance Wu) and Nick (Henry Golding), as they head to China to find her father, while also following a romance between Astrid and Charlie teased in a mid-credits scene within the 2018 original.
Golding, 36, previously toldE! Newsin March 2022 that a follow-up to the movie would arrive “hopefully sooner than later.”
“I always bug [director Chu] about it and he tells him the same thing every time: They’re trying to figure out the writing,” he said at the time. “I know they’re working on it, but hopefully sooner than later.”
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“[I] can’t wait to get back to Singapore,” he added at the time.
Crazy Rich Asiansproved a box office hit in 2018 after it made $238 million worldwide against its $30 million budget, according toBox Office Mojo. Awkwafina herself has touted the film’s wider cultural impact, tellingHarper’s BAZAARin 2019 that the filmhelped “open the door” for further Asian representation in the movie industry.
“Asian-American actors have told me that beforeCrazy Rich Asiansthey couldn’t get one audition,” she explained at the time. “Now they’re getting tons.”
Awkwafina’s new movieThe Little Mermaidis in theaters May 26.
source: people.com
