Hollywood putting Asian stories in the spotlight
- 5 years ago
The movie "Crazy Rich Asians", which is released in Korea on Thursday, has been lauded for its all-Asian cast.
But it's not the only film with Asian actors playing key roles.
Our Han Soo-ah looks at how movies with Asian stories and actors becoming more popular in Hollywood.
The number of Hollywood films with Asian actors in a central role is on the rise.
For the first time in 25 years since the ‘Joy Luck Club’ in 1993, Asians are the protagonists in a major Hollywood production. The movie "Crazy Rich Asians" tells the story of Rachel, a Chinese-American who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend and learns that he is actually the son of the richest family on the island. Its all-Asian cast includes Korean-Americans Nora Lum and Ken Jeong.
Another film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which is based on the novel by Korean-American Jenny Han, is gaining popularity on Netflix. It's protagonist Lara Jean finds out her private love letters have been mailed to their subjects. The movie features many traces of Korean culture, such as Korean yoghurt.
Also part of this new trend is the movie "Search", which stars Korean-American John Cho, as well as Apple's upcoming TV series "Pachinko", based on the best-selling novel by Korean writer Min Jin Lee.
'White-washing' has been a problem in Hollywood in the recent past, but these latest releases suggest Hollywood is changing, and that Asian actors may have a more prominent role in the future.
Han Soo-ah, Arirang News.
But it's not the only film with Asian actors playing key roles.
Our Han Soo-ah looks at how movies with Asian stories and actors becoming more popular in Hollywood.
The number of Hollywood films with Asian actors in a central role is on the rise.
For the first time in 25 years since the ‘Joy Luck Club’ in 1993, Asians are the protagonists in a major Hollywood production. The movie "Crazy Rich Asians" tells the story of Rachel, a Chinese-American who travels to Singapore with her boyfriend and learns that he is actually the son of the richest family on the island. Its all-Asian cast includes Korean-Americans Nora Lum and Ken Jeong.
Another film “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before”, which is based on the novel by Korean-American Jenny Han, is gaining popularity on Netflix. It's protagonist Lara Jean finds out her private love letters have been mailed to their subjects. The movie features many traces of Korean culture, such as Korean yoghurt.
Also part of this new trend is the movie "Search", which stars Korean-American John Cho, as well as Apple's upcoming TV series "Pachinko", based on the best-selling novel by Korean writer Min Jin Lee.
'White-washing' has been a problem in Hollywood in the recent past, but these latest releases suggest Hollywood is changing, and that Asian actors may have a more prominent role in the future.
Han Soo-ah, Arirang News.