Gemma Chan Shares Candid Update on Crazy Rich Asians Sequel

Gemma Chan Shares Candid Update on ‘Crazy Rich Asians’ Sequel

Gemma Chan is feeling crazy hopeful.

Indeed, the Crazy Rich Asians star shared an honest update on the status of the long-awaited sequel to the 2018 romantic comedy, in which she played stylish socialite Astrid Leong.

"I wish I had some juicy info," she admitted in an exclusive interview with E! News' Erin Lim Rhodes at The Five Star Weekend premiere July 8. "I'm the last person to find out."

"There's so much to live up to," Chan continued. "It's been a while now, so everything has to be as good as [the first film], if not better."

But the 43-year-old isn't giving up hope that she'll be able to step into Astrid's designer shoes once again.

After all, she expressed, "I'm hopeful that things are going to align."

As for what she'd like to see for her character in a future film?

"I want to see what happens with her and Charlie," Chan shared, referring to Harry Shum Jr.'s character Charlie Wu, whose potential romance with Astrid was teased in the film's mid-credits scene. "I want to see her come into her own."

In the years since Crazy Rich Asians was released, both fans and the stars alike have been expressing their desire for a sequel.

Yet, the potential second installment in the franchise—based on the adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling book trilogy—has been met with a series of challenges, resulting in a years-long delay.

One issue was who would write the script. There was reportedly a screenwriter change after original writer Adele Lim allegedly left the film over a purported pay disparity between her and co-writer Peter Chiarelli.

The actors' busy schedules also appeared to contribute to the holdup. After all, Crazy Rich Asians catapulted multiple stars into stardom, including Wu, Chan, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Awkwafina and Constance Wu.

Matt Winkelmeyer/FilmMagic

And according to Chu—who also directed Wicked—the cast's schedules being aligned is top priority.

"I won’t bring everyone back unless it’s worth it," Chu shared on a November 2024 episode of Deadline's Crew Call podcast. "There’s too much on the line for everybody."

But last year, the filmmaker confirmed that Crazy Rich Asians 2 was still in development.

"We’re working on it," Chu told Entertainment Tonight in April 2025. "But we’re working on a Max show as well with some of the other stories as it goes along. I won’t say too much, but there are things that are moving."

Indeed, other Crazy Rich Asians projects are in the works, including a Broadway musical adaptation of the movie and an HBO television series, which was announced last year.

For everything we know about the movie sequel, read on...

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