Man Wanted For Coronavirus-Related Racist Attack in Queens

And Other Things to Know From Angry Asian America.



Man Makes COVID-19 Related Anti-Asian Remarks and Breaks Woman's Cell Phone
In Queens, police are looking for a man wanted in connection with a racist attack on an Asian woman in Rego Park last weekend. On Sunday morning, a man made coronavirus-related anti-Asian statements to a 36-year-old woman. The woman then tried to use her cell phone to take a photo of the man, but he slapped it out of her hand, causing it to fall to the ground and shatter. Then the man ran off. Real brave, asshole.

* * *


Director Jon M. Chu 'Disgusted' By 'Crazy Rich Asians’ Sequels Casting Scam
A Twitter user named Alan Baltes, claiming to be an actor and casting associate, posted a notice saying that the supposed Crazy Rich Asians sequels, China Rich Girlfriend and Rich People Problems, were casting Asian actors, ages 20s through 40s, for lead roles via "live Zoom auditions." Director Jon M. Chu says they haven't started casting yet, the casting call is bogus, and this scam targeting hopeful Asian actors is "disgusting."

* * *


Koreatown's Restaurants Struggle to Survive During Pandemic
Since California's dining room shutdown began in mid-March, the restaurants and bars in Los Angeles' Koreatown have struggled alongside the rest of the restaurant industry hoping to come out on the other side of the pandemic. Unlike Manhattan's Koreatown, which is dominated by corporate ownership, LA's Koreatown is a mosaic of small businesses, so most have chosen to stay open to earn whatever revenue they can by offering pickup, delivery, or both.

* * *

Fighting COVID-19 Anti-Asian Racism with Research
Chuck Liu is a clinical psychologist and researcher at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, where his team is launching a study examining the effects of COVID-19 stressors on the mental health of both Asian Americans and the broader population to help understand the formation and impact of racism during this critical time. It's a unique study that looks not just at COVID-related racism and its effects on Asians, but tries to understand the factors that shape racist anti-Asian attitudes among non-Asians as well. However, this is a large study with 3000 participants and five waves of data recruitment, so they're raising funds and could use your help. Find out more here.

* * *


Watch Over 50 Asian American Documentaries on Public Television in May
In honor of Asian Pacific American Heritage Month this May, World Channel will showcase the stories of Asians and Pacific Islanders in the U.S. with 52 documentary films. With themes of social justice and courage, these films highlight the myriad of ways in which Asian Pacific Americans have triumphed and impacted history.

Harry Shum Jr. gave Jon M. Chu a crazy huge 'Crazy Rich Asians' painting

He had to rent a cargo van to haul it.



Harry Shum Jr.'s career in Hollywood has been closely associated with director Jon M. Chu for years, having performed in several of his projects, including most recently in Crazy Rich Asians as Charlie Wu (if only for a few precious seconds). They've developed an enduring personal and professional friendship.

To show his gratitude and celebrate the success of their landmark film, Harry got Jon a very unique not-so-small token of appreciation: a ridiculously huge original portrait, custom-painted by Depicteur, featuring the entire cast of Crazy Rich Asians. It was so big, he apparently had to rent a cargo van to haul it over to Jon's place.

Here's the video of Jon unwrapping his gift:

Hey! Look at all these Asians nominated for Golden Globes

Crazy Rich Asians, Killing Eve and American Crime Story score multiple nominations.



At this year's Emmy Awards, Sandra Oh declared "It's an honor just to be Asian." True that, but hey, winning some actual awards ain't too shabby either. Nominations for the 76th annual Golden Globe Awards were announced on Thursday morning, and this time, it looks like some Asian folks are invited to the party.

This summer's runaway rom-com hit Crazy Rich Asians scored two nominations, including Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy, and Best Actress in a Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy for Constance Wu.

Wu's nomination marks the first time in nearly half a century that an Asian woman has earned a Best Actress nod in either of the Golden Globe film categories. Previous lead actress contenders include Machiko Kyō for The Teahouse of the August Moon (1956), Nancy Kwan for The World of Suzie Wong (1960), Miyoshi Umeki for Flower Drum Song (1961) and Yvonne Elliman for Jesus Christ Superstar (1973).

