The Business
Jon M. Chu and Kevin Kwan on the crazy gamble of 'Crazy Rich Asians'
Author Kevin Kwan and director Jon M. Chu passionately wanted the movie version of ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ to play in theaters. So they turned down a huge offer from Netflix and took their chances with Warner Brothers.
By Kim Masters • • 28m ListenDirector Jon M. Chu was thrilled when he got the chance to make ‘Crazy Rich Asians’--one of the only U.S. studio releases ever with an all Asian cast. Given that history, it’s not surprising that one of his biggest challenges was casting--specifically, finding the right actor to play leading man Nick Young. After a worldwide search, Chu ended up going with someone who wasn’t an actor at all. Chu and ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ author Kevin Kwan tell us about the unusual journey that led them to travel show host Henry Golding, and why they were committed to having their movie play in theaters, even if that meant turning down a crazy rich offer from Netflix.
(L-R) HENRY GOLDING, executive producer and author KEVIN KWAN, director JON M. CHU and CONSTANCE WU on the set of "CRAZY RICH ASIANS," a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Credit: Sanja Bucko.
