Images from Disney Plus' upcoming series American Born Chinese might lead some to believe the show is an Everything Everywhere All at Once sequel, as the action comedy unveiled its two biggest stars: Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan.
American Born Chinese is a series adaption of the 2006 graphic novel by Gene Luen Kuang that features elements of a coming-of-age story paired with racial themes, the struggles of fitting in, martial arts, and fantasy. The Disney Plus version will be centered around Jin Wang, a young boy who suddenly finds himself in the middle of an all-out war between Chinese mythological figures after befriending a new foreign exchange student.
Although American Born Chinese still doesn’t have an official release date, it did make an appearance at the Television Critics Association's press tour, where the series showcased Yeoh, Quan, and some of its younger cast. Disney had previously teased footage from American Born Chinese, including a glimpse in its Disney Plus' 2023 lineup alongside the company's Marvel and Star Wars heavy hitters. However, Yeoh and Quan receive the spotlight now that Everything Everywhere All at Once is doing so spectacularly well this awards season
Yeoh will play Guanyin in American Born Chinese, a traditional figure embraced by Chinese folklore as a sort of Goddess of Mercy. Quan's part sounds less impressive, as he stars as the very human-looking Freddy Wong. The series cast includes Ben Wang and Jim Liu as young protagonists Jin Wang and Wei-Chen, respectively. Sydney Taylor plays the former’s crush Amelia and actors Daniel Wu, Stephanie Hsu, and Poppy Liu round out the roster of mystical characters.
After his Golden Globe win and receiving plenty of praise for his role in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Quan has become a Hollywood Cinderella story since the actor had all but given up on his craft in the '90s before landing an epic comeback that will now see him join Disney's Loki season 2 and American Born Chinese. As for the actual show, the American Born Chinese comic featured several stories, so it will be interesting to see what kind of approach the series’ creative staff takes since Jin Wang's quest looks to be the main draw for now.
Also worth noting is that Lucy Liu will serve as director for at least one American Born Chinese episode. Combined with Yeoh and Quan's star power, Liu's involvement gives Disney an interesting proposition to contrast with Netflix's brand of martial arts teenage dramedy in Cobra Kai.
American Born Chinese premieres on Disney Plus in spring 2023.
Source: Disney Plus