Daniel Dae Kim & Randall Park to Lead Heist Film at Amazon Studios

August 18, 2020

After starring as romantic rivals in the acclaimed Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe, Daniel Dae Kim and Randall Park are reuniting to lead an Asian American heist film at Amazon Studios, who acquired the film after a heated bidding war, according to Deadline.

Penned by Young Il Kim (Billions), the plot details for the untitled film are currently being kept under wraps but sources report that the story will center on a reunion of high school friends who assemble for a heist in the same vein of the “classic, fun ensemble heist films.“

“I think it has nods to Ocean’s 11, The Full Monty as well as Better Luck Tomorrow,” Kim said. “It’s a story that kind of highlights community, friendship, unity in a very familiar genre that people I think will enjoy. There is an appetite to see this kind of a movie with an Asian American cast and that is a really promising sign of the times.”

The concept for the film came from an idea developed by Kim, Park and 3AD’s Head of Development John Cheng, with Park and Kim attaching themselves as the lead stars while also planning to assemble an ensemble of primarily Asian American actors. The duo are old friends in real life and expressed excitement to unite once again for the project as well as with the Billions alum to “tell this special story of friendship, pride and community.”

“We love heist movies,” Kim said. “We want to be inclusive and we feel like there’s a story here to be told. It’s super exciting… Randall and I have wanted to do something together for a while. This is just a great reason to bring together talented actors who have been friends for a really long time and really have fun on a project that, with any luck, will be able to make an impact.”

Park is set to produce the film alongside Kim and Cheng under their 3AD banner, which recently entered a first-look TV deal with Amazon Studios, though this project is noted as being outside of said deal.

(Photo Credits: Getty Images)