American Born Chinese

**American Born Chinese** is an action comedy streaming series based on the 2006 graphic novel of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. The series comprises of eight episodes and premiered on Disney+ on May 24, 2023.

## Synopsis

Jin Wang is a son of Taiwanese immigrants, who for the most part is a typical high school kid. He collects manga, tries to join the soccer team, and is on a journey dealing with his own identity as he tries to figure out who he is. One day, Wei-Chen , an exchange student, arrives at Jin's school. Unlike Jin, Wei-Chen didn't grow up in America, is loud and open by nature, and doesn't exhibit Jin's self-doubt and insecurities. At times, this causes Jin to feel embarrassed being associated with Wei-Chen.

Wei-Chen is revealed to be the son of Sun Wukong, commonly known as the Monkey King, a legendary figure in Chinese literature. Wei-Chen had a dream that the mythical Fourth Scroll, which can stop an uprising against Heaven. The dream also told him that an ordinary teenager is destined to aid him in his search. So Wei-Chen stole his father's magical staff and is now, disguised as a high schooler, searching for the scroll in earthly California, convinced that Jin is the ordinary teenager from his prophetic dream.

## Cast and characters

### Main

* Ben Wang as Jin Wang
* Yeo Yann Yann as Christine Wang
* Chin Han as Simon Wang
* Ke Huy Quan as Jamie Yao/Freddy Wong
* Jim Liu as Wei-Chen
* Sydney Taylor as Amelia Taylor
* Daniel Wu as Sun Wukong
* Michelle Yeoh as Guanyin

### Recurring

* Mahi Alam as Anuj
* Stony Blyden as Andy
* David Bloom as Josh
* Justin Jarzombek as Travis
* Brian Huskey as Mr. Larkins
* Larry Bates as Coach Garrett
* Sophie Reynolds as Ruby
* Josh Duvendeck as Danny/ Marty K. Morris
* Leonard Wu as Niu Mowang

### Notable guest stars

* Rosalie Chiang as Suzy Nakamura
* Lisa Lu as Ni Yang
* Poppy Liu as Princess Iron Fan
* James Hong as Jade Emperor
* Jimmy O. Yang as Ao Guang
* Brian Le as Zhu Bajie
* Stephanie Hsu as Shiji Niangniang

## Production

### Development

Executive Producer Melvin Mar has wanted to adapt Yang’s graphic novel since it was published in 2006. Yang had reservations about characters being taken out of context in a negative way but Kelvin Yu’s take won Yang over. According to Mar, they knew there would be changes that needed to be made, and Yu was the key person in breaking down the essence of what the book is and moving from graphic novel to television. Other crew members like lead director Destin Daniel Cretton (*Shang-Chi And The Legend Of The Ten Rings*) also contributed their own experiences into making the show what it is.

On October 4, 2021, it was announced that Disney+ had greenlit an adaptation of the Gene Luen Yang graphic novel and ordered it straight to series, with Destin Daniel Cretton directing and Charles Yu and Kelvin Yu writing the series. On April 28, 2022, Asian-American fashion designers Prabal Gurung and Phillip Lim joined the series to work alongside costume designer Joy Cretton to create costumes for the series. Then, on May 19, 2022, Lucy Liu confirmed she is a director on the series. On May 8, 2023, the costumes for Sun Wukong and Guanyin were confirmed to have been made Andrew Kim, Phillip Lim and Prabal Gurung and were on display.

Since the show’s interpretation is primarily helmed by showrunner Kelvin Yu and director Destin Daniel Cretton, who also executive produces with Yang, who says, “Kelvin took the essence of my graphic novel and he re-expanded into the shape of eight episodes of television.He expanded the world of Jin by giving more prominent roles to his parents, and he also expanded the world of the Chinese Gods,” Yang further sings Yu’s praises.

