Jon M. Chu Gets Kicked Out of His Own #GoldOpen Screening of ‘The Farewell’
By Ryan General
“Crazy Rich Asians” director Jon M. Chu was reportedly kicked out of a New York screening of “The Farewell” that he sponsored himself in support of Awkwafina.
Last week the filmmaker announced on Twitter that he bought out a theater for a Saturday screening of the movie as part of the #GoldOpen movement, which aims to ensure opening weekend success for films featuring people of color.
Instagram user antoniowhoo narrated on his Instagram story that an unexpected turnout resulted in some pretty awkward situations during the screening at the AMC Lincoln Square in New York City.
Chu resolved the influx of viewers by buying even more tickets for another film showing using his credit card in order to accommodate as many as possible.
Despite the hiccups, Chu remained very accommodating to fans, entertaining individual fans who wanted to meet and take photos with him. Chu even surprised the attendees with a special live appearance with actress Awkwafina as the film’s end credits rolled.
According to Whoo, he later learned that Chu had been kicked out of his own screening earlier due to some unfortunate circumstances.
“Our generous benefactor who bought an entire theater and a half worth of tickets was kicked out of his own buyout,” Whoo wrote.
Whoo narrated that some attendees failed to adhere to their assigned seating, which resulted in Chu losing his assigned seat while he was out meeting with fans.
Chu opted to stand in the back of the theater to watch along with the attendees as the movie started playing. However, it did not take long before a security guard approached him and kicked him out for being a “hazard.”
Whoo went on to share how well Chu handled the situation:
“Not once did the famed director – responsible for grossing hundreds of millions of dollars at the box office and flush from inking a new deal with 20th Century Fox – complain that despite buying hundreds of tickets, he could not have his own seat next to his wife. The man was fully prepared to stand up for two hours.”
Whoo continued to praise Chu for his gesture, even making a case for elevating him to “Keanu Reeves status for compassion, thoughtfulness, and humility.”
Whoo then ended his post by inviting his followers to support Chu’s next film “In the Heights.”
Chu would later tweet about the success of the screening:
Whoo, co-founder of Asian Soups Delivery service Nomz, also supported a Gold Open screening for “The Farewell” sponsored by the Gold House Collective earlier this month.
Featured image via Twitter /goldhouseco (left) and jonmchu (right)
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