A new kind of rom-com is coming our way.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Chester Tam will direct a rom-com for Screen Gems starring Gabrielle Union. The film, based on Tam’s own script, will be semi-autobiographical and follow “a newly single African-American woman who begins dating a recently divorced Asian-American man,” per the article’s description.
The logline, the article states, hasn’t been fully revealed, but will focus on “how a drunken one-night stand leads to a secret relationship that eventually becomes public, surprising both friends and family of the couple given that neither is typically the other’s type.”
Seeing how the film is based on Tam’s actual love life, it’s going to be interesting to see how this story plays out on screen. Even more interesting is that Union has been featured in a storyline regarding an Asian-American man and a Black woman before. During ABC’s 2009 sci-fi show Flashforward, Union’s character Zoey Andata was in a committed relationship with John Cho’s Demetri Noh. In fact, when news broke of this story, fans like Thirst Aid Kit‘s Bim Adewunmi immediately wanted Cho to get the co-lead role, which currently hasn’t been cast yet.
IF IT’S NOT CO-STARRING JOHN CHO, ARE THEY EVEN SERIOUS? pic.twitter.com/NumkRZSlGR
— Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) August 15, 2019
THE NORTH REMEMBERS pic.twitter.com/4miWnyE3fM
— Bim Adewunmi (@bimadew) August 15, 2019
Even Union herself got in on the action.
Choooooooo!!!!!! @JohnTheCho what’s up big head ???????? https://t.co/iSnVBN8B24
— Gabrielle Union (@itsgabrielleu) August 15, 2019
Union is producing the film, alongside her producing partner Holly Shakoor Fleischer, through her production company, I’ll Have Another. Underground’s Trevor Engelson and Tam are also producing. This film not only shows that non-white producing power is rising, but it’s also an indication of how non-white narratives are becoming more accepted by Hollywood studios. It would seem these studios are now seeing the monetary value and cultural cache films like these can bring to their brands.
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Photo: Getty Images/Netflix