For series’ costume designer Joy Cretton, that meant creating ensembles that were both grounded and otherworldly. That creative freedom is on full display in episode four, a flashback episode that sees Sun Wukong and his now rival Bull Demon at a Met Gala-esque party in Heaven. The celestial partygoers are outfitted in sequined blazers, flowy robes and intricate dresses – Cretton said she wanted the characters to retain their original essence, but reimagined in a high fashion environment. Cretton collaborated with designers Phillip Lim and Prabal Gurung on costumes for two key characters: Sun Wukong and Guanyin. Lim brought his signature silhouettes to the look of Monkey King for an end result that is regal and sleek. Gurung, known for styling celebrities in glamorous gowns on red carpets, was behind Guanyin’s ethereal ensembles.

Peng Zhang who did the fight choreography for *Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings* worked for the series, so the cast was fortunate enough have that really high level of Hong Kong-style, Wuxia-style element brought into this television show, and it was important that they spent a lot of time and effort such as the locker room fight scene, where Wu mentioned that he and Liu spent a couple of days doing that fight scene.

When incorporating elements of Chinese mythology and cultural identity discussion, Melvin Mar and Gene Luen Yang discussed the change of the in-universe fictional character of Chin-Kee to Ke Huy Quan's Freddy Wong and the connection that character had to beloved, but complicated, stories by John Hughes. Mar and Yang also mentioned how they decided to expand the world of mythology and bringing in Eastern mythological characters that weren't present in the graphic novel . All while bringin together an all-star cast of Asian and Asian American actors.

On June 20, 2023, it was mentioned how an array of visual effects were required in the series to tell key moments set in heaven and on earth, including completely synthetic environments, animal transformations, and magic, particularly centered around the character Monkey King’s staff. Production visual effects supervisor Kaitlyn Yang oversaw several key vendors, including DNEG and its sister company ReDefine, as well as Pixelloid, Tower 33, Alpha Studios, Mr. Wolf, Plucky, and DigitalFilm Tree for previs.

Playing an older iteration of one of the most popular characters in Chinese literature, Wu found himself contemplating his relationship with his own father, who passed away during the filming of the eight-episode first season last year. “I love my dad so much, but I was raised the Chinese way — the tough love way — and there are aspects of it that were hard to deal with and some aspects that I really appreciate now in retrospect,” Wu, now 48, tells Shondaland. “I think that informed how I played Monkey King and Wei-Chen’s relationship. In fact, some of the tone and mannerisms, like the first scene when he’s admonishing Wei-Chen for trying to leave and jump off to Earth, that kind of feeling or vibe definitely comes from my dad.”

On June 23, 2023, some concept art for the Heaven setting as seen in Make a Splash was released by Cindy Chao and Michele Yu, as well as the special effects work that VFX Supervisor Kaitlyn Yang and the crucial collaboration with her visual effects team for a set like this one.

### Casting

In February 2022, it was reported that Michelle Yeoh, Ben Wang, Yeo Yann Yann, Chin Han, Daniel Wu, Ke Huy Quan, Jim Liu, and Sydney Taylor were cast in starring roles. Stephanie Hsu joined the cast of the series in May, playing Shiji Niangniang, with Poppy Liu added in June. The recurring cast, including Hsu and Liu, were all announced by February 2023.

*American Born Chinese* brought the cast of the 2022 film *Everything, Everywhere All at Once* back together although the reunion wasn't planned. Principal photography had wrapped by the time *Everything, Everywhere All at Once* was released and gained popularity internationally. Yeoh, who plays the Chinese deity Guanyin, had come on board after receiving a call from director Destin Cretton. Quan, who plays Freddy Wong, and producer Melvin Mar already knew each other.
On May 1, 2023, it was confirmed that the cousin character is replaced in the series by an actor (portrayed by Ke Huy Quan) who’s best known in the series for playing a stereotype on a ’90s sitcom that several character watch episodes of.
When Quan was offered the role, he initially passed on it due to fear, telling the creative team "that this is the type of portrayal that we do not want to see in 2023," but after conversations with the team, he learned that as the series progresses, the audience would "get to meet the actor who plays Freddy Wong and understand the struggles that he went through — and also what it means to have this type of stereotypical portrayal of Asians, and what it does to a normal kid like Jin Wang."

