The news comes less than two months after the release of the comedic depiction of the lives of the very rich among the Chinese diaspora, their cosmopolitan outlook, their infatuation with luxury brands, expensive food and class consciousness. 

The book "took me into a world I'd never seen or margined," Jacobson told the industry news site. She said she trusts the plot, which is set in the Hong Kong, Singapore and the mainland, which should appeal to a global audience.

China is now the second-market film market after the US. On Friday, a first sequel to the domestic blockbuster Tiny Times will be released across the country. The romantic drama, which broke China’s 2-D movie opening day box office record in July, peeks into the lives of the privileged class in Shanghai.