Crazy Rich Asians

Constance Wu Crazy Rich Asians

Cast: Ken Jeong, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Constance Wu, Henry Golding
Director: Jon M. Chu
Genre: Comedy
Rated: M
Running Time: 120 minutes

Synopsis: Crazy Rich Asians is a contemporary romantic comedy based on the acclaimed worldwide bestseller by Kevin Kwan.

The story follows New Yorker Rachel Chu (Constance Wu) as she accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. Excited about visiting Asia for the first time but nervous about meeting Nick's family, Rachel is unprepared to learn that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. Not only is he the scion of one of the country's wealthiest families, but also one of its most sought-after bachelors. Being on Nick's arm puts a target on Rachel's back, with jealous socialites and, worse, Nick's own disapproving mother (Michelle Yeoh) taking aim.

It soon becomes clear that the only thing crazier than love is family, in this funny and romantic story sure to ring true for audiences everywhere .

Crazy Rich Asians
Release Date: August 30th, 2018 

 

Every Family Has Its Crazy

Rachel: "You really should have told me you're like the Prince William of Asia."

Nick: "That's ridiculous. I'm much more of a Harry."

"Crazy Rich Asians" takes a fun, engaging and hilarious look at what can happen when young love collides with old money.

Singapore's favorite son, Nick Young, proudly brings his beautiful and successful New Yorker girlfriend Rachel Chu home for a meet-and-greet, but the family dynamics aren't quite what she expects. For Rachel, what starts as a dream romantic holiday with the man she adores becomes a battle to remain true to herself and her roots, while holding her own against pictureperfect backstabbing rivals and a prospective mother-in-law who thinks this modern American girl will never measure up.

"We've all been there," says director Jon M. Chu, "feeling out of place, confident in some moments and self-conscious in others, being on the outside and trying to find common ground. It's great to have a close family, but sometimes that can drive you nuts. They embarrass you. They're judgmental about who you're seeing and where you're headed. Mothers, especially, can put their sons on a giant pedestal and make it their business that the person he chooses is worthy. I have gone through that with my own mother," he confesses with a smile.

Set in Singapore and featuring the first all-Asian ensemble in a contemporary Hollywood film in 25 years, the story mines humor from the idiosyncrasies of one family in a way that people everywhere can relate to"no matter who they are, how much money they have, or where they call home. It taps into the fundamental desire to fit in, while honoring your own identity, in an era of blending"and sometimes clashing"cultures.

As Rachel's friend tries to warn her: these people aren't just rich. They're crazy-rich. And that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Constance Wu, who stars as the intrepid Rachel, describes her as "a college professor raised by a working-class, single mom. For many people, that's a point of pride, but not for the Youngs. Their pride comes from legacy. I don't think the story says one value system is better than the other, but shows those cultural differences and the differences between Asian and AsianAmerican, that are often overlooked. What I love about Rachel is that when things get tough she has the courage to follow her heart and forge her own path, in ways that are tested, but, ultimately, make up who she is."

It's a test for Nick, too, even though he knows what's coming. "Having decided that Rachel is the one, he first has to get over the speed bump of bringing her home," says Henry Golding, making his feature film debut as Nick. "He's afraid if she sees how he was brought up, she might think he's not the guy she fell in love with. Also, once home, he sees more clearly the forces conspiring to tear them apart and how standing his ground will affect them both."

"We knew that the universality of the story would come from its specificity," Chu offers. "The more specific we could be about the cultural touchstones, the characters and their backgrounds, the more we would create a story that people everywhere could emotionally connect with. Because every culture and every family is crazy and has traditions and weird things you're reluctant to show anyone, but that, over time, you just might become proud of and want to share."

That concept is evidenced by the worldwide popularity of the book on which the film is based, author Kevin Kwan's New York Times and international bestseller Crazy Rich Asians. Kwan served as an executive producer on the film and makes a cameo in the montage where the gossip over Nick and Rachel's imminent visit goes viral. He consulted on myriad details from character to costumes, locations to design, opened up his private family albums to inspire the design teams and even put the filmmakers in touch with a private watch collector who lent the production a prized high-end timepiece that arrived with its own security escort. "He was the best creative partner," Chu attests.

Regarding the script, though, Kwan was strictly hands-off, stating, "I was too close to it. So, we brought in these amazing writers, Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim. I wanted to give them absolute freedom to go in and take out the story that would work best for the movie. Between their vision and Jon's, they really supercharged it. It's one thing to describe a scene when you have 30 pages to create this world, but, in a movie, you have a split second. People respond immediately."

Kwan's involvement began with producers Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson of Color Force and John Penotti of Ivanhoe Pictures, who were galvanized by the story while it was still in galleys.

Says Jacobson, "I couldn't put it down. It completely swept me up into this world I'd never known, yet I found it very accessible. Anyone who's been rejected by their in-laws or made to feel that they've brought home the 'wrong' kind of girl, the 'wrong' kind of guy, the 'wrong' gender, race, background, class, whatever, will understand. We live in a global community. We're connected by the internet. We have a million ways to meet people with common interests but not necessarily common backgrounds. Those things aren't as likely to match up now as they would when people met in the same neighborhood. So that experience of trying to bridge the gap, trying to hold on to who you are but still lean forward into what you're becoming and who you've fallen in love with, I think, is as timely and universal as it gets."

