The traditionally slow period got an unprecedented box office boost when Warner Bros.’ “Crazy Rich Asians,” the first studio movie in a quarter of a century to feature an almost entirely Asian-American cast, delivered the best opening for a romantic comedy in years. To close out the month, Sony-Screen Gems unveiled “Searching,” led by Korean-American actor John Cho and Michelle La. In between, a little gem called “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” set the internet ablaze after Netflix dropped the YA rom-com starring Vietnamese-American actress Lana Condor.
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Netflix has long been on the forefront of diversity casting, with shows like Sense8, Dear White People, and many others receiving critical acclaim. Their release of To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before was no different. One thing I’ve never understood about conventional movie studios is their assumption that a certain demographic has no potential to make money, even though Netflix has been showing that you can for several years. People want diversity in their films and their television, and that is going to translate into sales and viewers, as long as the show behind that diversity is also well done. I hope that the fantastic performances of POC led films will lead studios toward making more diverse movies, because everyone can do a better job. One thing that sticks out to me is something one of the judges on American idol used to say when I watched the show in the past. They would always pick people and say “there’s no one in the market like you.” There are currently much fewer good films staring POC, so it would ultimately benefit studios to produce them, because people want new things. Black
Panther and Crazy Rich Asians have both proved this fact.
So with the success of Crazy Rich Asians is Hollywood finally going to realize that diversity might make them money and gain them popularity? Because Hollywood is so white, most of them have never had to think about this before, but seeing somebody who looks like you in a film or on stage means so much to people, especially youth. If you never see anybody from your demographic on stage, then that gives an underlying message that role isn't for you or people that look like you. Young POC need to know they can be superheroes, doctors, astronauts, and actors. This is why movies such as CRA and Black Panther were so important. Representation truly matters, and it is not a money breaker. Both CRA and Black Panther were box office superstars, and will be iconic movies of our generation. Hopefully we are moving into a time of true diversity in Hollywood.
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