### Filming

Principal photography began in Los Angeles on February 8, 2022 and wrapped by July 6, 2022. The majority of the exterior shots were filmed in Los Angeles County, California, with well-known landmarks such as Los Angeles County Museum of Art, Griffith Park, the La Brea Tar Pits, the Los Angeles Zoo, the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, and the Arboretum of Los Angeles featured in sequences. The city of Altadena also provided a backdrop for the series. Reportedly, the production used a real high school or college as base camp for scenes taking place at the fictional Sierra Mona High School.

On June 23, 2023, the cast and crew of *American Born Chinese* said they hope to get word about season 2 in the next few months while Disney appears to be making a strong push for the show. In addition, if they get renewed, executive producer Kelvin Yu told a crowd this month at a special screening at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco that they’ve already talked a lot about where they would take a second season. Going as far as to say: “I think we’ll go deeper with every character, including Ke Huy Quan’s character,” said Yu. “I don’t want to give anything away. I found that people are invested in different characters, a lot of people are invested in Anuj (Mahl Alam), the Indian American best friend. As we leave the graphic novel and move into a second season and into fresh territory, it’s really exciting to be able to imagine a whole news plotlines for everybody.”

### Music

The score for the series was composed by Wendy Wang and released on May 26, 2023.

## Gallery

### Promotional stills

Title CardTV Critics Association Award NomineeOfficial Soundtrack

### Videos

In Production Featurette - American Born Chinese - Disney+American Born Chinese - Official Trailer - Disney+Locker Reveal - American Born Chinese - Disney+Worlds Collide - American Born Chinese - Disney+Kelvin Yu & Gene Luen Yang with the Cast of “American Born Chinese” in the 2023 SXSW StudioAmerican Born Chinese - Official 'Epic Adventure' Teaser Trailer (2023) Ben Wang, Michelle YeohMet Gala Featurette - American Born Chinese - Disney+President Biden Hosts a Screening of “American Born Chinese” in Celebration of AANHPI Heritage MonthRed Carpet Premiere - American Born Chinese - Disney+Epic Adventure - American Born Chinese - Disney+Culture Featurette - American Born Chinese - Disney+Costumes Featurette - American Born Chinese - Disney+Stunts Featurette - American Born Chinese - Disney+Which American Born Chinese Member Would Save the World? - Cast and Crew Vote on Senior SuperlativesThe Cast and Creator of 'American Born Chinese' - SCAD TVFest 2023 - Entertainment WeeklyDaniel Wu Talks American Born Chinese- Representation and Authentic Storytelling'American Born Chinese' Star Daniel Wu's Martial Arts Fight Training - Train Like - Men's HealthAmerican Born Chinese- Normalizing Subtitles - Ben Wang, Daniel WuMichelle Yeoh Interview- American Born Chinese and How She Chooses Which Franchise To Be InThe Costume Designs for 'American Born Chinese' Were Inspired by Chinese Mythology and the Met GalaAmerican Born Chinese Interview with Gene Luen Yang and Melvin Mar - Influencing Our InfluencesAmerican Born Chinese Interview- Daniel Wu and Jimmy LiuAMERICAN BORN CHINESE - Costume Designer JOY CRETTON - POC CultureAmerican Born Chinese - VFX breakdownAmerican Born Chinese - Full Episode- Disney+'American Born Chinese'- Emmy Consideration - Outstanding Special Visual Effects in a Single EpisodeGraphic novelist Gene Luen Yang on bringing ‘American Born Chinese’ to TV
## Reception

It received generally positive reviews from critics. Commentators referred to it as one of the best offerings on Disney+ and praised the way it moved across cultural boundaries.

