Peter Chiarelli, screenwriter behind such movies as "Crazy Rich Asians," told China.org.cn on April 11 in Macao that recent tensions caused by President Donald Trump's tariff war against multiple countries, particularly China, won't deter his — or others' — commitment to cultural exchange with China.

Peter Chiarelli, American screenwriter and producer, participates in a forum during the second Macao International Comedy Festival, Macao, April 13, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Mahua Fun Age]

"I know what I'm gonna do and it's not gonna impact how I act. It's not gonna impact how I feel," Chiarelli said. "And I can say, I think a lot of people feel the way that I feel rather than the kind of rhetoric that you hear sometimes."

Chiarelli traveled to Macao to attend the second Macao International Comedy Festival, which was held from April 9 to 13 in the special administrative region and neighboring Hengqin, Guangdong province. The festival features various activities, including film screenings, stage performances, industry forums, pitch sessions and a gala night.

In this chaotic world, the American screenwriter emphasized how comedy and cinema can highlight what unites people rather than what divides them. "If there is something important, it's this idea that I think we're all more alike than we are different. That's what I think comedy and film specifically can do," he said.

Having written Macao into his script for the 2016 movie "Now You See Me 2," this is actually his first time visiting the city in person, and he's excited to finally see it for himself. Attending the comedy festival, he expressed his hope to use this platform to exchange ideas with fellow filmmakers. He even joked that he'd love to "steal" inspiration from local culture and other people, later integrating it into his future projects.

"Everybody that comes here loves comedy. So you've got to share those ideas, share those thoughts, and then hopefully, we'll all be stealing from one another, taking inspiration back home and doing better work," Chiarelli said.

For him, when working on something culturally specific, it's essential to collaborate with people who understand that culture. "That's really important to me. Whenever I'm writing something, I want it to be as authentic as possible. I just want to steal from real life," Chiarelli said.

Actress Fiona Xie, director Jon M. Chu, actress Michelle Yeoh and producer John Penotti pose for a photo at the Chinese premiere of "Crazy Rich Asians" in Beijing, Nov. 24, 2018. [Photo courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures]

Chiarelli explained that what he loves most about comedy is its ability to address difficult or meaningful topics without feeling heavy-handed.

"It doesn't feel like homework," he said. "You're not watching something because you're supposed to watch something or it's a way to talk about these things. Comedy is that you can kind of have a message, but you don't have to be preachy about it. And you can also just have a good time and laugh and turn it off. Be a little bit better in your day, have a smile on your face when you're done. That's what I love about it. That's what I try and do with everything that I write."

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