Likewise, says Penotti, "I was struck by how the story drew you in with both its eccentricities and familiarities, and, most of all, its heart. That's a tricky thing to pull off. I'm Italian. I have a deep-rooted history in Italy and a very large family, and it's easy to see the peculiarities of that mirrored in an Asian context; the focus on food and home, and the appreciation of family and tradition. That, to me, felt like the basis for a great motion picture experience."

The author, in turn, was taken by what he recalls as "their passion and commitment. I really trusted this team. I said, 'Go for it, as long as it retains the DNA of my book,' and I think we've done that, in spades."
When the time came to seek a director, Penotti acknowledges, "We knew well before he knew that Jon was the one." Beyond his qualifications as a filmmaker, the producer notes another, less obvious attribute. "Jon innately understood Rachel's character, as a fish out of water."

A first-generation American of Taiwanese heritage, Chu says, "Growing up in an immigrant household, part of me is traditional Chinese. But, I'm really a California boy. Going to school, I would play basketball and tennis and do all these very American things, and that struggle over my cultural identity was very much present in my life. You actually have to make choices about which parts of which culture and philosophy you're going to use, what to drop and what to incorporate. The world is getting smaller and I think we need to celebrate human beings in all their craziness, in all their cultures, and see the similarities. The future is the next generation taking pieces from all these different influences and making it their own.

"I'm at a point in my career where I wanted to do something a little more personal," Chu continues. "There aren't a lot of stories on the big screen that speak to experiences like mine, so, when I heard there was going to be a movie of this book I loved, I was energized. I had a vision for it. The moment I reached out to Nina, Brad and John, I learned they had already sent me the script, so it was as if it was meant to be."

Like the book, the movie brackets the heartwarming and romantic with laugh-out-loud bursts of candor. "Comedy is a great way to bring the audience in and let them know you're in on the joke," says Chu. "Sometimes when you're trying to say something real about culture and selfworth, it's good to bring in some brilliant comedic voices. We were lucky to find such amazing actors. And having an all-Asian cast tell this story is truly exciting for me."

The film showcases a large ensemble of fan favorites from film, television, music and comedy"legends and rising stars alike"in a wide array of compelling, original characters, from the leads to every distinctive supporting role. They represent a range of nationalities and countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, China, Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, South Korea and The Philippines, as well as the U.S., UK, and Australia.

"Jon was passionate about this film like it was his baby," proclaims Awkwafina, playing Rachel's outspoken and always fashion-forward former college roomie, Peik Lin. "He was invested in all the characters, he knew our potential, and he created an environment for us to function at our best. We were like a big family."

Part of the cast and crew's bonding experience was being on location in Singapore and Malaysia. "The movie is a love letter to the food, culture and beauty of this area," says producer Brad Simpson. "Shooting in Singapore itself was non-negotiable. The mixture of pristinely preserved colonial architecture from the past with ultra-modern cutting-edge buildings of the future, the life on the streets, and the vibrancy of the Hawker Markets, all make its signature. We also knew there were two iconic locations that had to be in the film: the Marina Bay Sands, and the famous Gardens by the Bay."

Adds Chu, "I think our film showcases much of its beauty it in a way that audiences around the world can appreciate, and, hopefully, make them feel like they're traveling along with us." Taking all these elements together, "There's a side to the movie that's completely fun and crazy," says Michelle Yeoh, who portrays Nick's mother, Eleanor. "There's also the balance of what it takes to be part of an empire and such a family with all the responsibility and expectations, and I think audiences will gain an understanding into some of these traditions."

"Every character has an understandable back story," says Ken Jeong, who plays Peik Lin's flashy nouveau riche dad, Wye Mun Goh. "It's so well written and dimensionalised. I even got choked up in some of the small, sweet moments."

At its core, "Crazy Rich Asians" is a love story…a kind of savvy Cinderella tale, complete with a charming prince, a magnificent castle, and a battle of wills between two strong women determined to write their own ending. "I definitely see this as a modern-day, aspirational fairytale," states Chu. "Rachel is our princess-warrior, and this is her journey to discover who she is"an American girl on her first trip to Asia, who comes away with a deeper appreciation not only of her past, but of her future."

Love: The Irresistible Force…

A born achiever with a strong work ethic, NYU Economics professor Rachel Chu has always met life's challenges realistically. If passed over for a promotion, she would just look critically within and vow to work harder. But what's disconcerting now is that the traits and accomplishments that make her such a catch and a success back home don't move the needle in this context. Consequently, says Chu, "When she gets to Singapore and it seems that everyone is trying to cut her down, it's easy to get caught up in thinking she's out of her league. She needs to come to terms with the fact that she is good enough and strong enough for this. She needs to stand up for herself and recognise the individual she's becoming: someone who will not only fight for Nick's happiness, but her own."

One thing she can't do is pretend to be something she's not. That's not her style. "Rachel is the way in for audiences," says Wu. "We see everything through her eyes. She's living a regular life, meeting her boyfriend for karaoke, et cetera, after work. Everything she has she has earned through hard work, and she's remained humble and appreciative. So, when she's thrown into this world of wealth unlike anything she's ever known, it's hard to fathom. Rich is something many of us have seen before: rich means you can buy whatever you want. Wealth means you can buy whatever you want and you control the market."

On the plus side, Wu points out, "Rachel and Nick really love each other. Love transcends class and culture and logic. When someone's your person, you know it, and that's what Rachel and Nick are to each other."

But will that be enough?

