Homogeneity is crumbling even more thanks to Crazy Rich Asians, a rom-com set to break the fifteen year drought since the last Hollywood film with an all-Asian cast.
Fifteen years. We all know that roles for Asian and Asian descent actors are minimal, but that figure is still shocking. The Joy Luck Club was the last one, for the record, and compared to that drama, Crazy Rich Asians are breaking through in style.
For all the buzzworthy news surrounding the project, the film itself looks intent on being a good time. If you couldn’t tell from the title, it’s going to be an opulent tale about a woman finding out her beau is secretly from an obscenely wealthy family. That puts a target on her back in his home country, as every eligible young woman is vying for his arm.
The film is an adaptation of the wildly popular novel of the same name, so fans were opinionated about the casting choices. The lead is played by Constance Wu, who’s already breaking ground on American network television with Fresh Off the Boat. Her familiarity makes her both a safe and satisfying choice, which unfortunately can’t be said of her co-star. The casting of Henry Golding caused quite a stir as some felt his biracial background was indicative of Hollywood’s issues with casting Asian actors. There’s a flip side to that argument, though, as Golding himself has commented on how harmful it’s been to not be considered ‘Asian enough’.
As with all films that represent minority groups, Crazy Rich Asians is under a microscope, but it seems like the film just wants you to have fun.
Crazy Rich Asians is directed by Jon M. Chu and stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, and Michelle Yeoh. It will be released in the US and the UK on August 17th, 2018. For international release dates, click here.
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