Bowen Yang Shines in Early Screening of ‘The Wedding Banquet’ Remake

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At present, the Sundance Film Festival is premiering some movies that could potentially be highly anticipated releases in 2025. One such film is a remake of Ang Lee’s “The Wedding Banquet,” directed by Andrew Ahn. The cast includes Lily Gladstone, Bowen Yang, and other notable stars. A preview screening has taken place, and the response has been quite buzzworthy for the latest work of the “Saturday Night Live” star.

Andrew Ahn’s latest film following his 2022 release of the underappreciated queer romantic comedy “Fire Island” has been well-received by audiences since its April 18th premiere. In this updated version from 2025, the plot revolves around Min (played by Han Gi-chan) suggesting a mutually advantageous marriage to his friend Angela (portrayed by Kelly Marie Tran). This decision sets off a series of events that unfold into a heartwarming romantic comedy worthy of extended applause.

As you’ll see in the reactions shared below, we could have an early hit on our hands:

  • “THE WEDDING BANQUET is an absolute joy. What a blissfully entertaining movie this is, a funny and witty and emotional and totally absorbing queer romantic comedy with one of the finest ensemble casts I’ve seen in some time. This one’s a true crowdpleaser you won’t want to miss!” – @mrbrianrowe
  • “The Wedding Banquet is a breath of fresh air. A genuinely funny situational rom-com with many touching moments and great performances from the entire ensemble. Seeing Joan Chen and Youn Yuh-Jung in significant supporting roles was a real delight. Highly recommended” – @withbrotherbro
  • “THE WEDDING BANQUET is so lovable. A delightful celebration of love, queerness and chosen family. Kelly Marie Tran shows off her incredible talents & the whole cast delivers on the comedy and touching moments. Joan Chen and Youn Yuh-Jung steal the show!” – @ema_sasic
  • “THE WEDDING BANQUET is a heartwarming celebration of friendship, family, and relationships. Andrew Ahn’s remake of the 1993 classic expectedly delivers plenty of laughs, but his sensitive direction allows the cast to truly shine in dramatic moments as well. Kelly Marie Tran and Youn Yuh-jung stand out with emotionally impactful performances that leave a lasting impression. While I expected something more commercial, this remake strikes a perfect balance between being entertaining and profoundly moving.” – @nextbestpicture
  • “THE WEDDING BANQUET: Kelly Marie Tran dresses butchier than Raya, Lily Gladstone works at a pride org, Bowen Yang, and has the most MOTHER mothers in Joan Chen and Youn Yuh-jung stealing the show. Yes this is the gayest movie ever made. Yes, I sobbed so hard, numerous times.” – @rendy_jones

As a fervent admirer, I must confess that it’s still premature to predict whether “The Wedding Banquet” will one day be hailed as one of the greatest rom-coms ever made. Yet, the overwhelmingly positive buzz surrounding its upcoming remake is undeniably noteworthy. Moreover, given the resurgence of the romantic comedy genre on the big screen, it’s heartening to see a production that veers away from the conventional heteronormative narrative generating such a stir.

It’s quite gratifying, too, to notice Joan Chen being praised as a standout in “The Wedding Banquet”. Given that some of her supporters might still be disappointed by her not receiving an Oscar nomination for her performance in “Didi” in 2025, this kind of attention could keep her name relevant when we start discussing potential award winners for the next awards season.

2025’s Sundance Film Festival will carry on its tradition of presenting some of the first films competing for box office and critical acclaim, with “The Wedding Banquet” setting a seemingly high standard. As we move through this festival, it seems that Bowen Yang and the entire cast may also have their time to shine. Let’s keep our fingers crossed that Lily Gladstone’s aspirations towards action movies get some traction; here’s hoping it benefits her physically as well, particularly her knees.

Currently, “The Wedding Banquet” is scheduled for release on April 18th. However, given the buzz surrounding it, there’s a possibility that the release date could be adjusted – either brought forward to allow more viewers to see it earlier or delayed to generate hype for awards season. In the meantime, you can stream Andrew Ahn’s previous film, “Fire Island”, by subscribing to Hulu.

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2025-01-28 19:38