## Trivia

* *American Born Chinese* had its world premiere at South by Southwest on March 15, 2023 with the first two episodes screening at the Paramount Theatre in Austin, Texas.
* The series received criticism for appearing to change a key character's nationality from Taiwanese to Chinese.
* A TV spot was released on March 12, 2023, during the 95th Annual Academy Awards that also revealed the release date for the new series.
* On April 20, 2023 Disney revealed a new poster for the Disney+ original series with all eight episodes.
* On April 22, 2023, the first trailer for the series showcases easter eggs for the likes of the Captain America graphic novel, as well as action figures of DC's Superman and Goku from Dragon Ball Z to name a few.
* On May 1, 2023, five character posters were released.
* On May 8, 2023, President Biden hosted a screening of *American Born Chinese* in Celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month.
* On May 14, 2023, What Guy Are You and A Monkey on a Quest, the first two episodes receive a special screening at San Francisco’s Castro Theatre on May 13 as part of this year’s CAAMFest, the nation’s largest film festival for new Asian American and Asian productions.
* On May 17, 2023, as part of Asian American Pacific Islander Month, Yang said about the challenges of adapting *American Born Chinese* for streaming as well as his own journey as a creator through the years. He also had a wonderful response to what Breaking the Mold means to him: "I think when I was a kid I had all these limitations in my head- I had all these molds in my head. In terms of comics, I do think I had this one limitation that you could only tell superhero stories in comics. I also had another limitation that an Asian or Asian American couldn't be a superhero unless they knew martial arts. And I had another limitation that Asians and Asian Americans should primarily be side characters- as opposed to the hero or protagonist. So I do think part of my growing up process- part of my maturing process- is breaking those molds in my head and figuring out that the world of possibilities is much larger than I was expecting."
* On May 19, 2023, Cretton voiced his support for the adaptation, expressing his excitement to be attached to the project. "I feel deeply connected to the characters in this story and the brilliant team bringing it to life," the filmmaker said.
* On May 20, 2023, when it comes the series, Yu refers to it as “an embarrassment of riches of Asian and Asian American talent.” Ben Wang, whom Yu jokingly calls “the Asian American Michael J. Fox” because “you can’t help but root for him,” stars as teenage everyman and emerging hero Jin Wang. Daniel Wu and Jimmy Liu portray Sun Wukong, the Monkey King, and his son, Wei-Chen, while Yeo Yann Yann and Chin Han give two of the show’s most emotionally resonant performances as Jin’s parents Christine and Simon Wang. And there’s a mini-reunion of cast members from Best Picture winner *Everything Everywhere All at Once*, as Academy Award winners Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan and Academy Award nominee Stephanie Hsu lend additional star power. Once “the only Asian face” on sets, Quan tells *Time* it was a joy to collaborate with so many fellow Asians and Asian Americans: “It warmed my heart to see how far we’ve come.”
* On May 24, 2023, some BTS images for the fourth episode "Make a Splash" were released.
	+ A 3D print action figure of Kugo Ren that was created for the series was also showcased on Instagram.
	+ On this day, Wang went on to describe his character, Jin, as "the average American teen". Which "That, in itself, is kind of a message. He's Asian American, but look at him! He's the average American teen," Wang said.
* On May 25, 2023, as far as a potential season 2, it was stated that, "Because you can keep going with the story, you can expand the world, and we would love to expand the world of Chinese mythology and bring in many, many more characters."
* On May 29, 2023, the song at the end of Episode 1 is You So from the Asian band I Mean Us.
* On May. 31, 2023, there was a Syracuse, NY reference on the series.
* On June 3, 2023, Wu mentioned that what drew him to the project, was that this was something his 9 year old could watch, and brag to her friends. While also getting to work with Michelle [Yeoh, as the goddess Gaunyin] because they had known each other for so long and tried to work together a lot of times and this was finally an opportunity for them to do that.
* On June 7, 2023, Wu went onto say how he grew up 21 years in the States before he moved over to China. So a lot of aspects of his personality are very different than local people. And then vice versa, coming back to the States, working on American productions, where Wu was one of the only few Asians on set, he couldn't help but feel like an outsider. But with this project, Wu felt like it was like the perfect conglomeration of both because they had people from Asia, people from America, a bunch of Asian Americans working together, and it just felt like a well blended family.
* On June 8, 2023, Yeo Yann Yann, said that, "Chin Han is one of the best collaborators I've had. I knew about him years ago, but we never had a chance to work together".
* On June 10, 2023, at 11:00 AM, a special screening of the series took place and attendees at the Asian Art Museum in San Francisco, CA got to hear from executive producers Kelvin Yu, Gene Luen Yang, and Melvin Mar, and actor Daniel Wu respectively.
* On June 16, 2023, it was announced that What Guy Are You, the first episode of the new Disney+ series *American Born Chinese* is set to air on ABC on Saturday, June 24th, 2023.
* On July 5, 2023, it was said by Yann that While there hasn't been any official word on a second season of American Born Chinese, the cast and crew have been open about their desire to expand the story and explore the many possibilities left open by season one's conclusion. She in particular sees these opportunities, saying that the trials of growing up, as evidently experienced by Jin and his family, never truly end. "For Christine, she will continue to go through her trials to find her place in the world and, more importantly, to find home in your heart, so I look forward to that," she said.

