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The summer season may be coming to a close, but not without a standing ovation - particularly in thanks to the continued success of Crazy Rich Asians. After holding at the top after its second weekend, only dropping five percent from three day debut (which is practically unheard of), it's safe to say the romantic comedy is a real hit. A success story wouldn't be complete with some roadblocks, though, and Crazy Rich Asians is no exception. Director Jon M. Chu was originally told that he should change the title of the film, recently saying,
People wanted to change the title of the movie. But the book is called Crazy Rich Asians, a provocative title. I think it creates conversation, which I think is good.
The title certainly stood out to avid book readers, as the novel the movie was adapted from was a New York Times bestseller, written by Kevin Kwan. Obviously going for a different title wouldn't have as clearly tipped fans of the book that the movie was an adaptation. In the interview with Yahoo, Jon M. Chu explained how the name is important to him because it starts conversations and grabs attention. The Hollywood movie is the first in 25 years to be comprised of an all-Asian cast, and offers various depictions of Asian people not tackled before on screen. It's impactful and rare this film is to Hollywood and for the visibility of the Asian community and being titled Crazy Rich Asians lets it be very forthright with its mission.
While Jon M. Chu found the possible name change of the film ridiculous, what was even more ridiculous was the claim that an all-Asian cast who could deliver was unobtainable. Chu admitted that they had to look a bit harder than usual to find the talented ensemble cast of Crazy Rich Asians, but the actors they found were pros who had already done the work needed to star in a blockbuster rom com. The cast just needed an opportunity; there was no lack of talent out there. Thanks to the persistence of Chu and the filmmakers involved, actors such as Constance Wu, Henry Golding and Awkwafina among many were given unique roles in a hit film unlike any that had ever been offered to them before.
it should be noted that the provocative title hasn't been adopted worldwide. According to Inverse, posters in Germany title the film Crazy Rich, and in Italy it's called Crazy & Rich. Guesses are that a decision was made that the full title in some places overseas wouldn't be as marketable for audiences, but the reason isn't clear. Crazy Rich Asians hasn't seen a wide worldwide release just yet, with it being currently available in just a few other countries.
You can see the hilarious and commercially successful rom-com Crazy Rich Asians in theaters now.