‘Joy Ride’ Box Office: Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu & Sabrina Wu’s Comedy Film Pockets $1M

When it comes to the road of blockbuster glory, some projects are willed, some happen instantaneously, while others go through a long development hell.

Marc Malkin Senior Film Awards, Events & Lifestyle Editor Sabrina Wu’s family and friends didn’t really comprehend that they were starring in the raunchy comedy “Joy Ride” alongside Ashley Park, Stephanie Hsu and Sherry Colauntil until the movie hit theaters. Before then, the stand-up comic’s only Hollywood job was as a writer on Disney+’s “Doogie Kameāloha, M.D.” “I remember calling my dad and telling him I got the part,” Wu tells me. “This is verbatim what he said: ‘Sabrina, I can’t wait to show you my new car.’ It went right over his head because it was too bizarre.” Like their character Deadeye, the 25-year-old Wu uses “they/them” pronouns. They asked that Deadeye not have a big coming-out scene about their gender identity. “I definitely begged them to do it that way because I don’t think this R-rated comedy needed a moment where I’m like, ‘Hey, guys, I’m nonbinary.’ The level of care that kind of scene needs is not one that is for this genre,” Wu recalls.

Sophia Sun Intern Actor, director and screenwriter Chen Sicheng is one of the giants of contemporary Chinese cinema. His three “Detective Chinatown” films have earned more than $1.2 billion of box office revenue, and Chen is the producing force behind another major franchise, “Sheep Without a Shepherd,” adapted from the Indian “Drishyam” films. “Lost in the Stars,” Chen’s latest effort, this time as producer and screenwriter, is another megahit. Co-directed by Cui Rui and Liu Xiang, “Lost in the Stars” has grossed $430 million (RMB3.08 billion) in China – enough to make it the seventh-biggest film worldwide this year and the 14th biggest film of all time in China – all in the span of just 17 days.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor SPOILER ALERT: This story includes plot details for “Joy Ride,” now playing in theaters. Director Adele Lim made sure there were intimacy coordinators on set for one of the raunchiest scenes in “Joy Ride” — when Stephanie Hsu‘s character Kat reveals a massive genital tattoo of a devil. “Joy Ride,” the new raunchy R-rated comedy, stars Ashley Park as Audrey, a high-powered attorney who travels to China on business. Joining her on the trip are friends Lolo (Sherry Cola) and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu). Hsu plays Audrey’s college friend, Kat, who is now a Chinese soap opera star. The four find themselves in various wild scenarios that include drugs, sex and basketball star Baron Davis.

“Joy Ride” Los Angeles PremiereRegency Village Theatre, WestwoodHitting the “Joy Ride” premiere was quite a jaunt for comedy lovers in L.A., as Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu brought some of her pals and costars to the center of Westwood for the fun. Joined by her fellow stars Ashley Park, Sabrina Wu and Sherry Cola, Hsu shared her thoughts about the profound impact she believes the movie will have, saying, “People of all backgrounds will get to associate themselves with this film.”Front and center were two of Hsu’s biggest fans, Daniel Kwan and Daniel Scheinert, the triple Oscar-winning team behind “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” along with “Joy Ride” creatives Adele Lim, Teresa Hsiao and Seth Rogen.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor SPOILER ALERT: This article contains major spoilers for Lionsgate’s “Joy Ride,” now playing in theaters. Lionsgate’s latest release, “Joy Ride,” is messy, fun, flirtatious and bold. It’s exactly the type of film writers Teresa Hsiao (“Family Guy”), Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (“Family Guy”) and Adele Lim (“Crazy Rich Asians”) wanted to see when they were kids growing up. The comedy revolves around Stephanie Hsu, Sherry Cola, and Sabrina Wu, who follow Ashley Park’s Audrey across the world on a business trip to Asia, where she has to track down her birth mother to close a huge business deal. From a drug-induced train ride to orgies to impersonating a K-Pop group, Brownie Tuesday, to a genital tattoo reveal, the film pushes the limits in the R-rated comedy space with Lionsgate and Point Gray’s blessing.

Spoiler alert: This post contains spoilers for”Joy Ride”The new comedy “Joy Ride” may be filled with many raunchy, R-rated scenes, but one emotional arc towards the end of the film includes a cameo that will make viewers grab their tissues.In the film, Audrey (Ashley Park) travels to China to close a business deal. Her best friend Lolo (Sherry Colaa) encourages Audrey to contact her birth mother while there.

If you’re like me, there comes a moment of truth in raunchy film comedies when you decide whether to fully join in the fun — or ride it out on the fence.

