After battling for the affections of Ali Wong in 2019's ALWAYS BE MY MAYBE, Daniel Dae Kim and Randall Park are reteaming for an untitled Asian American-led heist film being set up at Amazon Studios. BILLIONS screenwriter Young Il Kim will pen the script, which according to Deadline, will be loosely focused on a reunion of high school friends who come together in a nod to the classic, fun ensemble heist films.
“I think it has nods to Ocean’s 11, The Full Monty as well as Better Luck Tomorrow,” Kim recently told Deadline. It was also mentioned that the project's original story came from an idea that Kim, Park, and 3AD's Head of Development John Cheng had concocted together. While taking a page out of the CRAZY RICH ASIANS playbook, the film is said to feature an ensemble cast made up of primarily Asian American actors. “It’s a story that kind of highlights community, friendship, unity in a very familiar genre that people I think will enjoy,” Kim added while continuing to speak with Deadline.
Thanks in part to films like THE FAREWELL, PARASITE, CRAZY RICH ASIANS, BLINDED BY THE LIGHT, TO ALL THE BOYS I'VE LOVED BEFORE, and more, Asian American representation in film and TV is on the rise. When it comes to trends that are long overdue, Asian Americans having their chance to shine on screens both large and small is indeed a cause for celebration. Variety is the spice of life after all, and it stands to reason that Hollywood will only be enriched by having actors from all across the globe influence what's projected onto our screens. “There is an appetite to see this kind of a movie with an Asian American cast and that is a really promising sign of the times,” said Kim.
In continuing to talk about the upcoming film, Kim and Park released a joint statement, saying, “We can’t wait to join with Young to tell this special story of friendship, pride, and community. We’re also very grateful to Amazon for their exceptional enthusiasm and support.” Lastly, Kim stressed that the goal is for their heist film to create a real sense of community between the actors and those attached to the film. “We love heist movies,” Kim reinforced. “We want to be inclusive and we feel like there’s a story here to be told. It’s super exciting… Randall and I have wanted to do something together for a while. This is just a great reason to bring together talented actors who have been friends for a really long time and really have fun on a project that, with any luck, will be able to make an impact.”
As a fan of both Kim and Park, you can count me in for this one. With any luck, this project will arrive as yet another who's who of the Asian American community. Plus, Kim and Park putting their heads together for an old fashioned heistr? What's not to love and look forward to? We'll be sure to bring you more details about this project as it develops.