Who should be cast in the Crazy Rich Asians sequel?
PUBLISHED ONSeptember 16, 2018 12:00 AMByNatalya Molok
Crazy Rich Asians is a box-office triumph and its success has prompted producers at Warner Brothers to give the green light for a sequel. WOOHOO!
The new cast is yet to be confirmed for the sequel, but if the adaptation of China Rich Girlfriend goes ahead, the main cast, including Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Michelle Yeoh and Harry Shum Jr, have options in place for the sequels and would all presumably be in line to return.
But the bigger question is: Who will get to play the new roles in the second novel of Kevin Kwan's trilogy?
The story concerns Rachel's reunion with her long-lost father, which introduces her to the world of Chinese billionaires who dwarf the wealth of her Singaporean, would-be relatives (the title riffs off Nick's mother Eleanor's exclamation that, "These people aren't just everyday rich with a few hundred million. They are China rich!").
Here, we assemble our dream cast for some new juicy roles in Crazy Rich Asians 2. Oh, and it goes without saying that there are spoilers ahead if you haven't read the second book:
Bao Gaoling
Who? Rachel's biological father who is now a billionaire pharmaceutical company owner with political ambitions.
Who should play him? Adrian Pang
Why? With an illustrious theatre resume and commanding stage presence, Adrian would nail his role as Bao Gaoling. Plus, his all-around good guy persona would mesh well when paired up against Constance Wu.
Bao Shaoyen
Who? Bao Goaling's wife who has a hard time accepting Rachel into the family. She has a gift room that houses more than 100 Hermès handbags.
Who should play her? Carina Lau
Why? Carina oozes luxury from her every pore. She just looks expensive and we can totally imagine her as a protective mama bear who is conscious of her social status to outsiders.
Carlton Bao
Who? Rachel's half-brother who looks exactly like her. The 23-year-old is a spoilt brat who lives a wild lifestyle.
Who should play him? Richie Koh
Why? Richie has that young punk look down pat so we think he'd make a pretty good spoilt younger brother. He's still a rookie actor though and producers might want to go with someone a tad more famous to attract moviegoers.
Colette Bing
Who? Carlton's on-again, off-again girlfriend. Colette is a famous fashion blogger and while she wants to marry Carlton, he's hesitant because she's a control freak.
Who should play her? Lana Condor
Why? If you've seen the Netflix special To All The Boys I've Loved Before then you already know that Lana is a true star in the making. In fact, she could be the next Constance Wu! We'd love to see her ditch her girl-next-door vibe and take up this catty role instead.
Jack Bing
Who? Colette's father who is one of the top five richest men in China. He also has an affair with Kitty Pong, who Colette hates.
Who should play him? John Cho
Why? John has proven that he can act in serious roles with panache but he truly shines when he gets to showcase his comedic side. We also just secretly want him to be a part of one of the most ground-breaking Asian movies to come out of Hollywood in years.
Richie Yang
Who? Son of another multi-billionaire in China and one of Colette's many suitors. He is envious of Carlton because he believes he's a better match for Colette.
Who should play him? Ross Butler
Why? If you've seen Ross from his days playing Reggie on Riverdale or Zach on 13 Reasons Why then you already know that the boy can act! We think he could make the transition to film pretty smooth with this rich boy role.
Roxanne Ma
Who? Colette's personal assistant who is extremely loyal to her. Roxanne was actually Colette's 18th birthday present from her father.
Who should play her? Michelle Chong
Why? Michelle is one of Singapore's best-loved actresses and she's so versatile, too. She's taken on multiple roles during her time on The Noose so playing this sweet but murderous character should come easily to her.
Corinna Ko-Tung
Who? A woman from a well-bred family in Hong Kong who helps Kitty Pong with her social-climbing agenda. She tries to transform Kitty into a more sophisticated woman.
Who should play her? Luna Kwok
Why? Luna recently starred in Yeo Siew Hua's A Land Imagined, which tackles the gritty topic of modern slavery. Not only is she a fine actress, her statuesque physique makes her a good candidate for the role of HK socialite Corinna.
This article was first published in The Singapore Women's Weekly
