Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan confident film version will find audience in US with its all-Asian cast
In an era when ‘whitewashing’ is still commonplace in Hollywood productions, Kwan was determined to have only Asian actors for the adaptation of his bestselling novel
Kevin Kwan believes that US audiences will embrace the Crazy Rich Asians film, which is based on his bestselling novel of the same name. The Singaporean novelist was in Hong Kong recently to promote Rich People Problems, the third book in his “Crazy Rich” trilogy.
Crazy Rich Asians author Kevin Kwan on new book Rich People Problems and upcoming Hollywood film
In his first book, Crazy Rich Asians, released in 2013, an Asian-American woman named Rachel accompanies her boyfriend, Nick, to Singapore for a wedding, only learning about Nick’s family wealth and power after stepping off the plane. The book provides a glimpse into the decadent and opulent lives of Asia’s ultra-rich. Its popularity gave birth to a sequel, China Rich Girlfriend.
It didn’t take long for Hollywood to notice the success of Kwan’s books and buy the rights to make Crazy Rich Asians into a film.
Kwan is an executive producer on the Crazy Rich Asians film, and says it has been a long wait for Hollywood to make a romantic comedy with an all-Asian cast. “I think it’s huge,” he says. “It’s really the first time. I’m sorry it hasn’t happened earlier. People are really eager to see if Hollywood keeps its promise and rolls out this film the way we want it to.”
Kwan says that for Crazy Rich Asians, he and the film’s director, Jon M. Chu, insisted on an all-Asian cast.