
Kung Fu premieres April 7th on The CW Network (Starring Olivia Liang)
KUNG FU
- By KENNE HOFFMAN
The 1972 martial arts action-adventure series Kung Fu (starring David Carradine) and Kung Fu: The Legend Continues is being re-imagined for the CW Network by executive producers Christina M. Kim (creator of the updated version), Ed Spielman (creator of the original series), Greg Berlanti, Hanelle Culpepper, Martin Gero, and Sarah Schechter. 2021’s Kung Fu is set in the present day and follows Nicky Chen (Olivia Liang), a young Chinese-American woman whose quarter-life crisis forces her to leave college and make a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. Upon her return to America, she finds her hometown of San Francisco is plagued by crime and corruption run by ‘the Triad.’ Nicky is forced to use her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community all while dealing with her estranged family and searching for the assassin who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her. The supporting cast features Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua, Jon Prasida, Shannon Dang, Eddie Liu, Gavin Stenhouse, Gwendoline Yeo, and Tony Chung. In light of the recent tragedy in Atlanta and the rise in anti-Asian racism and violence, this adaptation of Kung Fu could not come at a better time. In terms of advancing positive and powerful Asian representation on screen, Kung Fu showcases an almost entirely Asian cast on a major network. It tells a distinctly Asian-American story about family, community, and yes, some awesome martial arts.
“Kung Fu” premieres April 7th on The CW Network.