Jon M. Chu is opening up about his one regret with Crazy Rich Asians.
The movie, starring Henry Golding and Constance Wu, made a huge impact at the box office, as it made $237 million worldwide. It also became the highest-grossing romantic comedy of the past decade.
Click inside to read what Jon said his regret was…More Here! »
Jon M. Chu, the director of Crazy Rich Asians, is setting the record straight on Brenda Song‘s comments about his movie.
In a newly released interview with Teen Vogue, the 31-year-old actress claimed that she wasn’t allowed to audition for the movie because they said she wasn’t “Asian enough” for a role.
Now Jon is responding on Twitter to Brenda‘s comments saying he feels “horrible” that she would think that.
“🤷🏻‍♂️would these words ever come out of my mouth? Nope makes no sense,” John tweeted. “I feel horrible she thinks this is the reason. The fact is I love Brenda Song and am a fan. I didn’t need her to audition because I already knew who she was!”
Brenda has not yet responded to Jon‘s response.
🤷🏻‍♂️would these words ever come out of my mouth? Nope makes no sense. I feel horrible she thinks this is the reason. The fact is I love Brenda Song and am a fan. I didn’t need her to audition because I already knew who she was!
— Jon M. Chu (@jonmchu) November 20, 2019
Jon M. Chu, the director of the hit film Crazy Rich Asians and its upcoming sequel, is breaking his silence on screenwriter Adele Lim‘s salary dispute with the studio.
Adele, who co-wrote the first film, has decided not to participate in the sequel after she was offered significantly less money than her co-writer Peter Chiarelli.
THR reportedly that the offers were $800,000 to $1 million for Peter and $110,000+ for Adele.
“When I discovered she was unhappy with the initial offer, the producers, myself and studio executives leapt into action to ensure we got to a place of parity between the two writers at a significant number. It was both educational and powerful to hear all facets of the debate. Unfortunately by the time we came up with several different ways to satisfy everyone’s needs, a lot of time had passed and she declined the offer,” Jon wrote in an open letter posted on his Twitter account. “These things happen in negotiations, and I’m proud that she was able to stand up for her own measure of worth and walk away when she felt like she was being undervalued.”
Jon says he will definitely work with Adele in the future and he’s still leaving the door open for her to rejoin the Crazy Rich Asians sequel. He also asked fans to not attack Peter Chiarelli.
“The door is always open for Adele and if there’s another shot at making it work I know we are all for it but that’s a personal and private conversation between ourselves,” he wrote.
Click inside to read the full open letter from Jon M. Chu… More Here! »
Adele Lim has exited the upcoming Crazy Rich Asians sequel.
The writer dropped out from the project due to pay parity, according to THR on Wednesday (September 4).
Co-writer Peter Chiarelli was reportedly going to be paid a “significantly higher fee.
“Being evaluated that way can’t help but make you feel that is how they view my contributions,” she said in a statement, adding that women and people of color often are regarded as “soy sauce” — which means to be hired to add culturally specific details on a screenplay, rather than be credited with the substantive work.
According to sources, the offers were $800,000 to $1 million for Peter and $110,000+ for Adele.
“Pete has been nothing but incredibly gracious, but what I make shouldn’t be dependent on the generosity of the white-guy writer. If I couldn’t get pay equity after CRA, I can’t imagine what it would be like for anyone else, given that the standard for how much you’re worth is having established quotes from previous movies, which women of color would never have been [hired for]. There’s no realistic way to achieve true equity that way.”
“There’s too much responsibility and too much precedent from the first movie that the last thing I want to do is just hit a date and release the movie. There’s still too much work to do. Our focus isn’t on the timeline, it’s on getting the story right,” she added.
Awkwafina is featured in Harper’s Bazaar‘s “Real Beauty” August 2019 issue, out on newsstands on July 23.
Here’s what the 31-year-old actress had to say…
On life after Crazy Rich Asians and representation in Hollywood: “I thought that I had a good fan base, and then Crazy Rich Asians came out, and I was like, ‘Oh, okay!’ Growing up, I really had only you [Margaret Cho] to look up to. Your existence meant so much to me because it showed me what was possible. After Crazy Rich Asians, people would come up to me crying—it was almost a bittersweet joy for them seeing a movie like that and realizing how important representation is. Asian-American actors have told me that before Crazy Rich Asians they couldn’t get one audition. Now they’re getting tons. It helped open the door for movies like The Farewell.”
On attending awards shows and red carpets—especially after CRA: “I grew up never really feeling pretty or like a girly girl. I was uncomfortable in my skin when it came to that stuff. I had been dressed up for events and had gotten glam before, but at the Crazy Rich Asians premiere I looked in the mirror and it felt different. It sounds clichéd, but I felt like a princess.”
On navigating her personal life and self-care: “Working in this industry, you have to cultivate stability in other areas of your life. I was in a long-term relationship, and now I’m in another one, so that’s been a very stable thing for me. And I talk to my grandma every day.”
For more from Awkwafina, head to HarpersBazaar.com.
Gemma Chan is on the cover of #legend‘s May/June 2019 issue, out now.
Here’s what the 36-year-old Crazy Rich Asians star had to say…
On Hong Kong: “I came here in my childhood and I haven’t been back here since then so it’s been a real pleasure to return here with my parents.”
On being a role model: “If I can be someone, just in some way, that young women can look at and feel empowered to do whatever they want to do, that’s enough for me.
On the similarities and differences with her Crazy Rich Asians character Astrid Leong: “I’d say my day to day style as Gemma is much more laid back. I love sneakers, baseball caps, t-shirts, and street wear in general. I’m not always as elegant as the Astrid look but depending on my mood.”
For more from Gemma, head to HashtagLegend.com.
Kevin Kwan is working on a new show!
The Crazy Rich Asians author and David Sangalli are writing the pilot for the new comedy The Emperor of Malibu, which was just ordered by CBS.
PHOTOS: Check out the latest pics of Kevin Kwan
The show will follow the son of a Chinese billionaire who gets engaged to an American woman. When his family finds out about the engagement, they try to win their son back and test-drive the American dream.
Kevin and David are also working on an Amazon drama centered around a Hong Kong family and their influential business empire.
Here’s to hoping the shows get picked up!
