Constance Wu has landed the lead role of Rachel Chu in the upcoming film adaptation of Kevin Kwan’s New York Times bestseller Crazy Rich Asians.
The ‘Fresh Off the Boat’ actress, confirmed that she is in negotiations for the role on Twitter, which was followed by another confirmation by Kwan himself. The film will be directed by Jon M. Chu and will feature an all Asian cast. Wu has been outspoken about the need for more diversity and feminism in the entertainment industry and beyond.
About the difficulty of building an all Asian cast, Chu has said:
“We’ll have to look in places that we don’t normally look for a movie … we are representing what we consider the very top of Asian-American entertainment right now, so we want an all-star, talented cast.”
Hopefully, Crazy Rich Asians will be a step in the right direction!