Hollywood's 'Crazy Rich Asians' set to break stereotypes, if not box-office

"Crazy Rich Asians" represents the latest effort by Hollywood to diversify its talent pool, both in front of and behind the camera

By the usual Hollywood standards, “Crazy Rich Asians” is a modest rom-com, set to generate about $18 million in its North American debut starting Wednesday.

But the true sign of its success may be whether it helps usher in more films like it. Hollywood hasn’t produced a movie like this -- featuring a mostly Asian cast -- in 25 years. Like “The Joy Luck Club” in 1993, “Crazy Rich Asians” is also based on a best-selling book, and many will see it as a test of the broader appeal of an American movie with Asian themes.

“Many of us are