Shortcomings, the directorial debut by actor Randall Park, is being picked up by Sony Pictures Classics, which has acquired worldwide rights. Shortcomings premiered recently at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival.
In announcing the project, Sony Pictures Classics said that “Randall Park’s Shortcomings is as relevant today as when Adrian Tomine’s book was first published almost 20 years ago. Its modern ideas about racial and sexual politics, its caustic humor, and authentic voice will resonate with today’s moviegoing audience. It will be our privilege to work with Randall and our friends at Topic Studios, Tango, Imminent Collision, Picture Films, and Roadside to bring this story to audiences everywhere.”
Not surprisingly, Park is thrilled at the Sony deal. “The thought of Shortcomings playing on a big screen and opening with that iconic Sony Pictures Classics logo thrills me to no end,” Park was quoted as saying. “To be a part of their rich legacy of independent filmmaking is a real honor. Thank you to Michael [Barker] and Tom [Bernard] for embracing our story about flawed, complex human beings, who happen to be Asian American, just trying their best. Please do not change your logo anytime soon.”
The feature is a coming-of-age story that centers on the romantic and professional vicissitudes of Ben, a struggling filmmaker, and his girlfriend, Miko, who works at a San Francisco-area Asian American film festival. Ben is played by Justin H. Min and the role of Miko is played by Ally Maki. In the film, Ben is depicted as obsessing over blonde women and hanging out with his best friend, Alice (played by Sherry Cola), a queer graduate student.
Shortcomings is based on the original graphic novel by Adrian Tomme, who also adapted the screenplay and was executive producer for the film. The Sundance premiere was favorably reviewed by Variety’s Jessica King, who called it a “fresh-faced, funny directorial debut from the ever-engaging Park.”
Park is best known for his role of Louis Huang in the ABC sitcom Fresh Off the Boat. He also appeared in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in several films, including Ant-Man and the Wasp and WandaVision. Also starring in the film will be Tavi Gevinson, Debby Ryan, Sonoya Mizuno, Timothy Simons, and Jacob Batalon.
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