The movie is the crazy, rich surprise hit of the US summer box office and the sequel hype has already started.
A modestly successful opening weekend was followed by two weekends which posted the record-breaking lowest drops for any movie in recent history, followed by an actual increase in the fourth. This breaks every rule for Hollywood where the opening weekend is the make or break, and calls to mind the staggering success and slow build of The Greatest Show.
Crazy Rich Asians is certainly the greatest romcom success of recent years and shows a new dawn for representation at the glocal cinema.
Its British-Malaysian leading man, Henry Golding, sat down with Express Online and talked love, life, marriage, being a diva, trending hairstyles and falling off cliffs. Not all of it was true.
You can watch the full interview above and see he really is as charming and irresistible as he appears on screen. Not bad for a man in his first major acting role.
The film opens in the UK on Friday and really is worth the wait and all the hype.
It centers on the Romeo and Juliet love of Henry’s insanely rich and privileged Nick Young, and Constance Wu’s regular New Yorker (that and Economics professor, obviously) Rachel.
Will true love win? Well, what do you think? But it is enormous fun along the way and also surprisingly moving.
Henry told me: “Lots is happening. I actually fell off a cliff. All the money gets left to Rachel. That was her plan all along. So I reckon she pushed me off a cliff.”
I’m pretty sure he’s joking, however he does make a very good point about how the next movie will go.
Gemma Chan’s character Astrid is one of the powerful stand-out characters and storylines of the movie. It’s no secret her marriage is unhappy but does the end scene set up an exciting new future?
Henry thinks so. (WARNING: MINOR SPOILERS)
Fans in the US have already begun feverishly speculating what the final party scene means.
Henry reveals: “I reckon Astrid and and Charlie’s story needs to be told. It’s wonderful.”
Fans of the book series will understand, but you’ll have to watch the movie to see what he means.
Henry adds: “Astrid is my favourite character. Gemma Chan brings something wonderful. She’s phenomenal.”
I confess to being very moved by her performance and he asks me if I cried. I might have shed a manly tear, it’s true.
Crazy Rich Asians is based on the novel by Kevin Kwan and also stars Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina and Ken Jeong.
CRAZY RICH ASIANS IS OUT IN THE UK ON SEPTEMBER 14