Everything Everywhere All At Once cast to reunite in epic new Disney+ series American Born Chinese
After sweeping the Oscars, the Everything Everywhere All At Once cast are storming the TV universe with a new Disney+ series, American Born Chinese.
Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and James Hong are reuniting for the new action-packed show, based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel series of the same name.
In the graphic novels, a teenager – Jin Wang (Ben Wang) – is caught up in a battle between Chinese mythological gods.
Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings‘s Destin Daniel Cretton is on board as director and executive producer, and the series will also star Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Jimmy Liu, Sydney Taylor and Daniel Wu.
The first American Born Chinese trailer arrived on Sunday (12 March), shortly before Yeoh and Quan were awarded the Oscars for Best Actress and Best Supporting Actor.
The teaser trailer sees Yeoh, who plays Guanyin, flaoting onto screen with the ominous phrase “dark forces will be coming”.
Yeoh has already shown she can handle the multiverse in Everything Everywhere All At Once, and it seems she must once more traverse different worlds as reality and the supernatural merge. Cue a montage of dramatic action scenes, offering our first glimpse of Hsu and Quan.
Speaking about the series, Wang said: “[It] explores culture and identity through the lens of adolescence.” Yeoh added: “It is a lot of fun, a lot of magic, a lot of badass action.”
Also joining as executive producer, Kelvin Yu explained: “The show wants to be what we are, our own version of American and we are adding a lot of characters you would recognise if you watch Chinese movies.”
Cretton called the cast and crew a “crazy dream team”.
Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu and James Hong have all used their awards platforms in recent weeks to share the challenges they’ve faced in Hollywood and highlight the importance of representation.
During her Oscars acceptance speech, Michelle Yeoh said: “For all the little boys and girls who look like me watching tonight, this is a beacon of hope and possibilities. This is proof that … dream big, and dreams do come true.”
Quay emotionally reflected: “My journey started on a boat, I spent a year in a refugee camp, and somehow, I ended up here, on Hollywood’s biggest stage.
“They say, stories like this only happen in the movies. I cannot believe it’s happening to me.”
Hong, now 94, shared stories of his early days in Hollywood, saying: “In those days the leading role was played by these guys with their eyes taped like this,” before demonstrating the gesture, “and the producer said ‘Asians are not good enough, they’re not box office’. But look at us now!”
The eight episode series American Born Chinese comes to Disney+ on 24 May.