## External links

* *American Born Chinese* on the Internet Movie Database
* American Born Chinese on Wikipedia
* Watch *American Born Chinese*  on Disney+
* Listen to American Born Chinese (Original Soundtrack) on Spotify

## References

1. ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 American Born Chinese Writers info - WGA
2. ↑ About American Born Chinese Soundtrack - Amazon
3. ↑ Michelle Yeoh and Ke Huy Quan Reunite in Disney+’s ‘American Born Chinese’ Teaser - Variety
4. ↑ Universes Collide in American Born Chinese - Vulture
5. ↑ Disney+’s Coming-of-Age Comic Book Adaptation ‘American Born Chinese’ Is Overcrowded, But Endearing: TV Review - Variety
6. ↑ ‘American Born Chinese’: Who Is Wei-Chen? - Fiction Horizon
7. ↑ Creator Kelvin Yu Believes ‘American Born Chinese’ Characters Stand With Marvel Heroes & Disney Princesses - Deadline
8. ↑ Why 'American Born Chinese' took 17 years to adapt, according to creator Gene Luen Yang - The Star
9. ↑ Disney+ Greenlights ‘American Born Chinese’ Series From Melvin Mar, Kelvin Yu & Jake Kasdan; ‘Shang-Chi’s Destin Daniel Cretton To Direct - Deadline
10. ↑ ‘American Born Chinese’: Fashion Designers Prabal Gurung & Phillip Lim Team To Create Costumes For Disney+ Series - Deadline
11. ↑ Lucy Liu May 19, 2022 IG Post - Instagram
12. ↑ May 8, 2023 IG Post - Instagram
13. ↑ ‘American Born Chinese’: Meet the Characters of Disney+’s New Series - TV Insider
14. ↑ How the costumes of ‘American Born Chinese’ straddle fantasy and reality - CNN
15. ↑ Daniel Wu and Jimmy Liu on 'American Born Chinese' Wirework Fight Scenes and Monkey Prosthetics - Collider
16. ↑ 'American Born Chinese' Executive Producers on Forming an "Asian American All-Star" Cast - Collider
17. ↑ Effects of heaven and earth: a more grounded Monkey King story - Before and Afters
18. ↑ How Daniel Wu's Relationship With His Late Father Informed His Performance in ‘American Born Chinese’ - Shondaland
19. ↑ Cindy & Michelle June 23, 2023 IG Post Part I - Instagram
20. ↑ Cindy & Michelle June 23, 2023 IG Post Part II - Instagram
21. ↑ ‘Shang-Chi’s Michelle Yeoh & Destin Daniel Cretton Reunite For Disney+ Series ‘American Born Chinese’; Chin Han, Yeo Yann Yann & Daniel Wu Also Star - Deadline
22. ↑ ‘Everything Everywhere All at Once’ Star Stephanie Hsu Joins Michelle Yeoh in Disney+ Series ‘American Born Chinese’ - Variety
23. ↑ Disney+ Series ‘American Born Chinese’ Casts ‘Hacks’ Breakout Poppy Liu - Variety
24. ↑ Stephanie Hsu, Ronny Chieng and More to Guest Star on 'American Born Chinese' - Collider
25. ↑ How American Born Chinese Reunited the Cast of Everything Everywhere All At Once - Den of Geek
