Jon M. Chu was fated to direct the upcoming adaptation ofCrazy Rich Asians.
He was like, Thats…you.
And I was like, Whaaat?!
Credit: Gilbert Carrasquillo/FilmMagic
What are you talking about?…
And I was just like, Imsupposedto do this movie.
ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY:I read that you wanted to do this film so badly you put together a presentation.
But what exactly made you want the gig?
Ive never fully explored that as an artist.
and I was like, Oh yeah, theres that book!
I read the script that night and loved it.
I was looking for it.
I reached out to Nina and Brad that week and I was like, Ihaveto do this movie.
I knew in my heart I had to do it.
No hesitation at all?
Obviously, while youre reading a script youre going, How are they going to translate this?
but it was such a great adaptation already, and I knew we could bring it to another level.
Its a hard one to squeeze into a movie, but were doing our best.
Where are you now with the film, in terms of casting?
Youremaking sure to cast an all-Asian cast.
Who are the unknowns, the undiscovered, that we need to find?
Were trying to dig deeper and find that next round.
You said casting forCrazy Rich Asianswill take more time, effort, and energy.
What exactly does that entail?
Well have to look in places that we dont normally look for a movie.
Maybe theyre in theater and havent crossed over yet.
My biggest thing is, forget it being an all-Asian cast.
Wehaveto dig deeper, we cant just settle, because its too important.
Thats what we all have agreed on.
NEXT: Its for the future of cinema that diversity and those new perspectives have to be told.
Otherwise, the art will die.
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Tell me more about how the Warner Bros. deal came about.
How did you go about meeting with studio execs, and what were those meetings like?
We went to all the studios, and we got offers from every single one of them.
You couldnt just say, Oh, nobody goes to an all-Asian film.
We could go for what we stood for and what Kevin Kwan always wanted even from a book stage.
How much pressure do you feel at this point?
Of course Ive thought about it, of course Ive had sleepless nights when that weighs on you.
You think about [questions like], Are we allowed to cast a Korean as a Chinese person?
Are we allowed to cast a half Chinese-American in this particular world?
Are we allowed to have this character be crass here?
Is it okay to have these women fighting?
How concerned are you at this point about how the film will perform at the box office?
I think that of course I want the community to come out and show support.
Hollywood listens to money and to controversy.
To me, I was like, Oh, ImlikeMarty McFly.
Imlikeall these other characters that didnt actually look like me.
I think that that change is really exciting for me.
You see it in dance.
When I was growing up, Asians werent known for dancing.
I knew all my older aunts and uncles did, like, ballroom dancing and stuff.
And then you saw all those dance crews like Quest and Jabbawockeez and now theyre like,knownfor dance.
I think those voices are heard.
Others before me have fought those fights for me.
Well, how do you sustain that wave?
I mean, you might crash that party, but how do you get the chance to stay?
[Laughs] Well, you gotta depend on others to come and tell their story.
To me, everybody has a part to play in this movement, whether youre Asian or not.
You look atBlackfish, andthatchanged a whole industry.
Again, its not just an Asian thing.
Its for the future of cinema that diversity and those new perspectives have to be told.
Otherwise, the art will die.
