Dear Gossips,
Tonight is the Hollywood premiere of Crazy Rich Asians. I’m getting emotional just anticipating this carpet, what that carpet will look like, seeing the arrival of Asian actor after Asian actor, repping the first all-Asian English-language film by a major Hollywood studio in 25 years.
I was emotional all weekend at the CRA junket. Because for the first time in my career as an entertainment reporter, every person I interviewed on that junket was Asian, every person sitting across from me looked like me or my family. It’s an experience I’m still processing, an experience I still don’t have the words for. But I got choked up about it when I was sharing it with the cast, especially as I was saying it out loud to Michelle Yeoh, the legend, who has worn the heavy burden of representation practically on her own for decades. She’s the “auntie” of our community and she got it, I know she got it. Because she looked at me, right into me, and I think her eyes may have watered a little, and when she nodded I knew that she was telling me that I didn’t need to say anymore. When I told Ken Jeong the same – because imagine how it’s been for him, throughout his career, being the only Asian person on most sets – he got up and hugged me.
It’s impossible to overstate what tonight will mean for so many in the Asian community. And then beyond that, look the f-ck out for the fashion. If the outfits I saw this weekend at the junket were any indication, the Crazy Rich Asians will be bringing it. Like, Gemma Chan in person in this Prabal Gurung was breathtaking:
My favourite, however, was Constance Wu in Versace. THIS COLOUR. THIS PRINT.
There is, however, someone who may outshine them all. Chris Pang, who plays Colin Khoo in the movie (he’s the one getting married), calls her the true “Crazy Rich Asian”. That would be Kris Aquino, arguably the most famous woman in the Philippines. My ma, the Chinese Squawking Chicken, called her the most beautiful woman in the movie. You will love her scene. Cannot wait to see what she wears tonight.
We’ll have all of those photos front and centre on the site tomorrow. Do you have your tickets yet? Right now Crazy Rich Asians is still tracking for an opening weekend take of $20 million. That’s not bad. But, again, I think we can do better, if not on opening weekend then on word of mouth for subsequent weekends to make it a sleeper hit. Remember Dirty Dancing? Opened on the same weekend 31 years ago. And you know what happened there. Because it made people feel good. You’ll walk out of Crazy Rich Asians feeling the same way.
Yours in gossip,
Lainey
