SNAPSHOT
“Worlds will collide.” Jin Wang (Ben Wang), struggling with his school life and home life, meets the new foreign exchange student at his school, leading him to become involved in a battle between Gods of Chinese mythology. American Born Chinese is a series created by Kelvin Yu – a character actor, and a producer on the animated series Central Park and Bob’s Burgers previously. With writing by Kelvin Yu, Charles Yu, Vali Chandrasekaran, Lana Cho, Lawrence Dai, Aaron Izek, Warren Hsu Leonard, and Kai Wu. Based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. Featuring episodes directed by actress Lucy Liu and filmmaker Destin Daniel Cretton (of I Am Not a Hipster, Short Term 12, The Glass Castle, Just Mercy, Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings). Executive produced by Asher Goldstein, Jake Kasdan, Melvin Mar, Gene Luen Yang, Kelvin Yu, and Destin Daniel Cretton. (courtesy First Showing)
One of the great gifts of the streaming content bonanza currently well and truly underway is that we are been giving the chance to watch greater diversity and creativity in televisual storytelling.
After so long with stories drawn pretty much exclusively from white Western narrative traditions or creators, we are fortunate to have stories, though still not nearly enough admittedly, that reflects the expansiveness of humanity’s cultural traditions and mythology.
One of the latest to join this very welcome wave is American Born Chinese which includes the gloriously good Michelle Yeoh (Everything Everywhere All At Once) among its stellar cast and which promises us a world-saving battle between the titanic gods of Chinese mythology.
Sure, the trailer is short and sweet but it looks oh-so-promising and it will be exciting to this fantastical story come epically to life when American Born Chinese debuts on Disney+ on 24 May.