Wu, of "Fresh Off the Boat" acclaim, was the filmmakers' first and only choice for the role. The team felt so strongly about her, and she was so eager to join the project, that production was postponed to accommodate her schedule. Penotti declares, "Constance was always our Rachel. We didn't look at anyone else. When she expressed interest, we said, 'Now we have a movie.' Her energy and exuberance, her intelligence, and her willingness to see the world fresh and convey that so effortlessly on screen made her the perfect Rachel."
Born in the U.S. to Taiwanese-American parents, "Constance was, in many respects, the personification of Rachel," adds Jacobson. "She's confident, fun, funny, approachable, very much the essence of that fresh-faced all-American girl who would be a breath of air to a guy like Nick."

Naturally, the perfect Rachel deserved the perfect Nick, but that proved significantly more daunting. Thousands of actors were auditioned around the world and online. "We were looking for someone who could believably be from Singapore and educated in England, with that specific accent," Chu outlines. "He had to be super-charming and likeable, as well as handsome, and with a good sense of humor; a true leading man." Serendipitously, someone in the office who had caught Henry Golding on television suggested Chu take a look at him. "He was a travel show host, doing cool adventure stories," the director recounts. "When you watched him talking with people on the street, he was truly a person of the world with such easy charisma."

"He seems like a guy anyone would want to either date or hang out with," says Jacobson. What clinched it was Golding's chemistry with Wu, who was reading with potential co-stars when he cut short his own honeymoon to fly in for a face-to-face. Chu recalls, "You could feel the electricity immediately. I knew that audiences would fall in love with them as a couple. You want to see them kiss. You want to see them fight. You just want to see them together."

Add a dash of vulnerability and some endearing cluelessness, and you have Nick Young, a man caught between two forces, trying to reconcile what he wants with what's expected of him. Says Golding, "He was brought up with a silver spoon but realized that, even though he was the heir apparent, he needed to discover his own way. He fell in love with a woman who brings out the best in him but doesn't know anything about that part of his life."

It's a situation Golding can appreciate. "I'm from Sarawak, the Malaysian state of Borneo, and half British," he offers. "As a kid, I grew up in the U.K. but have lived most of my life since then in Asia, so I can relate to not feeling one hundred percent at home or belonging in either place. I've adopted numerous cultures, as Nick has. He's taken elements from each part of his life and made them his own, and I think his strength is that he doesn't necessarily follow anyone's guidelines. He just wants to be the person he really is."

It's a commendable goal and, while in New York, Nick had the chance to pursue it. But now that he's back home in Singapore, the jig is up. Actually, the jig was pretty much up on the flight over, when he and Rachel got the royal treatment from the airline in which he finally had to concede his family has a controlling interest.

Now, as Rachel makes her way through this dazzling minefield, Nick, too, must step up, because if this is a fairytale story it's one with a twist. "He's not there to save her," Chu states. "He doesn't have some brilliant plan to protect her from the dragons. She has to do that herself. At the same time, she gives him the opportunity to make important choices he's been avoiding." And it all starts with his mother…

Eleanor Young, The Immovable Object

Real power doesn't raise its voice. That's what Michelle Yeoh suggested to Chu in their initial explorations of her character, Eleanor Young. Chu recalls, "She said, 'I don't go to Rachel; she comes to me. I don't yell because truly powerful people don't yell. They don't need to move one muscle or expend any energy on you, and that can cut more than anything else.'"

A striking figure"striking terror, some would say"Eleanor is the epitome of poise and polish, flawless from her coiffure to the point of her bespoke shoes, as only the inimitable Yeoh could portray her. One of the few Chinese actors to gain worldwide recognition in the 1990s, Yeoh was revered by her fellow cast and the filmmakers, not the least of whom was Chu, who says, "I grew up loving her performances and being inspired by her. I will never forget going to the theater to see 'Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon' in a packed house, with people yelling and cheering her on."

"Eleanor is what we call in Singapore a 'lion mum,'" offers Golding, and that's putting it mildly, considering her first meeting with her son's girlfriend. Rachel, in a borrowed dress for the occasion, is all warmth and respectful affection, spontaneously offering a hug from which Eleanor visibly recoils.

But Yeoh took care to present Eleanor as more than a villain, in a way that mothers the world over might understand. "Everybody looks at her and trembles in their shoes, but Eleanor is a protective and caring mother," Yeoh says. "She is trying to keep the family together"not just for themselves but for the many others who depend on them. She sent her son abroad for an education but now wants him to come home to assume ownership of their company.

"She thinks this young woman is unsuitable because she has no idea what it takes to be in a traditional Chinese family," Yeoh continues. "Her son needs someone to support him"as Eleanor has done for her own husband"and she feels it's unfair to expect Rachel to do that because she is totally unprepared. She's just not what Nick needs."

"Michelle wanted to play Eleanor the way Kwan envisioned her, as a human being," says Chu. "You root for her in one scene and hate her in another, and that's the brilliance of Michelle." Ironically, adds Wu, "Rachel does the same thing to her. She sees Eleanor with all her wealth and power and makes a hollow assessment about who she is. Both women need to look a little deeper."

For a story in which family is an underlying theme, Simpson notes, "Romantic comedies often focus on the tension between a couple, but I think we all know that the real tension leading up to a partnership is often with your potential in-laws. In the book, and in the film, Nick is faced with an impossible situation: should he chose his love or his family? There was never any question that the Rachel-Nick-Eleanor triangle would be the focus of the story."

Perhaps the answer lies in Eleanor's relationship with her own mother-in-law: the family's true matriarch, Ah Ma (the Chinese word for grandmother), played with commanding grace by Lisa Lu. Despite her light step and sweet smile, and her need to lean on supportive arms, this is one senior who's not ceding one iota of her immense power to a woman who, even after more than three decades, hasn't fully won her favor.

