Crazy Rich Asians co-writer leaves sequel over pay disparity

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Adele Lim, a co-writer for Crazy Rich Asians, has left the sequel after being offered a substantially lower salary than the other co-writer, Peter Chiarelli, a white man.

The Crazy Rich Asians sequel has stalled after co-writer Adele Lim exits because of a massive pay parity issue. (Warner Bros.’ starting offers were $800,000 to $1 million for Chiarelli and $110,000-plus for Lim.)

This is a fascinating issue. Yes, the old system for writers’ rates is based on quotes, which are based on experience. But Lim, the film’s only Asian writer, brought an authenticity to this project that it would have failed without.

“If I couldn’t get pay equity after Crazy Rich Asians, 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].” -Adele Lim

It’s absolutely blasphemous that after that incredible box office response from Asian Americans, Warner Brothers tried to pay the Asian-American screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians about 9 times less than her white male counterpart for the sequel.