Gene Luen Yang Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Alison Herman TV Critic A popular reading of superhero mania holds that it’s our era’s substitute for shared mythology; instead of Zeus shooting lightning bolts from Mount Olympus, we have Cyclops shooting beams from his eyeballs. So it’s fitting that the coming-of-age tale “American Born Chinese” streams on Disney+, the service that’s a one-stop shop for all things Marvel; Destin Daniel Cretton of “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings,” the first Marvel film to star an Asian American hero, even directs the pilot. But “American Born Chinese” flips the script: rather than use superheroes for modern-day mythmaking, it infuses centuries-old myths into genres (action, bildungsroman) now dominated by superheroes.

Disney+ is not proceeding with a second season of Disney Branded Television/20th Television’s action fantasy series American Born Chinese, which stars Oscar winners Ke Huy Quan and Michelle Yeoh.

Rachel Seo Chinese folklore gets a Disney spin in “American Born Chinese,” an eight-episode series created by Kelvin Yu, which landed on Disney+ on Wednesday. An adaptation of the 2006 graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, the series centers on Bay Area teenager Jin Wang (Ben Wang), who becomes entangled in a fantastical quest after a new classmate, Wei-Chen (Jimmy Liu), reveals himself to be the son of the Monkey King and recruits Jin to help him search for the Fourth Scroll. Featuring an all-star cast that includes Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan, Stephanie Hsu, Chin Han, Yann Yann Yeo and Sydney Taylor, “American Born Chinese” recontextualizes ancient history for modern audiences both familiar and unfamiliar with the original stories, bringing together the talents of some of the most prominent Asian actors, writers and directors in entertainment.

The journey for Jin Wang in “American Born Chinese” couldn’t have begun at a more opportune time. The protagonist of Gene Luen Yang’s 2006 graphic novel — now a Disney’s eight-episode series from showrunner Kelvin Yu — springs forth when narratives with an Asian identity are stratospheric-high in demand and popularity.

Michelle Yeoh is celebrating the power of embracing one’s roots.

Michaela Zee editor Hollywood has had considerable feats of Asian representation this year: “Everything Everywhere All at Once’s” historic Oscar wins, Netflix’s “Beef” and, on May 24, “American Born Chinese.” However, despite the nuanced portrayal of the Asian American identity within the phantasmagorical world of Chinese mythology, Ke Huy Quan was hesitant about joining the series’ Asian-led ensemble. “I remember when I first heard about this character when I was offered the role, it scared the hell out of me. In fact, I actually passed on it because I told our creative team that this is the type of portrayal that we do not want to see in 2023,” Quan said during a post-screening Q&A at Radio City Music Hall on Sunday night.

Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are together again!

Disney+ has dropped an exciting new trailer for one of its most highly anticipated new series, “American Born Chinese”.

Disney has released a new teaser trailer for its upcoming adaptation of Gene Luen Yang’s American Born Chinese starring Everything Everywhere All At Once‘s Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and Stephanie Hsu.The teaser trailer focuses on Yeoh’s character warning that a “gate between Heaven and Earth is opening” with the fate of the world “hanging in balance.” The trailer also shows glimpses of several multiverse settings as well as Ke Huy Quan’s and Stephanie Hsu’s characters.American Born Chinese is set to arrive in Disney+ beginning May 24. Based on Gene Luen Yang’s 2006 graphic novel the same name, the series will tell the story of a teenager named Ben/Jin Wang who struggles as a Chinese immigrant in an American high school.Upon meeting a fellow foreign exchange student Wei-Chen, the two become embroiled in a historical battle of Chinese mythological gods, with themes of identity, culture and family woven in.Jin Wang will be played by young star Ben/Jin Wang, while his fellow exchange student Wei-Chen is played by Jim Liu.

While Disney+ has teased that the coming-of-age series jumps between action and comedy as it explores themes of identity, culture and family, Yeoh and Quan try their hand at multiverse jumping once more as the pair transport across space and time and fight the forces that threaten the world.Besides “Everything Everywhere All At Once” royalty, the comedy-action series features an ensemble including Ben Wang, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Daniel Wu, Jimmy Liu and Sydney Taylor.Hailing from 20th Television, Kelvin Yu serves as executive producer and showrunner while “Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” director Destin Daniel Cretton will direct and executive produce alongside Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan, Erin O’Malley, Asher Goldstein and author Gene Luen Yang.  You can watch the teaser above.“American Born Chinese” will premiere May 24 on Disney+.