'Crazy Rich Asians' is the most successful Hollywood romantic comedy in nearly a decade

Jon M. Chu's groundbreaking film has earned $117 million and counting at the North American box office.



Don't know if you've heard, but Crazy Rich Asians has made a barge-load of money, earning the top spot at the box office for three straight weekends. The groundbreaking romantic comedy, based, which features an all-Asian cast and is directed by Jon M. Chu, is a bona fide summer blockbuster.

Finishing the long Labor Day weekend with an estimated total of $117 million, Crazy Rich Asians is now the most successful Hollywood studio romantic comedy in nearly a decade, since Sandra Bullock and Ryan Reynolds' The Proposal earned $164 million in North America in 2009, not adjusted for inflation.

More here: 'Crazy Rich Asians' Becomes Most Successful Studio Rom-Com in 9 Years at the U.S. Box Office

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 46: They Call Us Crazy About Crazy Rich Asians

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this super-sized episode, Jeff and Phil welcome Jen Yamato of the Los Angeles Times and (first repeat guest) Rebecca Sun of The Hollywood Reporter to dish and debrief their honest, no-holds-barred reactions to the biggest movie of the year, Crazy Rich Asians. You may have heard of it.

What was really happening in Crazy Rich Asians’ pivotal mahjong scene

Guest Post by Jeff Yang



One of the most beautiful things about Crazy Rich Asians is how it refuses to explain many of its most intrinsically Asian elements. That lack of training wheels is intentional: As director Jon M. Chu told me, "We didn't want to give people an excuse to think of this world as some kind of obscure, exotic fantasyland -- this is a real place, with real culture, history and tradition, and instead of just giving them answers to their questions, we want them to have conversations."

The movie's Singapore-specific local color and broadly Asian cultural nuances are indeed fairly Google-able, and can readily be contextualized through polite discussions with actual Asian people. But there's one scene in particular that has been resiliently enigmatic to audiences of many backgrounds, both Asian and non-Asian... and it's a pivotal one: The mahjong scene.

That's especially true for fans of the book, who won't recognize it -- it's original to the movie. It was inserted in part because Michelle Yeoh, who delivers an amazing steel-and-silk performance as the movie's main antagonist, refused to play the stock, villainous tiger mom from the book. This scene provides her with critical impetus toward her eventual redemption.

But it's also true for people who don't understand the complex rules of the game, which aren't intuitive and are often different depending on region of the world. So here's a quick primer on the game of mahjong itself, as well as its significance to the film in that pivotal scene. Spoilers abound starting here, so if you haven't yet watched the deliriously warm and funny movie, crawl out from under that rock and see it before reading further.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 45: They Call Us Ronny Chieng

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, we welcome "international" comedian Ronny Chieng, who talks about going from law school to standup (because he couldn't find a job), getting a correspondent gig on The Daily Show, and being back in his home country to be part of a major pop culture moment: Crazy Rich Asians.

They Call Us Bruce - Episode 44: They Call Us Crazy Rich Asians

Jeff Yang and Phil Yu present an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America.



What's up, podcast listeners? We've got another episode of our podcast They Call Us Bruce. Each week, my good friend, writer/columnist Jeff Yang and I host an unfiltered conversation about what's happening in Asian America, with a strong focus on media, entertainment and popular culture.

On this episode, recorded live last May at C3: Conference for Creative Content at the Los Angeles Asian Pacific Film Festival, we moderate a panel discussion with director Jon M. Chu, screenwriter Adele Lim, and cast members Nico Santos and Chris Pang of Crazy Rich Asians.

Asian AF Presents: The Stars of Crazy Rich Asians

Monday, August 6 at UCB Inner Sanctum Cafe & Stage in Los Angeles.



Comedy fans in Los Angeles, you do not want to miss this one. In celebration of the upcoming theatrical release of Crazy Rich Asians, our friends at Asian AF have put together the Crazy Rich Asians Comedy Show, featuring standup from the stars of the Warner Bros. romantic comedy. The lineup includes Ken Jeong, Ronny Chieng, Nico Santos and Jimmy O. Yang, who are all part of the movie's cast.

This is going to be a blast. It's happening Monday, August 6 at the UCB Inner Sanctum Cafe & Stage in Los Angeles. Admission is free! But seating is first come, first served. So get there, and there early!