"Eleanor might be the public face, but Ah Ma is the head of the family," states Lu. "She led them to prosperity and is still very concerned about family affairs."

"Lisa is a legend," says Chu of the Beijing-born Hollywood pioneer whose long career spans film and television projects in both China and the U.S. "I was awed by her presence. She has enormous vitality and, even with as much experience as she has, is constantly working at her craft. It was an honor and so much fun to have her, Michelle and Constance"three generations of strong women"depicting these three generations of strong women on the screen."

At first, it appears that Ah Ma takes a shine to Rachel, leading Nick to believe she has mellowed since his last visit. But it's probably not something he should count on.

Team Rachel

If Eleanor is unwelcoming and Ah Ma unreadable, at least Rachel can count a few people in her corner, starting with her old college pal Peik Lin Goh, played by rapper, writer and rising film star Awkwafina. A force of nature sporting a cheeky blonde wig and driving a hot pink Audi" with a ready cocktail dress in its trunk"Peik Lin is smart, wickedly funny and unabashedly outspoken, from her personality and opinions to her original ensembles. "She's our truth-sayer," notes Chu. "Even if we think she's joking, Peik Lin lays out the truth. She even hammers at Rachel when necessary. When there's an easy solution to a ridiculous situation, she calls it out. She's Rachel's opposite and that kind of buddy comedy between the two of them really comes through.

"We needed someone to not be sappy or mince words, someone who could really entertain audiences, and who better than Awkwafina?" he asks. "I'm a huge fan. Her raps are hilarious. She brought all her scenes to life. With Awkwafina, even something straightforward like choosing a dress becomes a sarcastic commentary on culture."

But Peik Lin is a lifeline to Rachel. An outsider by Nick's family's standards, she's still plugged in enough to know what you don't say or do and what shoes you can't be caught dead wearing at the Young compound. "She serves a pretty big purpose in showing Rachel the ropes and not letting her embarrass herself in this culture that she doesn't understand," says Awkwafina. "She's really not one of them but knows the ins and outs. She's rich, but it's a different kind of rich. It's nouveau riche, and her family might be more relatable because of that. They're also very dysfunctional."

Dysfunctional, sure, but not in a bad way… Says Chu, "Ultimately, Peik Lin is there for Rachel. You judge her, and you judge her family by appearances, and then, as the story unfolds, you see them becoming like Rachel's family and her support. They have real heart. And I thought that turn would be great, to let the audience go from judging them to loving them."

Awkwafina enjoyed the chance to volley with another actor known for improv, comic timing and bold characterizations: Ken Jeong, who stars as her father, Wye Mun Goh. "Ken makes me laugh like I've never laughed before. I think I must have wasted an hour's worth of film breaking character because of him," she says. "With improv, my eyes roll to the back of my head and the devil takes over and I could go for three hours."

Jeong responds, "It was so cool, you can tell there's a shared sensibility we have, the way we get along. It was magic casting by Jon. We were immediately on the same page, joking around, and I thought, 'It's like she's really my daughter.'"

In contrast to the staggering but understated Young fortune, the Gohs are all about the flash: gold this and designer that, and a Bentley parked out front. "The Gohs are the opposite of the Youngs, whose wealth spans generations," says Jeong. "Mr. Goh is newly rich, and so everything tends toward the gaudy and over-the-top, especially his clothes."

Jeong came aboard as a big fan of the novel and open to any role, although he was particularly inspired by Goh. "We started playing around with the character and the stuff that happens around the table when Peik Lin has Rachel over," Chu recounts. "He brought so much of his personality to it, and it was just a delight and a pleasure to work with him."

But as much as Rachel is embraced by the Gohs, what she really needs is an ally on the inside, especially for those times when her knight in white linen is whisked away for one family obligation or another. Thank goodness for Astrid Young Teo, not surprisingly Nick's favorite cousin and the only one of the bunch as down-to-earth as he is"despite the aura of beauty, style, wealth and impeccable taste that makes her the envy of every other woman on the island.

One of the book's most beloved characters, "Astrid's story is so big, we had to be very strategic about which parts of it to include," Chu acknowledges. "Casting was also challenging because Astrid is so flawless, you wonder how such a person could exist on this planet." In sync with many fan-site wish lists, the director's search led to Gemma Chan. "She's so elegant and warm. She can appear both relatable and untouchable at the same time, which is, I think, the trick to playing Astrid with all those facets to her personality and upbringing. Gemma was the absolute embodiment of the role," he says.

"Astrid was my favorite character," Chan offers. "I know she's a favorite for a lot of people so there was a bit of pressure, but for me it was all about trying to get into her head as well as her skin. It was about trying to find the truth of the emotional journey she's on.

"Astrid comes from privilege, but she doesn't buy into the trappings of wealth," Chan continues. "She's grounded and kind. There's a kind of myth that's grown around her so that everyone thinks she's the epitome of perfection. She has the perfect life, perfect husband, perfect home, perfect child…but, really, she's a woman struggling to hold everything together and her world is falling apart when we meet her. To me, that's very interesting, to play someone who is presenting something to the world despite the various things going on underneath."

In fact, Nick and Rachel's arrival coincides with Astrid's heartbreaking discovery that her husband is cheating on her. Her need for privacy to sort things out means it takes Astrid some time before she fully connects with Rachel. But it's a connection worth waiting for.

