New images of American Born Chinese reveal the upcoming Disney+ adaptation. The project, which is executive produced by Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings director Destin Daniel Cretton, is based on the 2006 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang. Telling three seemingly separate tales that are connected by the end of the story, Yang's work deals with themes of understanding one's identity and racial stereotypes. It also explores transformation, receiving prestigious awards and widespread acclaim in the process.
EW has now revealed new images of the American Born Chinese adaptation which will debut on Disney+ in 2023. Michelle Yeoh, who features prominently in one photo, teased in a past featurette that the upcoming series will feature a lot of magic and badass action. She's no stranger to that sort of genre, as she has spearheaded movies like Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, as well as being the current face of The Witcher: Blood Origin and starring in the action-comedy Everything Everywhere All at Once earlier this year. But, in the preview below, American Born Chinese promises to be something special.
What To Expect From American Born Chinese
The planned Disney+ series tells the story of Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a regular teenager who struggles to balance his social life in high school with his home life. But things start to change once he meets a new student on the first day of the new academic year. Worlds collide, with Jin finding himself caught in a battle between Chinese mythological gods and beings. Although well over a decade has passed since the publication of the graphic novel, showrunner Kelvin Yu says the feeling of alienation remains the same.
Jin deals with his feelings of alienation by retreating to a world populated by Chinese mythology figures, like the goddess of mercy Guanyin (played by Yeoh). The cast also includes Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Daniel Wu, Jim Liu, Sydney Taylor, and Poppy Liu. Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu, who starred with Yeoh in Everything Everywhere All at Once, also appear in the series. This marks a shift from the source material in one respect. Guanyin wasn't a part of American Born Chinese, but the character was added as a way of filling out the story across multiple episodes.
Behind the camera, Cretton will direct episodes. Although the project will also include guest directors, like Peng Zhang and actor Lucy Liu. For fans of fantasy, blended in with the everyday of high school, which is a longstanding genre mashup of its own, American Born Chinese will have a lot to offer, but it will also speak to a large set of viewers.
Source: EW