It was a thrilling awards season for Asian American movie and TV fans. And even if we have to wait patiently for another season of BEEF, there’s a whole new slate of AAPI shows and movies and TV shows championing Asian American stories and talent this spring.
Although representation is not a one-size-fits-all solution to a more equitable media landscape, this list of AAPI shows and movies is an example of what’s possible when AAPI creators are given the green light to produce stories showcasing the many different aspects of our diaspora experiences.
Avatar: The Last Airbender
Joining the live-action renaissance, Netflix’s Avatar: The Last Airbender is a fresh take on the beloved Nickelodeon animated series. True to the original, the story follows the spirited protagonist, Aang, who’s tasked with restoring balance to a world threatened by the militant Fire Nation. Though a few unexpected storyline twists have proven divisive amongst diehard fans, the series has clearly struck a chord, premiering at no. 1 on the streaming charts.
Death and Other Details
Death and Other Details blends the best of Only Murders in the Building, The White Lotus, and a bit of Succession to create a puzzling yet addictive viewing experience. Set aboard a luxury cruise ship, this series follows its wealthy guests and crew as an unsolved murder mystery sends the ship into chaos.
This series features Asian characters and storylines that highlight linguistic and cultural nuances of Cantonese and Mandarin. Actor Angela Zhou, a star and writer on the show, spoke with Cold Tea Collective about her experience working on the series..
Expats
Lulu Wang, the writer and director of the critically acclaimed 2019 film The Farewell, is back with Expats, a television drama series based on the best-selling novel The Expatriates by Janice Y.k. Lee. The series revolves around three expatriate women living in Hong Kong whose lives intersect after a tragedy, right as the city explodes into protest during the 2014 Umbrella Revolution.
The six-part limited Prime Video series is helmed by some serious star power, including lead Nicole Kidman and actors Ji-young Yoo, Sarayu Blue, and Brian Tee, who spoke with Cold Tea Collective about his role.
The Brothers Sun
Netflix’s The Brothers Sun’s is an epic, action-packed series that follows Charles—a Taipei gangster—who flees to sunny California to protect his mother and brother from a mysterious enemy. Despite Netflix’s decision to not renew it for a second season, this incredible all-Asian cast, helmed by Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh, raises the bar for cultural representation in popular media with a nuanced and complex depiction of Asian family dynamics.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Everyone knows the 2005 movie that launched Brangelina, but Prime Video is putting their own spin on the sexy-spy drama, Mr. & Mrs. Smith. The TV series features Donald Glover and Maya Erskine, who’s best known for portraying a very different character in the comedy series PEN1S, where she played a comical portrayal of herself as a 2000s teenage outcast.
The remodeled series shifts the premise and plot of the original quite a bit, but Glover and Erskine’s surprising chemistry brings new excitement to a well-known storyline.
The Tiger’s Apprentice
Though The Tiger’s Apprentice originally debuted for Lunar New Year, it’s an enduring animated film that we can watch all year round. The film, based on the novel of the same name by Laurence Yep, follows a Chinese-American teenager Tom Lee, voiced by Brandon Soo Hoo, who discovers he belongs to a lineage of magical protectors charged with defending an ancient phoenix. Alongside Soo Hoo, it’s all-star cast features Michelle Yeoh, Henry Golding, Sandra Oh, Greta Lee, and more.
Kung Fu Panda 4
Kung Fu Panda is back, and so is the ever-lovable, unlikely kung fu master, Po. After three movies of defeating world-class villains, Po is being called into “spiritual leadership,” otherwise known as retirement in the Kung Fu Panda universe. But it doesn’t come easy, and Po must defeat a powerful sorceress, Chameleon, alongside a fox and former thief, Zhen, voiced by Awkwafina. This hilariously heartwarming story also features characters voiced by James Hong, Ke Huy Quan, and Ronny Chieng.
This fresh lineup of AAPI shows and movies indicates that Hollywood is continuing to place its bets on Asian American stories and talent. And with more releases on the way—like the upcoming Star Wars franchise addition, The Acolyte, and HBO’s much-anticipated The Sympathizer—we’re staying hopeful for more Asian-led productions in the future.
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