Meanwhile, Rachel gets a warm welcome from Nick's best friend Colin Khoo, played by Chris Pang, and Colin's fiancée Araminta Lee, played by Sonoya Mizuno. Colin and Araminta's impending wedding is the reason Rachel and Nick have traveled to Singapore.

"Araminta is fond of Nick. Nick makes Colin happy, therefore, whatever makes Nick happy is good for Colin and that, in turn, is good for Araminta, so she accepts Rachel at face value," notes Mizuno. "Araminta is a model and Singapore's most celebrated fashion icon as well as the heiress to a multi-million-dollar fortune. She's very secure in her position in the world and is about to be married to the love of her life, so, unlike many of the other women in the film, she's not threatened by anyone or anything. When we first see her, she's wearing pajamas and glasses and no makeup, and that's just as much a part of who she is."

But when her real estate mogul mom offers up her own Sumatran beachfront resort for Araminta's weekend bachelorette party, plus the private jet to fly all her friends in, well, that's also who she is. And by the time that party gets rolling, Araminta is simply too consumed by wedding prep to take Rachel under her wing.

Colin, on the other hand, takes Nick aside for a reality check on what exactly his lovestruck pal expects to come of all this, and the cost to poor Rachel, whether he wants to hear it or not. "Colin is Nick's confidant and best friend for life. They've always been there for each other and they always will be," says Pang.

Studying for the role, Pang went to the source and spoke with Kwan, because, "A lot of these characters are inspired by real people he's come across in his life, so I got to hear about the 'real' Colin. I still don't know who he is, because Kevin was careful not to divulge enough so I could figure it out, but one thing I learned was that I sort of look like him. So, there you go," he says with a grin. "There's a guy out there who sort of looks like me. If you find out who he is, let me know."

Rounding out Team Rachel is fashion designer Oliver T'Sien, a self-described "poor relation and rainbow sheep of the family," who cannily remains in Eleanor's good graces by making himself useful"from procuring the odd item like a rare koi for the pond or a Cambodian gong for the living room, to deftly removing a disgraced guest from a social gathering.

Oliver is played by Nico Santos, whose insight into this super stratum began with a job at a high-end boutique in San Francisco where, he remembers, "a lot of my clients were crazy-rich. When I read the book, I thought, I know exactly who these people are because I've sold them many a designer handbag and gown. They'd come in for an outfit for dinner and then, $60,000 later, it was like they'd just gone to the mall and picked out a few things."

Oliver's heart goes out to Rachel, even as he bonds with fellow fashionista and sharp wit Peik Lin, and the latter two strike up a lively conspiratorial banter that runs throughout the story. As Santos sees him, "Oliver is dapper and sartorial and a bit of a gossip queen. He clocks Rachel at this big party and just wants to help. He's family, but still an outsider, which a lot of people can relate to"aspiring to be part of a clique they don't quite belong to."

The Extended Family

Nick's other cousins on hand for the festivities include Eddie and Alistair Cheng, who, although brothers, couldn't be less alike.

Ronny Chieng is ambitious investment banker Eddie, a family man, as evidenced by the portraits he sits for with his impeccably posed wife and children. "There's love there, but there's also this weird kind of business mentality that makes you think they both want certain things and are together to achieve those things," observes Chieng. Amused by the way his image-conscious character can't figure Nick's angle with this American woman, he says, "Eddie is trying to figure out who Rachel is, why Nick chose her, what's special about her. She must be someone of high stature, but then why doesn't he know her name? Could it be that she's just a commoner?"

Meanwhile, eschewing a respectable position in banking or real estate, Alistair aims to be a film producer, a choice the family tacitly indulges, perhaps hoping he will eventually outgrow it. Cast in the role, Remy Hii says, "I look at him like a guy who ran away to join the circus, in a way. Alistair's using his money to kick-start these crazy B-grade Kung Fu action epics."

Lately, his filmography features a leading lady of more smoke than fire named Kitty Pong, played by Fiona Xie. "Kitty's career is being propped up by the projects he buys for her," says Hii. "They're an interesting couple, I'll say that much."

But Alistair's antics are nothing compared to the heights of excess and bad taste reached by Bernard Tai, enthusiastically portrayed by Jimmy O. Yang. Not technically related, Bernard nabs the honor of staging Colin's bachelor party via his father's business ties with Colin's dad. In other words, they're stuck with him. Yang calls him "a billionaire playboy not doing much with his life except partying and having fun. He's kind of a douche, but he loves himself and he loves life. Imagine an 18-year-old who just graduated high school with a billion dollars."

Additional standout roles include Nick's former-girlfriend-with-an-agenda, Amanda, played by Jing Lusi; Astrid's straying husband, Michael, played by Pierre Png; and Rachel's loving mom Kerry, played by Tan Kheng Hua.

Bringing Kwan's book to the screen meant drawing from a tapestry of personalities and relationships, to bear upon the essential triangle between Rachel, Nick and Eleanor. As the story is very much from Rachel's point of view, the filmmakers wanted the romance front and center" will their relationship survive this trip?"and bring the other characters in by their connection to that central conflict.

"Kevin created such a rich, colorful galaxy of family and friends, it was a task to decide which ones to focus on. And some of the characters in the film are composites," notes screenwriter Adele Lim. "We felt that Rachel had the most compelling arc, starting as someone who feels out of place and needing to realize that she is more than worthy and strong enough."

