The CW has found their lead for the upcoming KUNG FU reboot pilot in LEGACIES alumna Olivia Liang. The project is a reimagining of the 1970s David Carradine-starring TV series with a female-focused edge that's poised to present the concept from a whole new perspective.
Inspired by the original series created by Ed Spielman, The CW's KUNG FU will be written by Christina M. Kim and will share the tale of what happens when a quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Chen (Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to find her hometown overrun with crime and corruption, she uses her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice — all while searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.
Previously, Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan have been cast in the roles of Nicky's parents, while Jon Prasida, Shannon Dang and Eddie Liu have also signed on to star. The series hails from Christina M. Kim, Martin Gero, Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter and Warner Bros TV, with Kim and Gero executive producing via Gero’s Quinn’s House Production Company, alongside Berlanti Productions and Warner Bros. TV. Berlanti and Schechter will also executive produce.
After landing guest roles for a variety of shorts and mini-series, Liang was cast as Wendy for the TV mini-series DATING AFTER COLLEGE. She then landed a recurring role as Alyssa Chang for LEGACIES, a spinoff of THE ORIGINALS, which belongs to THE VAMPIRE DIARIES universe . With KUNG FU looking to tell an epic tale of self-discovery and revenge with a martial arts twist, it sounds as if Liang's star is shining ever-brighter as she continues her promising career.