Greta Lee, the mastermind behind developing HBO dark comedy “KTown” based on the fictional kingpins of Los Angeles’ Koreatown, just might be spearheading the first premium cable show to feature Asian Americans.
The story will focus on Lee who plays Yumi, daughter of a Kingpin family in the Los Angeles neighborhood who explores her “embarrassing” Korean roots. The show will follow how Yumi becomes a powerful Korean-American woman in her own right.
Lee believes this show is another step for Asian Americans to be able to see themselves on screen.
“When you have no sort of representation, when you’re completely absent from media or from everything you’re consuming, no matter how strong your support system is, subconsciously, the subliminal message is, ‘You are defective.’ And I’m just beginning to understand the scope of how damaging that is to people and to myself.”
She will be writing the series with screenwriter Jason Kim. Lee had spoken about how both were comfortable with writing for HBO in the past and the decision to set the story in Los Angeles.
“The show is going to be largely about our families, because it takes place in Koreatown, L.A.,” she said.
Author Jenny Han of the book made popular Netflix movie “To All the Boys I’ve Loved Before” tweeted her support of the show.
Fans also tweeted their support of the new show and what it will mean for Asian Americans moving forward.
Lee herself is known for her roles in Heidi on “High Maintenance,” and Soojin on “Girls.”
HBO will be the first premium cable show to center Asian Americans. A study done by the University of California in Los Angeles had found that Asians only made up 2% of roles in 2014-2015 cable shows.
This developing show rides on the waves made after the debut of “Crazy Rich Asians.”
Images via Instagram / @thegreta
