Steven Yeun might be most famous for his role as fan favorite Glen Rhee in AMC’s The Walking Dead, but Yeun’s now trying his hand at being an executive producer for the first time in A24’s upcoming film, Minari. This move comes off Yuen’s critically acclaimed role in Lee Chang-dong’s Burning, a Japanese/South Korean film that premiered in 2018 with a limited release and, more recently, roles in the rebooted Twilight Zone and Netflix’s Tuca and Bertie. In Minari, Yeun will also play the lead role of a first-generation Korean immigrant that begins raising his family in 1980s rural Arkansas in search of the American Dream.
The film is inspired by writer/director Lee Isaac Chung’s own life growing up in Arkansas and being raised by South Korean immigrant parents. Yeun was also born in South Korea and moved with his family to Michigan when he was five. Chung first gained attention as a director when he was awarded the Grand Jury Prize at the AFI Fest for his debut feature Munyurangabo, a 2007 Rwandan drama film.
Minari will also star U.S. feature newcomers Yeri Han and Youn Yuh-Jung, along with Will Patton (Remember the Titans) and Scott Haze (Thank You for Your Service). Production for the film will begin next week.
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