"Focusing on Rachel's journey also allowed us to have someone audiences could relate to," adds screenwriter Peter Chiarelli, "and a way for them to learn about this crazy-rich world. It felt natural to introduce the other characters in relation to her and to Nick, because, as Ah Ma's chosen, Nick was always the sun around which everyone else would orbit."

The cast quickly formed a cohesive unit both on and off the set. "Everyone fell into encouraging and entertaining each other, like 'keep going, make that funnier,'" Chu recalls. "It was a team effort, almost a family feeling where we could share our experiences of taking on all these diverse characters and breaking this story open together. I think that energy comes through on the screen."

First Class To Singapore

For anyone familiar with Kwan's book, Singapore itself plays a starring role, bursting with vibrant color, heat and dynamism in every way. The filmmakers agreed that capturing this story anywhere else but Southeast Asia would not have done it justice. "The texture of our movie, its escapism, comes from the fact that we really shot in these places. Everywhere we pointed the camera we found something special. It's a unique blend of cultures," says Chu.

The setting had its effect on the cast as well. As Yeoh observes, "When you're in Singapore with the tropical air, the smell of food in the Hawker centers and the brilliant colors of the flowers and plants… there's nothing like being on a location like this."

"Crazy Rich Asians" utilised Singapore sites, including Esplanade Park, the Marina Bay Sands resort and the famous Gardens by the Bay, as well as locations in neighboring Malaysia" in particular, Langkawi Island off the Malay coast, Penang, and the capital city of Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur even stood in for the film's early scenes set in New York's West Village, with its airport subbing for JFK. Malaysia also provided the space needed to stage Tyersall Park, the fictional Young family's secluded and massive colonial compound and surrounding acreage.

Tyersall Park is one of the film's most spectacular sets. Researching the history and design detail of what would be Nick's ancestral home, production designer Nelson Coates took a deep dive into Peranakan culture, which originated in the Singapore Straits and is neither Chinese, Taiwanese, nor Hong Kong in style, but a hybrid of all, mixed with European influences. Its architecture features plaster work often comprised of floral or animal ornamentation, louvered shuttering and colorful glazed ceramic tiles. Because the estate would have been in the Young family for generations and because Coates was keen to reflect that sense of history, it seemed appropriate to embrace elements of Peranakan design.

The production used two neighboring mansions in the Perdana Botanical Gardens in Kuala Lumpur, known collectively as Carcosa Seri Negara. Built as residences for the British Governor of the Singapore region in the early 1900s, the two Tudor Revival buildings enjoyed a second life as hotels until recently closed. Selecting Seri Negara for exteriors and Carcosa for interiors, Coates's team cleared both structures and made major repairs to roofs, stairs, walls and floors. They landscaped and terraced the impressive Seri Negara frontage and painted it in the characteristic Singapore style of white walls with black roofs and intricate detailing.

The concept for Tyersall Park was old-school grandeur. "We wanted the interiors to feel regal, with a restrained beauty and formality," Coates says. "There's symmetry to the furniture, as in many Peranakan homes, but it's a home that's been lived in and seen lots of children come and go. Jon was very keen for the house to be accessible, so the palette and the way the rooms flow into each other was important. We used the huge archways and augmented everything with more moldings, wallpapers and paint, carpets, glazing and gilding, and the result was remarkable. We even restored a beautiful herringbone floor we found underneath the floorboards."

Among the many details enhancing authenticity is a hand-painted mural in the dining room depicting scenes of Singaporean life in muted yellows, reds and greens against a deep teal background. The entrance hall boasts an imposing central staircase in soothing pale green with striking Morris-style floral wallpaper, and a life-sized rearing tiger that Coates designed. Made of fabric and foam by sculptors in Bangkok, the tiger proved so realistic that it was held up by customs agents who suspected it was genuine"and highly illegal"taxidermy.

Additionally, the designer remarks, "Like all families, the Youngs would hold dear their ancestry and heirlooms that have been passed down"framed photographs and wonderful pieces of Peranakan furniture, hand-blown glass and artwork. They would have travelled extensively so their homes would contain Chinese and Peranakan pieces but also French, British and Italian." For a personal touch, Coates invited author Kevin Kwan to provide his own family photos, which are placed throughout Tyersall Park.

Coates also designed the adjacent conservatory housing Ah Ma's precious Tan Hua plant, the focal point for her annual party to celebrate its fleeting bloom. It blends Chinese and Colonial design with a green tiered roof, white columned exterior walls and porch, and carved louvred doors, while inside are decorative walls, and floors laid with Peranakan-style tiles in teals, reds and ochres. Antique furniture and objets d'art adorn the space, along with specimen flowers and exotic birds. The conservatory set was constructed in only 16 days, a remarkable feat considering the daily interruptions of heavy rain.

Coates then threw taste and tradition to the wind to indulge Bernard Tai's fantasy of a bachelor party to end all bachelor parties. He even surpassed the book by expanding the venue from a yacht to a cargo ship for a more immediate sense of scale"with Kwan's hearty approval. "In the book, they're partying on a mega yacht. But Jon decided to go so much further," the author laughingly recalls. "He said, 'Let's have a party on a super tanker! Let's build this incredible set with mosh pits and hot tubs and all these toys,' and it's just amazing to see what they created."

In a parking lot, Coates constructed the ship set to accommodate, among other things: gambling tables, an arcade, a basketball court and climbing wall, a massive swordfish buffet, a DJ booth fashioned from the front of a Rolls Royce, a helipad, and simulated Ducati races through a virtual Singapore, all graced by A-list guests and a bevy of genuine beauty queens from around the world, draped in their pageant ribbons.

