The upcoming Crazy Rich Asians sequel series has a lot of potential plot lines to work with — yes, thanks to the often too —overlooked books.
Before it was a blockbuster movie, Crazy Rich Asians was a bestselling trilogy by Kevin Kwan. The first book, titled Crazy Rich Asians, served as inspiration for the hit 2018 film. With a second and third book already published, many fans quickly assumed that the novels would get the same film treatment.
The road for a second movie became rocky, however, as the project suffered multiple delays. Nearly eight years after the first film’s release, HBO officially greenlit an original October 2026 drama series, which will serve as a sequel of the film for those of Us in desperate need of a follow-up.
Constance Wu and Henry Golding were confirmed to return and reprise their roles as Rachel and Nick, respectively. Michelle Yeoh will also reprise her role as Nick’s mother, Eleanor, and Ronny Chieng is returning as Nick’s problematic cousin Eddie. No additional cast members have been revealed at the time of publication.
Production for the Crazy Rich Asians show begins in 2027.
Keep scrolling to see what potential storylines the series can explore:
Rachel and Nick Get Married
While Rachel ultimately earns Eleanor’s approval in the hit film, that doesn’t exactly happen in the books. In Kwan’s second novel, China Rich Girlfriend, Rachel and Nick set a date for their wedding in California while he’s estranged from his family. Eleanor — who is not invited — learns of the couple’s nuptials and travels to California to talk to her son. During their rehearsal dinner, Eleanor drops a bomb about Rachel’s estranged father.
Rachel Learns Who Her Dad Is — And She Has a Brother
Rachel learns via Eleanor that her father is Bao Gaoliang, a wealthy businessman and Chinese politician. Gaoliang met Rachel’s mother Kerry as a teen and they fell in love while he helped her escape an abusive relationship. After Kerry got pregnant with Rachel, she fled to the United States to protect Rachel amid China’s controversial One Child Policy. (The country abandoned the one-child policy in 2015, allowing couples to have two children starting January 2016. The so-called two-child policy was later replaced by the current “three-child” policy, formally passed into law in August 2021, though it is now considered more of a formality.)
Gaoliang, who was unaware that Rachel existed until three decades later, ended up marrying Bao Shaoyen. Readers later learn that the pair share a son, Carlton, Rachel’s half-brother.
Eleanor subsequently introduces Gaoliang and Rachel ahead of her and Nick’s wedding. Gaoliang invites Rachel and Nick to visit him in Shanghai during their honeymoon so his daughter can meet the rest of the Bao family.
Astrid Reconnects With Ex-Boyfriend Charlie
At the end of the Crazy Rich Asians movie, Nick’s cousin Astrid (Gemma Chan) leaves her husband Michael (Pierre Png) amid his affair with an unnamed coworker. She later has a chance run-in with her former fiance, Charlie, played by Harry Shum Jr. During the second book, Astrid and Charlie reconnect while they are both married to their respective partners. The pair form a strong friendship as they bond over their marriage woes.
Their connection ultimately turns romantic in the third book, Rich People Problems, amid their respective divorces.
Kitty’s Introduction to the Family and Singapore Society
In the movie, Nick’s cousin Alistair (Remy Hii) is dating soap star Kitty Pong (Fiona Xie). While Kitty is not a main character in the movie, she does make a name for herself in the books. In the first book, Kitty ultimately breaks up with Alistar and moves on with Nick’s former classmate Bernard Tai (Jimmy O. Yang). Kitty becomes pregnant with Bernard’s child and they get married in secret.
In China Rich Girlfriend, Kitty finds herself trying to navigate Singaporean society after welcoming daughter Gisele. After a series of tabloid mishaps, Kitty ultimately hires Corinna Ko-Tung to help her improve her public image and likeability.
Nick Returns to Singapore Amid His Grandmother’s Health Issues
During the third book, Rich People Problems, Nick learns that his grandmother, Shang Su Yi, suffered a heart attack. Nick wants to make amends with his grandmother after becoming estranged due to his marriage to Rachel before she dies.
Grandmother’s Will Drama
Su Yi ultimately dies and the family prepares for the funeral. Her will establishes that she has left cash to the workers at her Tyersall Park estate, including the housekeeper, cook, ladies-in-waiting, chauffeur and head of security.
She leaves shares of Tyersall Park to each of her children. Her four daughters (Alexandra, Felicity, Victoria and Catherine) each get 12.5 percent while her son Phillip (Nick’s father) gets 30 percent. Nick and Alistair Cheng also receive 10 percent of Tyersall Park. Eddie learns he was not awarded a percentage of the estate and was humiliated since his wife served as a witness to Su Yi’s will.
Astrid Gets Blackmailed by Ex-Husband Michael
After Su Yi’s death, Michael sends Astrid grainy footage of her and Charlie having sex and demands she gives him $5 billion in their divorce settlement. Charlie’s ex-wife, Isabel, also obtains the footage and releases it online. Astrid is shunned by her family amid the scandal and she ultimately runs away to the Philippines.
The Tyersall Park Estate Goes Up for Sale
The family agrees to sell Tyersall Park to Jack Bing, who ends up becoming Kitty’s second husband following her split from Bernard. Nick doesn’t want to sell the home and tries to secure $10 billion to purchase the residence for himself.
Peik Lin Falls in Love With Nick’s Cousin Alistair
Rachel’s best friend from college Peik Lin (Awkwafina) marries Alistair. Nick and Rachel end up serving as best man and maid of honor, respectively, during their wedding.
Rachel and Nick Are Expecting Their 1st Baby
Rich People Problems ends with Rachel learning that she is pregnant. After telling Nick the good news, they jokingly agree not to tell his mother until their child turns 21.
The Crazy Rich Asians series will be an 8-episode, one-hour drama series adaptation on HBO. Production begins in 2027.
