(Observer News) Today (June 3), "All-Chinese Starring American Drama" rushed to Weibo hot search, and a "American Born Chinese Chinese" adapted from the comic of the same name attracted attention because of the main creative lineup. Directed by Liu Yuling and Destin Creighton, the Asian director of "Shangqi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", brings together Chinese actors such as Yang Ziqiong, Wu Yanzu, Guan Jiwei, Xu Weilun and other Chinese actors who have been active in Hollywood in recent years.
As soon as the news came out, the plot of the original work also triggered a hot discussion, and some Chinese netizens expressed concern about the use of Chinese cultural elements such as "the Monkey King made a big fuss in the Heavenly Palace" and "MengMu's Three Migrations".
Disney-owned 20th Television (a merger of Twentieth Century Fox Television and Twentieth Century Television) produces the show, which began filming in Los Angeles in February.
In order to create this "all-Chinese starring" TV series that tells the story of Chinese Americans, Disney has spent a lot of effort, not only inviting representative actors from the Chinese circle in Hollywood, but also inviting Nepalese fashion designer Prabal Gurung and well-known Chinese designer Phillip Lim to join the creative team, who will cooperate with Joy Cretton, the costume director of the movie "Shangqi and the Legend of the Ten Rings".
Chinese-American actress Liu Yuling uploaded a photo on Instagram on May 19, with the caption saying, "I am proud to be part of the American Chinese team and direct and work with these creative and talented friends of the Asian Pacific American community (AAPI).
Liu Yuling, who has become a representative of Chinese actors in Hollywood with works such as "Thunderbolt Baby" and "Kill Bill", has previously demonstrated her directing ability through "Deadly Woman Season 1". Co-directing "Meisheng Chinese" with the director of "Shangqi and the Legend of the Ten Rings", 53-year-old Liu Yuling expressed her gratitude to the main creative team on Instagram, saying that she felt "spiritual and spiritual" support.
She also posted photos with the show's writer and producer, Kelvin Yu, and the writing team's Lawrence Dai, starring Ben Wang, Sydney Taylor, Jim Liu, and cinematographer Alan Poon.
From left: Cinematographer Alan Poon, actors Jim Liu, Liu Yuling, actor Ben Wang and screenwriter and producer Kelvin Yu
From right: Actor Ben Wang, screenwriters Lawrence Dai, Liu Yuling and actress Sydney Taylor
Malaysian Chinese actress Yang Ziqiong, who has just attracted attention again with "Instantaneous Whole Universe", will play "Guanyin" in the play, and her "family" In "Instantaneous Whole Universe" Guan Jiwei and Xu Weilun will also join the show.
In addition, Wu Yanzu, a Chinese-American actor who has not yet made his appearance in the play, will play "Sun Wukong".
"Meisheng Chinese" is positioned as an action comedy, adapted from the comic of the same name by Gene Luen Yang. The comic was published in the United States in 2006 and in China in 2008. The book was shortlisted for the National Book Award, and in 2007 it received the Michael Prinz Honorable Book Award for youth literature and was listed in Time Magazine's "Top Ten Comic Books."
The comic revolves around three story lines: the first line draws on the mythical story of the "Monkey King's Haunting of the Heavenly Palace" and depicts an American version with practice, revenge, challenge, failure, and redemption; the second line is about a Chinese-American teenager who follows his parents after listening to the story of "Meng Mu Three Moves" and follows his parents from San Francisco's Chinatown to a pure white community; the third line revolves around American stereotypes about Chinese.
At the end of the comic, these three seemingly unrelated stories are fused together into a modern fable that explores the Chinese Americans' exploration of their own identity and identification with family and culture.
However, the whimsical comics made into TV series, American team productions, and the plot contains Chinese myths and allusions, this "complete elements" flavor makes some Chinese netizens sweat.
Some people said that although the lineup looks good, they are worried that the TV series will be difficult to "shoot reasonably".
It has also been suggested that it remains to be seen whether this drama can get rid of "stereotypes", jump out of the "American Chinese narrative" style, and reasonably display Chinese elements.
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