A TV adaptation ofCrazy Rich Asiansis being developed for HBO, and there are already some major updates regarding the small screen spinoff. Based on the eponymous novel by Kevin Kwan, 2018’sCrazy Rich Asiansconcerns Rachel (Constance Wu) as she travels with her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to a family wedding in Singapore. Much to Rachel’s surprise, Nick’s family is incredibly rich and Nick is one of the country’s most sought-after eligible bachelors. Outside the usual trappings of the romantic comedy genre,Crazy Rich Asianswas also a watershed moment for Asian representation on the big screen.
The film was an instant smash-hit and grossed well over $200 million at the box office against a much smaller budget (viaBox Office Mojo). This naturally inspired Hollywood to greenlight a series of sequels and spinoffs based on Kevin Kwan’s other books. Unfortunately,Crazy Rich Asians 2has stalledalong with the spinoffs, and plans had seemingly fallen through for theCrazy Rich Asiansfranchise. However, the blockbuster rom-com was given a surprise shot in the arm when HBO announced the development of a TV series based on the beloved modern classic.
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Crazy Rich Asians: 10 Things The Movie Changed From The Book
Crazy Rich Asians was a huge hit as a novel and as a movie. However, the film made several changes from the source material, often for the better.
The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Latest News
The First Names Are Attached To The TV Show
Actress Constance Wu and actor Henry Golding as Rachel and Nick in Crazy Rich Asians.
Coming the better part of a year after the show was first revealed, the latest news confirms the firsttwo names attached to theCrazy Rich AsiansTV show. While casting details and the story remain under wraps for now, it is now known that original franchise directorJon M. Chu will return as a producer on the series. Meanwhile,Crazy Rich Asiansco-writerAdele Lim is also attached to the TV series as a producer and will also serve as showrunner.
Though this is the first tentative steps for the still-developing show, it at least confirms HBO’s commitment to bringing the franchise back to life after HBO’s Casey Bloys specifically mentionedCrazy Rich Asiansback in mid-2024.Chu and Lim’s involvement also means that it will probably directly connect to the movie, though nothing is known about the story yet. With Lim and Chu onboard, casting and story details should start surfacing soon.
The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Is Confirmed
HBO Announced A TV Series In 2024
At this early juncture, there is no timeline for when theCrazy Rich AsiansTV show will actually arrive.
More than half a decade since the debut of the 2018 film, HBO made the surprise announcement that they aredeveloping aCrazy Rich AsiansTV series. The news came out of left field in June 2024, and was not part of a slew of announcements that came in the wake of the original film’s release.The reveal came from Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content,and was made alongside several other show announcements that will likely be heading to HBO’s signature streaming service, Max, in the future.
Read Bloys' comments below:
There are other properties like The Conjuring, which is a big movie franchise that we’re developing into a series, as well as Crazy Rich Asians. We’re developing in DC, the Green Lantern property, as a series as well.
There was almost no news regarding the series in the immediate eight months following Bloys' announcement, but things have finally begun to pick up steam in 2025. Director Jon M. Chu is returning to serve as an executive producer, while the original co-writer of theCrazy Rich Asiansmovie, Adele Lim, will produce and serve as showrunner for the TV series. At this early juncture, there is no timeline for when theCrazy Rich AsiansTV show will actually arrive.
2018
Crazy Rich Asians 2
N/A
A sequel based on Kevin Kwan’sChina Rich Girlfriendwas announced in 2018.
Crazy Rich Asians 3
A third film based on Kevin Kwan’sRich People Problemswas announced alongside the first sequel.
Crazy Rich AsiansSpinoff
A spinoff film based on Astrid and Charlie was announced in 2022.
The announcement of aCrazy Rich AsiansTV show complicates previous reveals concerning the burgeoning film franchise, andit isn’t clear where the sequels and spinoffs currently stand. Talk of aCrazy Rich Asians 2, likely based on Kevin Kwan’s bookChina Rich Girlfriend, began in 2018 when the sequel was rushed into development. However, with years passing, it is quickly becominga sequel that many fans have given up on, and the likelihood of the trilogy being completed seems bleak.
Crazy Rich Asianspremiered on July 14, 2025.
Furthermore, a spinoff centering on the fan-favorite characters of Astrid and Charlie was announced in 2022 but has also gone into deep freeze in the years since. Various updates have come out sporadically about both the sequels and spinoff throughout the years, but nothing concrete has materialized even though fan demand is high.It’s unclear if HBO’s TV show plan will replace the sequels or spinoff, or if it is yet another facet of theCrazy Rich Asiansfranchise that could languish in production hell for years.
The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Story Details
Nothing Is Known About The Show’s Plot Yet
Though all the announcements about theCrazy Rich AsiansTV show are exciting, they aren’t particularly detailed and reveal nothing about the plot. However, there are several directions that the show could go in, and it depends on the trajectory of the franchise itself.One possible option is as a replacement for the previously announced Astrid and Charlie spinoff, and the TV show format could allow the writers to explore the fan-favorite characters in more detail.
Another option is replacing one of the planned sequels with an ongoing show, though the box-office potential of aCrazy Rich Asians 2or3makes that possibility seem low. However,the likeliest option for a TV show would be an entirely new story centering on new charactersthat is set within theCrazy Rich Asiansuniverse. Though it was common in the past, it has become increasingly rare for movie-to-TV adaptations to take the basic premise of the hit film and expand it with new characters or by recasting the original characters.
Crazy Rich Asians
Cast
Based on the global best-selling series Crazy Rich Asians is a romantic comedy that follows New York Rachel Chu to Singapore to meet her boyfriend’s family. However, she soon discovers her significant other is hiding a secret - his family is one of the wealthiest families in Singapore - and her mother already disapproves of her and her origins. Rachel will attempt to find her place in the madness and prove her own worth to a family of unflinching prejudice.
