If you’re watching “Crazy Rich Asians” this week – which you should because it’s 1 of the best movies of the year – you’ll want to stay back for a mid-credits scene.
Some of the most dramatic scenes don’t happen until the very end of the movie. The bonus is very brief and and dialogue-free, but it does pave the way for a potential sequel. There are spoilers ahead, so proceed at your own risk.
As our main couple – Nick (Henry Golding) and Rachel (Constance Wu) – celebrate their engagement atop the Marina Bay Sands towers in Singapore, we see a newly single Astrid (Gemma Chan) making eye contact with an unidentified man played by “Glee” alum Harry Shum Jr.. So who is this guy? And what does that look signify?
In author Kevin Kwan’s sequels to “Crazy Rich Asians” – “China Rich Girlfriend” and “Rich People Problems” – the stranger’s name is Charlie Wu. If you thought Nick Young was rich, wait till you see Charlie’s bank account.
In short, Charlie was Astrid’s past love and former fiancé in the books. They used to date when they were just teenagers. Charlie was also responsible in exposing Astrid to fashion, jewels and luxury. Although Shum Jr. only had a small role in the first film, he would certainly have a much larger role if “Crazy Rich Asians” gets a sequel.
“We had originally shot more of them together, but what we found when we first started to show the movie to audiences was that, just in terms of screen time, the dissolution of her marriage and then the introduction of this wonderful new guy actually both got short shrift when you rushed it,” said producer Nina Jacobson during a press conference.
She added, “You felt like you weren’t getting the strength that it took her to walk away from her marriage, but also the hope that you might feel about a new person. And that it wasn’t just a rebound.”
Fingers crossed we’ll get to see Astrid and Charlie’s love affair play out in the sequel.
“Crazy Rich Asians” opens in Malaysian cinemas this 22nd August.
