SEATTLE — The movie “Crazy Rich Asians,” which opens nationwide this weekend, is inspiring affluent fans across the country to buy out entire theaters to help the film dominate the box office.
One such fan, David Chen, bought out the biggest theater at the Regal Meridian in Downtown Seattle for a showing Saturday afternoon.
He said "money talks" in Hollywood and he wants to see more projects with Asians and Asian-Americans in leading roles get the green light.
Shen was also impressed with the film’s director, who turned down a multimillion-dollar Netflix deal for a theatrical release.
“When I saw he was willing to give up a guaranteed amount of money, I asked myself, ‘What am I doing to further the cause of diversity and more representation on screen?’ This was one thing I thought I could do. It’s not super crazy, but still a gesture,” Chen told KIRO 7’s Patranya Bhoolsuwan.
Shen said another reason he wants to do this is to get people to watch the movie who may otherwise not be able to afford a ticket.
“Crazy Rich Asians” is a romantic comedy-drama film based on Kevin Kwan’s novel of the same name. It tells the story of a young Asian-American woman who travels to meet her boyfriend’s family, only to find that it is one of the richest in all of Singapore.
The film was produced by Nina Jacobson and Brad Simpson and directed by Jon M. Chu.
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