A TV adaptation of Crazy Rich Asians is being developed for HBO, and there are already some major updates regarding the small screen spinoff. Based on the eponymous novel by Kevin Kwan, 2018's Crazy Rich Asians concerns Rachel (Constance Wu) as she travels with her boyfriend Nick (Henry Golding) to a family wedding in Singapore. Much to Rachel's surprise, Nick's family is incredibly rich and Nick is one of the country's most sought-after eligible bachelors. Outside the usual trappings of the romantic comedy genre, Crazy Rich Asians was also a watershed moment for Asian representation on the big screen.

The film was an instant smash-hit and grossed well over $200 million at the box office against a much smaller budget (via Crazy Rich Asians 2 has stalled along with the spinoffs, and plans had seemingly fallen through for the Crazy Rich Asians franchise. However, the blockbuster rom-com was given a surprise shot in the arm when HBO announced the development of a TV series based on the beloved modern classic.

The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Latest News

The First Names Are Attached To The TV Show

Coming the better part of a year after the show was first revealed, the latest news confirms the first two names attached to the Crazy Rich Asians TV show. While casting details and the story remain under wraps for now, it is now known that original franchise director Jon M. Chu will return as a producer on the series. Meanwhile, Crazy Rich Asians co-writer Adele Lim is also attached to the TV series as a producer and will also serve as showrunner.

Though this is the first tentative steps for the still-developing show, it at least confirms HBO's commitment to bringing the franchise back to life after HBO's Casey Bloys specifically mentioned Crazy Rich Asians back in mid-2024. Chu and Lim's involvement also means that it will probably directly connect to the movie, though nothing is known about the story yet. With Lim and Chu onboard, casting and story details should start surfacing soon.

The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Is Confirmed

HBO Announced A TV Series In 2024

At this early juncture, there is no timeline for when the Crazy Rich Asians TV show will actually arrive.

More than half a decade since the debut of the 2018 film, HBO made the surprise announcement that they are developing a Crazy Rich Asians TV series. The news came out of left field in June 2024, and was not part of a slew of announcements that came in the wake of the original film's release. The reveal came from Casey Bloys, the chairman and CEO of HBO and Max content, and was made alongside several other show announcements that will likely be heading to HBO's signature streaming service, Max, in the future.

Read Bloys' comments below:

There are other properties like The Conjuring, which is a big movie franchise that we’re developing into a series, as well as Crazy Rich Asians. We’re developing in DC, the Green Lantern property, as a series as well.

There was almost no news regarding the series in the immediate eight months following Bloys' announcement, but things have finally begun to pick up steam in 2025. Director Jon M. Chu is returning to serve as an executive producer, while the original co-writer of the Crazy Rich Asians movie, Adele Lim, will produce and serve as showrunner for the TV series. At this early juncture, there is no timeline for when the Crazy Rich Asians TV show will actually arrive.

The Crazy Rich Asians Franchise Plans Explained

Two Sequels & A Spinoff Were Announced

The announcement of a Crazy Rich Asians TV show complicates previous reveals concerning the burgeoning film franchise, and it isn't clear where the sequels and spinoffs currently stand. Talk of a Crazy Rich Asians 2, likely based on Kevin Kwan's book China Rich Girlfriend, began in 2018 when the sequel was rushed into development. However, with years ing, it is quickly becoming a sequel that many fans have given up on, and the likelihood of the trilogy being completed seems bleak.

Crazy Rich Asians premiered on August 15, 2018.

Furthermore, a spinoff centering on the fan-favorite characters of Astrid and Charlie was announced in 2022 but has also gone into deep freeze in the years since. Various updates have come out sporadically about both the sequels and spinoff throughout the years, but nothing concrete has materialized even though fan demand is high. It's unclear if HBO's TV show plan will replace the sequels or spinoff, or if it is yet another facet of the Crazy Rich Asians franchise that could languish in production hell for years.

The Crazy Rich Asians TV Show Story Details

Nothing Is Known About The Show's Plot Yet

Though all the announcements about the Crazy Rich Asians TV show are exciting, they aren't particularly detailed and reveal nothing about the plot. However, there are several directions that the show could go in, and it depends on the trajectory of the franchise itself. One possible option is as a replacement for the previously announced Astrid and Charlie spinoff, and the TV show format could allow the writers to explore the fan-favorite characters in more detail.

Another option is replacing one of the planned sequels with an ongoing show, though the box-office potential of a Crazy Rich Asians 2 or 3 makes that possibility seem low. However, the likeliest option for a TV show would be an entirely new story centering on new characters that is set within the Crazy Rich Asians universe. Though it was common in the past, it has become increasingly rare for movie-to-TV adaptations to take the basic premise of the hit film and expand it with new characters or by recasting the original characters.