Hit romantic comedy The Wedding Banquet is getting a remake, with Bowen Yang and Lily Gladstone slated to star.
The 1993 film follows a gay Taiwanese immigrant man who marries a Chinese woman to conceal his sexuality and partner from his family, as well as to get her a green card. The lie spirals out of control after his parents arrive in the United States to plan his wedding banquet.
promo via prime video
The film was nominated for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film in 1994. It was directed by Ang Lee, who also co-produced and co-wrote the movie with James Schamus. Fire Island director Andrew Ahn is set to direct the remake, which is based on a screenplay by himself and Schamus.
“It warms my heart to see how my film from so many years ago has inspired a new generation to reimagine a new and different version,” Lee said in a statement via Variety. “I look forward to seeing what Andrew Ahn and his wonderful cast create.”
The remake will follow the story of Min after his boyfriend Chris rejects his marriage proposal. Min asks his friend Angela to marry him instead, and promises to pay for her partner Liz’s IVF treatments in exchange for his green card. However, like in the original, the surprise arrival of Min's relatives causes the charade to fall apart.
Yang, a Saturday Night Live cast member, has been cast in a lead role alongside Gladstone, best known for her roles in Reservation Dogs and Killers of the Flower Moon. The film will also feature Kelly Marie Tran, Joan Chen, and Oscar winner Yuh-jung Youn.
“I’m delighted to re-team with my longtime friend and colleague, James Schamus, on this inspired reimagining of a classic rom-com for the modern era,” said executive producer Andrew Karpen, founder and CEO of production company Bleecker Street. “Andrew Ahn is a force to be reckoned with and I’m very excited to see the new heights that he and James will take this story to.”
