Following her time-and-space-bending performance in “Everything Everywhere All At Once,” Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu will be occupying a different universe this summer in the new comedy “Joy Ride.”
The film, helmed by “Crazy Rich Asians” co-writer Adele Lim and produced by Seth Rogen and the creators of “Neighbors,” follows a group of four friends as they travel together across Asia. Hsu plays Kat, an American college student turned Chinese soap star, who joins her friend Audrey (Ashley Park) after her business trip goes awry.
Audrey’s “hot mess” childhood friend Lolo (Sherry Cola) and Lolo’s cousin Deadeye (Sabrina Wu) come to her side, too.
Together, the unlikely group embarks on a journey of self-discovery and debauchery that bonds them for life, according to Lionsgate’s first release on the R-rated project, to be released at the South by Southwest film festival in Austin, Texas, in March.
Park is a prolific actor known for “Emily in Paris” and “Mr. Malcolm’s List.” Cola, who has starred in projects like “Good Trouble” and “Turning Red,” and Wu, a writer and comedian, have been forces in queer, Asian comedic spaces for years.
“You’ve simply never seen Asian leads on the big screen, in this way — period!” Cola told Entertainment Weekly. “It’s a fun, R-rated, touching, culturally specific, unapologetic, in-your-face film. You’ll get humor, heart, and horniness. It’s truly a good time from start to finish. Everyone in the audience will be picking up their jaws from the floor.”
The cast will also include Ronny Chieng (“Crazy Rich Asians”), Desmond Chiam (“The Falcon and the Winter Soldier”), Alexander Hodge (“Insecure”) and Chris Pang (“Crazy Rich Asians”).
“Joy Ride” will be released in theaters June 23.
Sakshi Venkatraman is a reporter for NBC Asian America.
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Sakshi Venkatraman