But the film's real showpiece is the $40 million wedding of Colin and Araminta, which perhaps best illustrates a point Chu discovered as he delved into this project: "It's not just about how much money you spend, because everyone at this level can spend money; everyone can buy the same yacht or building or car. When you have money and all your friends have money, the difference is in how you make it your own and how creative you can be with it."

Consequently, he adds, "This had to be a wedding like you've never seen before."

Inspired by the aesthetic of a hotel Chu and Coates had scouted, in which natural elements were incorporated, the scene was designed so that the bride in her magnificence would walk barefoot down a path of water that was gently flowing toward the altar.

The wedding was shot at historic CHIJMES in Singapore as a symphony in green, with swaying fronds of 24 two-story travelers palms in the nave and multi-colored orchids and bromeliads lining the central aisle leading to a stone Chinese Moon Gate. Guests sat on custom velvet benches in a meadow of 3-foot-tall grasses. "It's an explosion of nature you wouldn't expect in a church," says Coates. "We wanted it to be subtle and have a touch of classicism, so there are 8-foot bamboo fans with the classic wedding imagery of the phoenix and dragon, and traditional hand-painted lanterns with the bride's and groom's names and scenes of prosperity and fertility"each painted by a master who took three weeks for each lantern. The entire floor is a big pegboard with grass bunches popped into it, so that if the camera needed to go in any direction we could pull them up and out of the way."

Local food stylist Pelita Lim ensured every dish was as authentic as it was a feast for the eyes, "to the minute detail of the slices of cake on each plate," Coates emphasizes. "The Kue Lapis is multiple layers of colored cake put together with egg, sugar and spices, and just one piece of it could set you back $25 at a fine hotel."

"Astrid and her husband have just broken up, Rachel is under attack and Nick is trying to find his way, and here we are at a magnificent wedding. It makes a great canvas onto which all this drama unfolds," notes Chu. Moreover, "It allows us to paint the picture of how to stage a wedding that's one of the biggest social events of the year."

You Gotta Look The Part

Money and class are also reflected in the clothes and jewelry. "I loved the old money and new money juxtaposition, and how that translated into the clothing," says award-winning costume designer Mary Vogt. "These are two different worlds. Into that you add Singapore, with its elements of Chinese and Malay with a bit of Indian and English, and you have a global look, multicultural and rich."

Vogt looked to Kevin Kwan to help find a way into some of the cultural touchstones. "Kevin understood the layers, colors and variety, and the influences. He gave me contacts"for example, Hong Kong jewelry designer Michelle Ong, who provided pieces for Eleanor and Ah Ma."

Overall, she sought to touch upon the story's fairytale elements in the costumes. Her cue from Chu, she remembers, "was color, and lots of it!' He wanted to show Rachel's world in New York a bit like Dorothy in Kansas: heavier, with black, white and grays. When she gets off the plane in Singapore, suddenly they're in Oz where things are brighter, food tastes better, and everything is just a little more hyped up."

The wardrobe was a collection of Vogt's designs plus ensembles borrowed or purchased from renowned designers including Valentino, Armani, Dior, Elie Saab, Carolina Herrera, Marchesa, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney and Alexander McQueen, as well as Chopard, Bulgari and Swarovski, via an army of scouts in the U.K., Hong Kong and the U.S.

Says Chu, "We had people lending us millions of dollars' worth of jewelry. We had security guards around, and end dates, because they had to go back to the vault. We definitely couldn't afford to buy those items or even rent them, because pieces like this don't get 'rented.'" "The Swarovski costume jewelry looks great and we used that for the background actors, but on our principals all the jewelry you see is real," Vogt confirms. "Chopard and Bulgari lent us beautiful pieces and the actors really enjoyed wearing them. However, Michelle did wear some of her own pieces that were absolutely gorgeous."

Yeoh's good taste benefited the production in an unexpected way. It was important that her character wears a distinctive ring that catches Rachel's eye and prompts the young woman to compliment it. Unfortunately, the filmmakers discovered that the ring they designed in preproduction for this purpose wasn't quite what they had hoped. "It was Michelle's first day of shooting," recalls Nina Jacobson. "She said, 'I have a ring. Would this be good?' And it was exactly right! It was similar to the one we envisioned, but much better. So, she generously lent it to us for the scene."

Nevertheless, says Vogt, "Clothes and jewelry never become the main event. For example, Gemma Chan wears fabulous outfits as Astrid, but audiences shouldn't see the dress first. You should look at her and say, 'Wow,' and then, maybe a beat later, 'Is that a Valentino?'"

Chan is an Audrey Hepburn fan so, for her entrance, Vogt chose a pale pink, sleeveless Christian Dior dress with a half-circle skirt falling just below the knee, accessorized with oversize Jackie O sunglasses, both hinting at Hepburn's timeless grace. That same nod to the mid-century fashion icon is evident in Astrid's simple T-shirt and chinos. Says Chan, "What Astrid cares about is not how much something costs or what's going to be most showy. She likes things for what they are. It might cost a few million or be something she finds in a flea market and she'll mix different styles. It was great fun working with Mary to put together Astrid's looks."

Another eclectic style, on a more modest scale, is Rachel's. For her, Vogt created a range of looks that reflect her emotional challenges throughout. In New York her look is stronger. In Singapore, she appears more vulnerable, in a white and pink floral dress by Giambattista Valli, and then she wows at the wedding in a pale blue chiffon gown with fabric rosettes by Marchesa. "Rachel gets to dress in some pretty amazing clothes," says Constance Wu. "My favorite outfit? They're like my children. I love them all equally."

