The Joy Luck Club Is Getting A Sequel, Writers Amy Tan And Ron Bass Returning
Decades after revolutionizing how we see Asian American women on screen, "The Joy Luck Club" will be meeting up once again. Deadline reports that the 1993 film, originally directed by Wayne Wang, will be getting a sequel that is sure to continue the themes of intergenerational struggles portrayed in the original. Amy Tan, who wrote the original 1989 novel, and Ron Bass will both return as screenwriters. Hyde Park Entertainment Group, headed up by Ashok Amritraj, will handle the majority of producing duties on the project.
"We are excited to be teaming with Hyde Park and ["The Judge" producer] Jeff Kleeman in bringing to life the next generation of these four families so close to our hearts," the duo wrote in a statement provided to Deadline.
Not much is known about the film's story, but what we do know is that it will be a true legacy sequel in every sense of the term. The original cast, including its breakout star Ming-Na Wen, is in negotiations to return as their characters, the majority of whom will now be mothers and grandmothers passing along their families' histories and relationships to their identities. Needless to say, we'll likely have to break out the tissue box for this film.
I see you
The original "Joy Luck Club" was divided into four stories, each centering around a member of the titular club and their daughters. These stories switched between the members' struggles with migrating to America from China and their fears over their daughters inheriting these traumas. However, it is not all doom and gloom — "The Joy Luck Club" is simultaneously a celebration of being an Asian woman and finding community amongst your peers. It was a watershed moment in American cinematic history when it was released in 1993, as many depictions of Asian women on screen were dictated by sexual and harmful stereotypes.
In the years since the release of the original film, there have been similarly significant moments for Asian representation. "Crazy Rich Asians" became a phenomenon in 2018 with its all-Asian cast, and 2021's "Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings" marked the first mainstream superhero movie with an Asian lead, director, and majority cast. Asian media, not just those made in America, have also broken barriers — South Korea's "Parasite" became the first non-English film to win Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, and "Squid Game" recently became the first non-English television show to be nominated for the 2022 Emmys.
While these are certainly milestones worth celebrating, authentic representation is still few and far between. Hopefully, "The Joy Luck Club 2" can help usher in this new era of Asian womanhood on screen.