Lionsgate knew they had a winner when Adele Lim‘s “Joy Ride” had its world premiere at SXSW back in March. Critics loved it at the festival, but now it’s time to see how the raunchy road trip comedy fares with audiences and other critical voices as the film hits theaters today.

Brent Lang Executive Editor Sony’s “Insidious: The Red Door” scared up $5 million in Thursday night screenings, a strong start for the moderately-priced horror flick. It was also nearly enough to displace “Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny,” which made $5.2 million on the same day. Indy may still top the box office in its second weekend of release, but “Insidious: The Red Door” is proving to be more competitive than some thought. The latest installment in the long-running horror franchise is expected to net $25 million during its debut weekend. The weekend’s other major new release, Lionsgate and Point Grey’s “Joy Ride,” earned $1.1 million in Thursday previews. The R-rated comedy is expected to generate between $7 million to $9 million in its debut. “Joy Ride” is the feature directing debut of “Crazy Rich Asians” co-screenwriter Adele Lim. It’s the story of four friends who embark on a trip to help one member of their group find her birth mother. Raunchy detours ensue. Critics have praised “Joy Ride,” providing it with a 92% “fresh” rating on Rotten Tomatoes. Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu star in the film.

Adele Lim isn’t stopping to the haters’ level.

By They say that that life imitates art, but Sherry Cola makes a case for it being the other way around. “I’ve done a lot of characters, but Sherry Cola is me in my truest form,” the Joy Ride actor and comedian tells me.

Comedy fans are anxiously awaiting the premiere of “Joy Ride”, the hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centring on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure, starring Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu.

Adele Lim made her directorial debut with “Joy Ride”, the new comedy feature produced by Point Grey Pictures, the production company launched by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg.

Every K-Pop alter ego needs a good name.

Refresh for latest…: Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is off to a disappointing start with a $130M global opening. Of that, $70M is from 52 international box office markets as the the fifth installment in the beloved 42-year-old franchise came in below projections.

SATURDAY AM: Refresh for chart…and more analysis Disney/Lucasfilm’s Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny is still bound to open at the bottom of end of tracking’s projection of $60M as this morning. I saw an estimate in The Flash vicinity of $55M last night and took an Alka Seltzer out of shock. Hopefully Dial of Destiny doesn’t fall apart tonight and at least stays on course for a Mission: Impossible – Fallout type opening in the $60M range over three days. That figure might be good for exhibition and popcorn sales over the five-day holiday weekend, but it stinks for a movie that has a reported cost of $250M to near $300M before P&A.

but there aren't many that can top the film's foursome impersonating a K-pop band to bypass airport security after their passports are stolen. Directed and co-written by co-scribe Adele Lim, follows four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey's (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the help of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend-turned-Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo's eccentric cousin.

Awkwafina is stepping out to support the cast of Joy Ride!

ActorsZar Amir-Ebrahimi – “Holy Spider,” “Bride Price vs. Democracy”Sakura Ando – “A Man,” “Shoplifters”Selma Blair – “Hellboy,” “Legally Blonde”Marsha Stephanie Blake – “I’m Your Woman,” “Luce”Austin Butler – “Elvis,” “Once upon a Time…in Hollywood”Raúl Castillo – “Cha Cha Real Smooth,” “The Inspection”Chang Chen – “The Soul,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”Ram Charan – “RRR,” “Magadheera”Kerry Condon – “The Banshees of Inisherin,” “Gold”Robert John Davi – “Licence to Kill,” “The Goonies”Dolly De Leon – “Triangle of Sadness,” “Verdict”Martina Gedeck – “The Lives of Others,” “Mostly Martha”Bill Hader – “Trainwreck,” “The Skeleton Twins”Nicholas Hoult – “The Favourite,” “Mad Max: Fury Road”Stephanie Hsu – “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”Tin Lok Koo – “A Witness out of the Blue,” “Paradox”Vicky Krieps – “Corsage,” “Phantom Thread”Joanna Kulig – “Cold War,” “Elles”Lashana Lynch – “The Woman King,” “No Time to Die”A Martinez – “Ambulance,” “Powwow Highway”Noémie Merlant – “Tár,” “Portrait of a Lady on Fire”Paul Mescal – “Aftersun,” “The Lost Daughter”Richard Mofe-Damijo – “Oloibiri,” “30 Days in Atlanta”Keke Palmer – “Nope,” “Hustlers”Park Hae-il – “Decision to Leave,” “Memories of Murder”Ke Huy Quan – “Everything Everywhere All at Once,” “Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom”NT Rama Rao Jr.