“Crazy Rich Asians” author Kevin Kwan skipped the Singapore premiere of the crazily successful movie based on his book, and the reason is not at all nuts. Singapore authorities are on the lookout for Kwan, who they say skipped the city-state without performing his national service. All Singapore men are required to register for national service at the age of 18. Kwan departed for the U.S. when he was 11.
Much of “Crazy Rich Asians” is set in Singapore. The 44-year-old writer is descended from a wealthy Singapore family.
The romantic comedy took in $34 million in its debut weekend, more than recouping the cost of its $30 million budget. World premiere of the Warner Bros. film was in Los Angeles and topped the new releases in U.S. cinemas over the weekend. The movie is opening in many Asian cities.
The story follows Chinese-American Rachel Chu as she travels with her boyfriend Nick Young to Singapore to attend a family wedding and meet his relatives. She discovers to her shock that they are fabulously wealthy.
A sequel to “Crazy Rich Asians” is in the works. The second movie would be based on “China Rich Girlfriend,” the next book in Kwan’s series of three. The author concluded the wickedly funny trilogy with “Rich People Problems.”
“No deals are final, but [we’re] planning on it,” a Warner Bros. Pictures spokesperson told The LA Times. The “Asians” sequel likely would go into production after director John M. Chu shoots Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “In the Heights.” That movie is slated for June 2020.
Kwan could face a fine and up to three years in prison, but the BBC says Singapore seldom pursues service-skippers who have moved overseas. The writer twice has tried to renounce his Singapore citizenship, according to the BBC, but authorities refused the bid for his lack of service.