Asian heritage films and shows have taken over Hollywood, and it's about time. Everything Everywhere All at Once was the talk of the town (and across the globe) when it swept the 2023 Oscars, picking up seven gongs, including Best Actress for Michelle Yeoh, Best Supporting Actor for Ke Huy Quan and Best Picture. What an evening it was for the film that centred on the wild adventures of a Chinese immigrant running a failing laundromat in California while preventing a powerful being from destroying the multiverse.
The build-up to Asian heritage films' international, acclaimed success first appeared to take off with a bang in 2018 with the fun-loving romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians, in which Rachel Wu (Constance Wu) was thrust into the spotlight after travelling to Singapore to meet her wealthy boyfriend's family, and disapproving mother. The following year we also got the tear-jerking drama The Farewell starring Awkwafina and Zhao Shu-zhen, and while that was a brilliant film, the South Korean movie Parasite dominated the awards circuit in 2019 with four awards, including the coveted Best Picture gong.
Thankfully with each passing year, the silver screen and the small screen are highlighting more and more Asian voices than ever before. And the year ahead is no different. So let us introduce you to the three upcoming Asian heritage projects you should know about.
Joy Ride (film)
Plot: Starring an incredibly talented cast of Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu, the feel-good fun-loving comedy Joy Ride sees Audrey joined by four fellow Asian American best friends, Lolo, Kat, and Deadeye, as they travel through Asia in search of her birth mother. In the process, they find themselves on an epic adventure while also learning the true definition of love.
Release date: 23 June in cinemas
American Born Chinese (TV)
Plot: Based on the graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, American Born Chinese tells the story of Jin Wang (Ben Wang), an average teenager balancing high school and home life whose world collides with a new foreign student on the first day of school when he unwittingly becomes entangled in a battle with Chinese mythological gods. This series also stars Everything Everywhere All at Once's Ke Huy Quan, Michelle Yeoh and Stephanie Hsu, so it's bound to be excellent!
Release date: 24 May on Disney+
Beef (TV)
Plot: Ali Wong and Steven Yeun star in this stunning ten-part series penned by It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia writer Lee Sung Jin. The show follows "two deeply unsatisfied people" whose lives collide following a road rage incident. However, their hatred for each other soon develops into something more as they realise they have more in common than they thought.
Release date: 6 April on Netflix
