CRAZY RICH ASIANS Co-Writer Exits Sequel

By: Sarah Jae Leiber Sep. 04, 2019

According to The Hollywood Reporter, "Crazy Rich Asians" co-writer Adele Lim has departed the project over a pay dispute--her co-writer, Peter Chiarelli, was paid significantly more than she was.

"Being evaluated that way can't help but make you feel that is how they view my contributions," says Lim.

She also said women and people of color are "soy sauce" to the film industry. They are hired to "sprinkle culturally specific details on a screenplay, rather than credited with the substantive work of crafting the story."

"Pete has been nothing but incredibly gracious, but what I make shouldn't be dependent on the generosity of the white-guy writer," she says. "If I couldn't get pay equity after CRA, I can't imagine what it would be like for anyone else, given that the standard for how much you're worth is having established quotes from previous movies, which women of color would never have been [hired for]. There's no realistic way to achieve true equity that way."

"Crazy Rich Asians" was a major box office success. The sequel is one of the most anticipated films of the next few years.

Read the original story on The Hollywood Reporter.