Disney+ will launch its upcoming series American Born Chinese on May 24, hoping that the Everything Everywhere All at Once magic of Michelle Yeoh, Key Huy Quan, and Stephanie Hsu boosts the streamer.

Disney+ is giving fans a first look at its much-anticipated martial arts adventure.

Wilson Chapman editor It’s a big night for “Everything Everywhere All at Once” at the Oscars, but stars Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan are already looking to the future with “American Born Chinese.” The two actors reunite in the first teaser for the action-comedy series. Released Sunday morning by Disney+, the footage caps off with the announcement of a May 24 premiere date for the series. The series is adapted from cartoonist Gene Luen Yang’s acclaimed 2006 graphic novel, which tells the story of Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a child of Chinese immigrants who’s struggling with growing up in a predominantly white suburb. When he meets a new Taiwanese classmate, the two become fast friends, but Jin is pulled into the battles of Chinese mythological gods.

We’re getting a quick peek at Disney+’s 2023 slate with a sizzle reel that includes footage (albeit lightning quick) of Loki Season 2 and first looks at new series Star Wars: Ahsoka, American Born Chinese, Marvel’s Secret Invasion, Peter, Pan & Wendy, and Pixar’s Win Or Lose, among others.

Michelle Yeoh is a mythological goddess in the new Disney+ series American Born Chinese. Based on the genre-hopping graphic novel by Gene Luen Yang, Disney unveiled a featurette of the new series during the D23 Expo.

Joe Otterson TV ReporterStephanie Hsu is set for a guest starring role in Disney+ series “American Born Chinese,” Variety has learned exclusively.The role reunites Hsu with previously announced cast member Michelle Yeoh, with whom Hsu starred in the hit film “Everything Everywhere All at Once.”Based on the graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang, the series follows Jin Wang (Ben Wang), a teenager juggling his high school social life with his immigrant home life. When Jin meets foreign exchange student Wei-Chen (Jim Liu) on the first day of school, their worlds collide as Jin becomes entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

Michael Schneider Variety Editor at LargeWhen “Fresh Off the Boat” premiered in 2015, only a handful of shows with a predominantly Asian American cast had ever aired in primetime — and none of them lasted long. But the success of that ABC sitcom, which spanned six seasons, 116 episodes and made it to syndication, finally inspired a long-overdue boom in series and films featuring Asian American leads — including “Doogie Kamealoha, M.D.,” from “Fresh Off the Boat” producing partners Jake Kasdan and Melvin Mar. “Fresh Off the Boat” may have ended, but Kasdan and Mar — who have been based at 20th TV for more than a dozen years — are continuing to lead TV’s expansion in Asian American and Pacific Islander representation.

EXCLUSIVE: In their first-ever professional collaboration, top Asian-American fashion designers Prabal Gurung and Phillip Lim have joined the creative team for the upcoming Disney+ series American Born Chinese. The duo will work together with American Born Chinese costume designer Joy Cretton to design costumes for culturally significant characters from Chinese mythology and classic literature portrayed in the series by stars Michelle Yeoh and Daniel Wu.

EXCLUSIVE: After teaming in the Disney/Marvel film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, Michelle Yeoh is set to top an international cast for the Destin Daniel Cretton-directed Disney+ fantastical series American Born Chinese. She will star alongside Ben Wang (MacGyver), Yeo Yann Yann (Wet Season), Chin Han (Mortal Kombat), Daniel Wu (Reminiscence), Ke Huy Quan (Finding Ohana), former Taekwondo champion Jim Liu and Sydney Taylor (Just Add Magic).

Jennifer Yuma editorDisney Plus has greenlit “American Born Chinese,” a series based on Gene Luen Yang’s graphic novel of the same name.The action-comedy follows Jin Wang, a teenager juggling his high school social life with his immigrant home life. When Jin meets a new foreign exchange student on the first day of school, their worlds collide as Jin becomes entangled in a battle of Chinese mythological gods.

Disney+ has given a straight-to-series order for “American Born Chinese,” with “Shang-Chi” director Destin Daniel Cretton attached.Cretton will direct the series and will executive produce alongside Kelvin Yu, Melvin Mar and Jake Kasdan. Yu will write and serve as showrunner.

EXCLUSIVE: Disney+ has given a straight-to-series order to American Born Chinese, an action-comedy series based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. Destin Daniel Cretton, helmer of Marvel’s Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is set to direct and executive produce the Disney Branded Television series produced by 20th Television.