Randall Park, Ming-Na Wen lead ensemble cast for father-daughter dark comedy

Randall Park, Ming-Na Wen, Joel Kim Booster, Margaret Cho, Anirudh Pisharody and Yao will star in “Better Life,” the feature debut of writer-director Jessica Liu.

Based on Liu’s proof-of-concept short that screened at Oscar-qualifying festivals, the upcoming film mixes dark satire with grounded sci-fi in a story about ambition, family and identity. It follows an aging father who sees a medical procedure that promises to turn slackers into overachievers as his last shot at the American dream through his unemployed adult daughter.

Liu, inspired by her relationship with her immigrant father, adapted the script under Park’s mentorship through the Alliance of Women Directors. Production begins in September in Los Angeles under the California Film & Television Tax Credit Program.