[UPDATE: Response to the show has apparently been pretty crazy, so in order to ensure a safe and orderly evening, they're instituting a RSVP list. Reserve yourself here.]

[UPDATE:] Okay, the show sold out in like five minutes.

Here are some more details about the show:

The 'Crazy Rich Asians' parodies have begun

"They're just the brokest family in all of San Gabriel Valley."



Well, it was pretty much inevitable. The Crazy Rich Asians parodies have already begun.

I mean, somebody had to do it. First of all, if you haven't seen the hilarious, highly relatable first episode of Will Choi's webseries Crazy Poor Asians, check it out. It's well worth the 40 seconds of your time.

Similarly but differently, check out this video by improv troupe Miss Golightly, also entitled Crazy Poor Asians -- a beat-for-beat parody of the Crazy Rich Asians trailer. It's silly as hell. I don't know why the shot of "Rachel" holding a jar of nuts makes me laugh so much. And Kim Cooper does a pretty mean Awkwafina.

Just watch:

The Crazy Rich Asians trailer is here. And you are not ready.

"The only thing crazier than love is family."



Here we go. Who said there are no Asian American movie stars? After teasing us with a juicy sliver of footage last week, the full official trailer for Crazy Rich Asians has finally dropped. And it is hot damn glorious.

If you haven't heard about this movie, you will. Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, and directed by Jon M. Chu, the contemporary fish-out-of-water romantic comedy is the first major Hollywood studio movie featuring an all-Asian cast in over 25 years. And judging from the trailer, it's going to be a blast.

Fresh Off The Boat's Constance Wu stars as Rachel Chu, a Chinese American economics professor who accompanies her longtime boyfriend, Nick Young (newcomer Henry Golding), to his best friend's wedding in Singapore. But she soon learns that Nick has neglected to mention a few key details about his life. Not only is his family impossibly wealthy, he's perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Check it out:

First Look at the Crazy Rich Asians Movie

New footage teases the upcoming full trailer for hotly anticipated romantic comedy.



At long last, here it is! Your first glimpse at the Crazy Rich Asians movie. The official full trailer drops on Monday, but Warner Bros. is first giving us a little tease of the hotly anticipated summer romantic comedy.

Based on the bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, an American-born Chinese economics professor, who travels to her boyfriend Nick's hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding. Before long, she learns his secret: Nick's family is rich. Crazy Rich. Not only is his family impossibly wealthy, he's perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Crazy Rich Asians is directed by Jon M. Chu, written by Adele Lim and Peter Chiarelli, and stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Gemma Chan, Awkwafina, Ken Jeong, Jimmy O. Yang, Chris Pang, Sonoya Mizuno and more.

Take a look:

'Crazy Rich Asians' secrets revealed!

Entertainment Weekly's latest cover story goes behind the scenes of next summer's buzziest film.



Crazy Rich Asians fans, check it. Entertainment Weekly's latest cover story goes behind the scenes with an exclusive look at next summer's buzziest film, which features a rare all-Asian principal cast that includes Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Michelle Yeoh, Harry Shum Jr., Ken Jeong, Gemma Chan and Awkwafina.

Crazy Rich Asians stars Constance Wu, Henry Golding reign supreme in EW's first look cover

Based on the hugely popular bestselling novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, a Chinese American economics professor who accompanies her boyfriend Nick back to his hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding. That's when she realizes Nick's family is not just rich -- they're crazy rich. He is perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

"This is about a girl going somewhere that's foreign to her, to really find out who she is," Wu, who plays Rachel, tells EW. "It's just such a beautiful story, to show an Asian American immigrant going back to Asia and finding the things that overlap and connect us all, things like family, things like love."

'Crazy Rich Asians' sets a release date

See you at the movies next August.


kevinkwanbooks.com
Mark your calendars. Crazy Rich Asians has a release date. Warner Bros. has announced that the comedy, starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding, will be released on August 17, 2018.

'Crazy Rich Asians' Stakes Out Mid-August Date

Directed by Jon M. Chu and adapted from the hugely popular novel by Kevin Kwan, Crazy Rich Asians centers on three wealthy Chinese families as they prepare for Singapore's wedding of the year.

