If you’ve seenCrazy Rich AsiansorRaya and the Last Dragon, chances are you’re familiar with Adele Lim. While the latter has seen some mixed reception since its initial release in 2021,Crazy Rich Asianshas remained a critical and commercial darling, cementing itself in history as themost financially successful romantic comedyof the 2010s. Now, only two years removed from her last film, Adele Lim is back with a brand-new feature. But, this time, she’ll be seated in the director’s chair instead of writing the screenplay.
Initially announced in 2021,Joy Rideis anupcoming adventure comedy filmthat’ll put a new, R-Rated spin on the “road trip” genre. While we’ve seen the genre tackled in a variety of ways before, from the amnesiac adventure in Todd Phillips’The Hangoverto the idiotic escapades ofDumb and Dumber, Lim will be doing something a little bit different. Along with jokes, we’ll be seeing a story that stems from Lim’s own experiences, with characters that, in her own words, “have so much heart.” We’re not too far away from the film’s release, meaning there’s no better time to discuss everything we know aboutJoy Ride.
Joy Ride: The Plot
The plot synopsis forJoy Rideis as follows:
“When Audrey’s business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo, her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat, her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye, Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.”
From the synopsis alone, we already have a decent idea of how the movie will play out. Friends in undesirable circumstances embark on a journey, have fun, and eventually fight and disagree, all before ultimately becoming even stronger friends than they were before. While we may see a subversion of this template, it’s not as if following it would be a bad thing. After all, templates exist because they tend to work more often than not. Besides, the appeal of the road-trip movie isn’t so much in the story’s high stakes but in how the characters within it can make it entertaining.
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Luckily, it looks like we’ll have an entertaining group on deck. We can assume that Audrey will be the centerpiece of the group, someone that we can more easily relate to compared to her friends. Speaking of which, it looks as though their varied backgrounds and connections to Audrey will provide plenty of laughs – and possibly tension, depending on how events unfold. The synopsis implies that self-love and finding one’s own identity will be a major theme of the film overall, hinting that each of the four may find themselves a changed person by the time it’s all said and done.
Joy Ride: The Cast
The lead role of Audrey will be played by Ashley Park. She’s hada star-studded streak on Broadway, starring in the likes ofMamma Mia!,The King And I,Sunday In The Park With George, and the Broadway adaptation ofMean Girls. Comparatively, her film and television appearances aren’t as high profile, but they still show off the range of her acting abilities. She made multiple appearances across Netflix’sEmily in Paris, Peacock’sGirls5eva, andNightcap.
Alongside Audrey as her childhood best friend is Lolo, played by Sherry Cola. Her background is a bit more varied, having starred in the seriesGood Troubleand lending her voice toTurning RedandBaby Shark’s Big Show!You can also find her in TNT’sClaws, where she played the character of Lucy Chun. Lolo’s cousin, Deadeye, will be played by Sabrina Wu, whose previous credits include writing for Disney’sDoogie Kamealoha, M.D.
Lastly, the Chinese soap opera star Kat will be played by Stephanie Hsu. Aside from getting some significant attention for her role inA24’sEverything Everywhere All At Once,she has also appeared inThe Marvelous Mrs. Maisel,Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens,Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, and Hulu’sThe Path.
Related:5 Asian Directors Whose Movies You Should Be Watching
Other cast members expected to appear inJoy Rideare Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier,With Love), Alexander Hodge (Inescure, Black Lightning), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians,Palm Springs).
Release Date
PerDeadline,Joy Ridewill make its debut at South by Southwest (SXSW) on Mar. 17. Afterward,Joy Ridewill be publicly available in theaters starting Jun. 23.
Joy Ride: Everything Else
While Adele Lim is partially responsible for developingJoy Ride’sstory, screenwriting responsibilities will be delegated to Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy,The Orville) and Teresa Hsiao (Awkwafina is Nora From Queens,Family Guy).
Joy Ridewill be produced by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg’s studio, Point Grey Pictures. The studio is primarily known for films likeThis is the End,The Disaster Artist, andBlockers.