26. ↑ How Actor and Writer Kelvin Yu Redirected His “Flawed” Hollywood Business Model - Hollywood Reporter
27. ↑ Ke Huy Quan Reveals He Initially Passed on ‘American Born Chinese’ Role: ‘It Scared the Hell Out of Me’ - Variety
28. ↑ Feb 7, 2022 Tweet by Disney Plus - Twitter
29. ↑ July 6, 2022 IG Post - Instagram
30. ↑ Where is American Born Chinese Filmed? - The Cinemaholic
31. ↑ Is this a good omen for season 2 of American Born Chinese? - ASAM News
32. ↑ ‘American Born Chinese’ Soundtrack Album Details - Film Music Reporter
33. ↑ Episode listings for American Born Chinese - The Futon Critic
34. ↑ About Dinh Thai - Personal website
35. ↑ ‘American Born Chinese’ Gets Mostly Positive Reviews - Next TV
36. ↑ American Born Chinese Listing - SXSW
37. ↑ Disney changes Taiwanese character to Chinese in 'American Born Chinese' - Taiwan News
38. ↑ 'American Born Chinese': Release Date, Cast, Plot, and Everything We Know So Far - Collider
39. ↑ New ‘American Born Chinese’ Disney+ Poster Released, New Trailer Arriving Tomorrow - Disney+ Informer
40. ↑ Disney's American Born Chinese Features Dragon Ball, DC and Marvel Nods - CBR
41. ↑ 'American Born Chinese' Debuts Character Posters Featuring Michelle Yeoh, Ke Huy Quan and More - EW
42. ↑ Remarks by President Biden at Screening of “American Born Chinese” in Celebration of AANHPI Heritage Month - The White House
43. ↑ How this East Bay author brought his story of being ‘American Born Chinese’ to the big screen - SF Chronicle
44. ↑ Fandom Celebrates AAPI Month: Interview with Gene Luen Yang, Creator of American Born Chinese - Fandom
45. ↑ American Born Chinese: When Does Michelle Yeaoh's Disney+ Show Premiere? - CBR
46. ↑ American Born Chinese Reflects a New Era of Storytelling - Time
47. ↑ May 24, 2023 IG Post - Instagram
48. ↑ May 24th, 2023 Post Part II - Instagram
49. ↑ Ben Wang: 'American Born Chinese' perfect metaphor for Asian American experience - UPI
50. ↑ American Born Chinese cast and crew on potential season 2: 'The possibilities are endless' - EW
51. ↑ May 29, 2023 IG Post - Instagram
52. ↑ New Disney+ show ‘American Born Chinese’ features a surprise Syracuse gag
53. ↑ New Disney+ show ‘American Born Chinese’ features a surprise Syracuse gag - Syracuse.com
54. ↑ American Born Chinese Is the 1st Time Daniel Wu Didn’t Feel Like an Outsider - The Illuminerdi
55. ↑ American Born Chinese's Yeo Yann Yann on her interpretation of tiger mums - Yahoo
56. ↑ Disney+ "American Born Chinese" Screening and Discussion - Asian Art Museum
57. ↑ ABC to Air First Episode of “American Born Chinese” on Saturday, June 24th - Laughing Place
58. ↑ YEO YANN YANN TALKS AMERICAN BORN CHINESE'S SUCCESS AND HER DREAMS FOR SEASON 2 - TAG 24