The story follows Rachel Chu, a Chinese American economics professor who accompanies her boyfriend Nick back to his hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding. That's when she realizes Nick's family is crazy rich, he is perhaps the most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Harry Shum Jr. joins the cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians'

'Glee' star will play Charlie Wu in the adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel.



The epic cast of Crazy Rich Asians continues to grow, with Harry Shum Jr. joining the likes of Constance Wu, Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh in Warner Bros.' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel.

'Glee' Star Harry Shum Jr. Joins 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel, an American-born Chinese economics professor, who travels to Nick's hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding, only to discover that Nick is heir to a massive fortune, he's perhaps he most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Awkwafina joins the cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Filming has begun on Warner Bros.' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling book.



More Crazy Rich Asians casting news.... Rapper/actress Awkwafina joins the likes of Constance Wu, Henry Golding, Gemma Chan and Michelle Yeoh in Warner Bros' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel.

'Crazy Rich Asians' Adds Awkwafina

Crazy Rich Asians follows Rachel Chu, an American-born Chinese economics professor who travels to her boyfriend Nick's hometown of Singapore for his best friend's wedding, only to discover that Nick is heir to a massive fortune, he's perhaps he most eligible bachelor in Asia, and every single woman in his ultra-rarefied social class is incredibly jealous of Rachel and wants to bring her down.

Awkwafina will play Peik Lin, Rachel's college friend.

Gemma Chan joins the cast of 'Crazy Rich Asians'

'Humans' star will play Astrid Leong in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel.



More Crazy Rich Asians casting! Gemma Chan has joined Constance Wu, Michelle Yeoh and Henry Golding in the cast of Warner Bros. highly anticipated adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel.

Gemma Chan to Star With Constance Wu in 'Crazy Rich Asians'

Chan, who can currently be seen in as the synth Mia in AMC's science fiction drama Humans, will play Astrid Leong, the beautiful Singapore socialite (also known as "The Goddess") who seems to have it all.

'Crazy Rich Asians' has found its leading man

Newcomer Henry Golding will make his feature film debut in the adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel.



Crazy Rich Asians has found its male lead! Newcomer Henry Golding will make his feature film debut opposite Constance Wu in Warner Bros' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's bestselling novel, directed by Jon M. Chu.

'Crazy Rich Asians' Lands Its Male Lead

Golding, who has no previous movie credits, has landed the role of Nick Young, a NYU history professor who comes from an extremely wealthy -- ahem, crazy rich -- old-money family. He joins Wu, who will play his ABC girlfriend Rachel Chu, and Michelle Yeoh, who will play his mother Eleanor Young.

Hell yes. Constance Wu to star in 'Crazy Rich Asians'

'Fresh Off The Boat' star will play the lead in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the best-selling novel.



Hell yes. This is some casting news we've been waiting for. At long last, Crazy Rich Asians has found its lead. Constance Wu will star as Rachel Chu in Warner Bros.' adaptation of Kevin Kwan's best-selling novel.

Constance Wu to Star in 'Crazy Rich Asians' (Exclusive)

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the Fresh Off The Boat star is in negotiations to play the movie's Chinese American lead. Directed by Jon M. Chu, from a screenplay by Peter Chiarelli and Adele Lim, the film will start shooting in Singapore this spring with an all-Asian cast.

Who will star in 'Crazy Rich Asians'? Maybe you.

Casting call seeks actors for lead roles in Jon M. Chu's adaptation of the bestselling novel.



When it was announced that Kevin Kwan's bestselling beach read Crazy Rich Asians was being adapted into a movie, fans immediately started putting together their dream casts. The movie would be a huge opportunity for whoever landed the coveted starring roles of Rachel Chu, Nick Young and Astrid Leong.

Turns out, maybe it's you.

After a heated bidding war for the movie rights, Warner Bros. is fast-tracking Crazy Rich Asians. Directed by Jon M. Chu and featuring and exclusively Asian cast, the film could start shooting as early as this spring in Singapore. And they're putting out an open casting call to fill the film's key roles.

According to this casting notice, Terri Taylor Casting is currently seeking Asian male and female actors, ages 28-35, for the lead roles of Rachel, Nick and Astrid: