Twitter users rejoiced over all the Asian disasporic talent on display in the trailer for “Crazy Rich Asians,” which premiered yesterday (April 23).
Filmmaker Jon M. Chu (“Now You See Me 2”) directed this seriocomic adaptation of the best-selling novel by Singaporean author Kevin Kwan. The movie stars Asian-American actress Constance Wu (“Fresh Off the Boat”), an outspoken critic of Hollywood’s treatment of Asians, as college professor Rachel Chu. The native New Yorker confronts immense wealth and social elitism when she accompanies her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding, making his feature film debut) on a family trip to his native Singapore. The story follows Chu as she tries to prove her worth to her beau’s family, including mother Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh, “Star Trek: Discovery”), cousin Eddie (Ronnie Chieng, “The Daily Show with Trevor Noah”) and matriarch Shang Su Yi (Lisa Lu, “The Joy Luck Club”). Other stars include Nora “Awkwafina” Lum (“Ocean’s 8”) and Ken Jeong (“Community”).
“Crazy Rich Asians,” which is distributed by Warner Bros., stands out as the first major studio film in nearly a quarter century with an all-Asian leading cast and director. Asian Americans and their supporters took to Twitter to celebrate the casting and the movie’s non-sterotypical portrayal of Asian romantic leads:
When is the last time you saw two Asian romantic leads on the poster for a major Hollywood motion picture? #CrazyRichAsians pic.twitter.com/WqvAdjQB4W
— Angry Asian Man (@angryasianman) April 23, 2018
You bet your sweet ass #CrazyRichAsians is historic. ? We’ve waited 25 years since The Joy Luck Club to see a second major Hollywood film feature an all-Asian cast. 25. YEARS. Here’s to the film’s success and many more Asian-led projects to come. ?https://t.co/iYHsHhDkma
— Eugene Lee Yang (@EugeneLeeYang) April 23, 2018
The best part of the #CrazyRichAsians trailer is when they cut to Henry Golding’s abs for the third time and just give up trying to find relevant context
— Reid Nakamura (@reidnakamura) April 23, 2018
a studio movie with an all-Asian cast, none of whom are doing any martial arts moves or leaning into subservient stereotypes but instead are t h r i v i n g in designer decadence and universal attractiveness, is a pipe dream come true. HERE FOR THIS, #CrazyRichAsians!! https://t.co/xOnO936meR
— Ashley Lee (@cashleelee) April 19, 2018
The abs, Queen Michelle Yeoh, the drama, the comedy, the Asian/American cast!!! I got chills and maybe shed a tear. And did I say ABs? #CrazyRichAsians H/t @its_willyu https://t.co/PjyIOfZfAg
— Nancy Wang Yuen (@nancywyuen) April 23, 2018
When they said representation matters & fought for it, I didn’t think they’d bring back my mom’s hairdo too #CrazyRichAsians (fyi super stoked) pic.twitter.com/Zi0fUJyqe3
— Atsuko Okatsuka (@AtsukoComedy) April 23, 2018
#CrazyRichAsians is the kind of big, beautiful, vibrant rom-com Hollywood needs; the kind it hasn’t seen (or done well) in a while. That’s why it works. And it happens to star a big, beautiful, vibrant ensemble of Asians. Global Asians! All kinds of Asians. That’s why it matters.
— jen yamato (@jenyamato) April 24, 2018
Check out the “Crazy Rich Asians” trailer before the movie hits theaters on August 17.