'Crazy Rich Asians' Supporters Are Using This Hashtag to Make Sure It Slays at the Box Office
Crazy Rich Asians hasn’t even hit theaters yet, but it’s already slated to make movie history. The film, starring Constance Wu and Henry Golding, almost cast a white female in the leading role, but thanks to the author of the source material, Kevin Kwan, that’s not happening—and it’s a major win for representation.
Supporters of the movie, though, don’t just want Asian Americans to feel seen; they want it to slay at the box office. That’s why there’s a hashtag circling on Twitter right now, #GoldOpen, that’s all about making sure people buy a ticket to Crazy Rich Asians for its opening weekend.
It started when Crazy Rich Asians director Jon Chu said the film is “more than just a movie,” but a “movement.” That prompted digital media entrepreneur Bing Chen to take action. “EVERY MOVEMENT NEEDS ITS MAFIA,” he tweeted. “That’s why 100+ of us have bought out theaters to give #CrazyRichAsians a #GoldOpen. Join us and buy your tickets NOW for opening week on @Fandango.com.”
More theaters and influencers followed suit after Chen’s tweet. “We’ve joined the #GoldOpen movement and bought out a whole theater at the @alamodrafthouse for our #crazyrichaustin VIPs! #crazyrichasians,” the Austin Asian American Film Festival tweeted shortly after Chen’s initial proposal.
Many people are jazzed about this movement too:
https://twitter.com/black_cherokee/status/1026848551912005632
It’s frustrating some people in Hollywood still think minority-led films can’t be financially successful, despite the fact that’s been proved wrong many, many times. (Please see Get Out and Girls Trip for just two recent examples.) Hopefully, a killer weekend for Crazy Rich Asians will shut that notion down for good. The film hits theaters everywhere August 15.
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Hollywood Wanted a White Actress to Lead Crazy Rich Asians—So Author Kevin Kwan Fought Back
The First Crazy Rich Asians Trailer Is Glorious, Obviously