Vogt relied on Dolce & Gabbana for the suits and tuxes Henry Golding wears as Nick Young, with one notable exception. "Henry has a classic leading-man cool, so we made him several white linen suits and linen shirts which fit him like a dream," she says. "It was bespokemade in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur and he looked fantastic in them."

Golding found the costumes an invaluable aid to getting into character. "Mary put me into some extremely sleek and sexy suits, but the real head-turner is Nick's white linen. Every time I put it on, it was like a suit of armor and made me feel like I'd stepped right into his life."

For Eleanor, Vogt was inspired by Michelle Yeoh herself. "Like her character, Michelle is elegant," says the designer. "She has a dancer's grace and movement, so I wanted her to look casual and unrestricted, which is how Kevin describes Eleanor in the book. We put her in widelegged pants and silk tops by Carolina Herrera, and a flowing, deep burgundy Valentino dress, adorned with a large brooch for the Tan Hua party. For the wedding, she's in a pale blue, silk satin and gold metallic, hand-embroidered tulle dress and coat by Elie Saab, with a yellow and white diamond Michelle Ong brooch as a belt buckle. It's a strong look but Michelle pulls it off."

Contrasting with the simplicity of Rachel, the retro cool of Astrid and the classic lines of Eleanor is the exuberance of Peik Lin. "Peik Lin is like a riot of stuff," says Vogt. "Her clothes are fun. We had outrageous five-inch heels for her which Awkwafina wore with aplomb. She can put anything on; she's an actor whose personality is so strong you look at her first and then notice the clothes." Peik Lin's looks range from Stella McCartney pajamas as day wear, to shirts adorned with bunnies, to a remodeled chauffeur's outfit, complete with cap and thigh-high boots. "Peik Lin's pretty much living like a rapper," Awkwafina jokes.

One of Vogt's biggest challenges was Araminta's show-stopping bridal gown. It has a fitted bodice and a huge skirt with flowing tiers and a long train. So far, so good. But the trick was that it had to be waterproof, as she traverses an aisle that turns into a stream. "It weighed a ton," Vogt admits. "It must be one of the only waterproof wedding dresses ever made! Sonoya is a dancer and an athlete, so she's strong, and she carried that dress like it was air."

Ode To Joy

"Crazy Rich Asians" is also rich in its soundtrack, which encompasses a lifetime of evocative and cross-cultural music cues, from traditional Chinese songs freshly interpreted by a swing jazz band, to American standards and rock-n-roll covered by contemporary Asian artists. "I wanted music from the 60s and 70s, when Singapore was newly established, and Chinese songs that aren't ancient but reflected what was popular at that time," Chu says. "I also liked the idea of American songs covered in Chinese, because a big theme of our movie is that the world we're living in is getting smaller and all these cultures are overlapping."

Chu and music supervisor Gabe Hilfer curated a collection that includes a playful opening of "Money (That's What I Want)," by Cheryl K, and "Vote," by R&B singer Miguel. There are several contributions by Jasmine Chen, including on-camera performances with a four-piece jazz band for "Swinging Five," "Chang Hai" and "Give Me a Kiss," to entertain the guests at Ah Ma's Tan Hau party, and again at the wedding reception with "Wo Yao Ni De Ai (I Want Your Love, I Want You to be My Baby)" and "When Love is Away." The Elvis Presley classic "Can't Help Falling in Love," which was Chu's parents' wedding song, is performed at the wedding by Kina Grannis. Bookending the film, Awkwafina then breaks out an original rap on Cheryl K's take of "Money (That's What I Want)," to carry audiences through the end credits.

"It all comes together in this eclectic tapestry," Chu adds, "from old to new and remixed, to rap and hip-hop and jazz"and then, on top of that, we have our amazing composer Brian Tyler, who brings in a giant orchestra like an old Hollywood movie."

"Jon and I really wanted to make a splash with this score in a way that touched upon the great romantic comedies, with the charisma and beauty of Asian culture," says Tyler. "I composed in the style of old-school, big-band jazz, classic romantic strings, and traditional music from Asia. The jazz provided a fun, throwback tone and the strings brought the main themes to life in a way that articulates both the love and loss in relationships, familial and romantic. For me, as a composer, scoring a film that touches on all those themes was an incredible experience."

On a personal note, Chu reveals that the film's production coincided with the birth of his daughter, which underscored its various themes and raised such questions as, he says, "What do I want to pass on to her? How do I want her youth to be different from mine? Presenting a story with a strong female character like Rachel, I was very conscious of what my daughter might go through in her own life, embracing her cultures and finding out who she really is. The film is a love story and a comedy about family, and culture, and conflict, and coming together. It's also a representation of the next generation's journey: to make choices about what our parents have given us, what we have learned, and what we want to pass on to our children."

During Kevin Kwan's first visit to the set, the director reveals that he shared an insight into how his book began. Chu recalls, "When Kevin set up his computer, he wrote 'Joy' on a Post-It note and put it right on the monitor, and every day he wrote his story he looked at that note. He said that whatever happened, that was the most important thing he wanted to communicate. "Seven years later," the director concludes, "we're making this movie and he told me, 'Whatever you do, this is the only thing that matters. If you can convey joy, it'll work.' That has been our guiding light, our North Star, throughout. And I hope that audiences will feel that joy when they watch the movie."

 

Crazy Rich Asians
Release Date: August 30th, 2018