Netflix has nabbed the rights to director Jude Weng's feature film debut, the Hawaii-set family adventure Finding Ohana, with newcomers Kea Peahu and Alex Aiono leading a large ensemble of Hawaiian and Asian actors.
Finding Ohana follows two Brooklyn siblings whose summer in a rural Oahu town takes an exciting turn when a journal pointing to long-lost treasure sets them on an adventure, leading them to reconnect with their Hawaiian heritage. According to screenwriter Christina Strain, it's "a Goonies style adventure starring all Datas."
Read this great Twitter thread, in which Strain explains why and how this project came together:
Guys, last year, I sold a script to Netflix. And right now, @judeweng's shooting our movie in Hawaii!
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
Now that I can FINALLY talk about it, lemme tell you about how I wrote a movie FULL of Asian-Pacific Islanders, and how it's actually being made!https://t.co/384QXOe2nW
5 years ago, while at AFI, I found myself really unhappy with everything I’d written. I’d written scripts I thought I “should” write to break in, and in the end I hated all of it.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
So I wrote something for me. Like, fuck "what the industry wants," I want a Goonies style adventure starring all Datas. Cause as an Asian American kid, growing up, Data and Short Round were my heroes, and I always wanted MORE of Jonathan Ke Quan.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
The end result was a script I poured my heart into. A Goonies style movie in Hawaii that was about family, culture, and heritage. A movie starring 2 12 yr olds, a 17 yr old, and 18 yr old-- 3 outta 4 who are Asian Pacific Islanders. A movie I was sure no studio would ever make.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
4 yrs later, my agent sent it to @JudeWeng to see if she was interested in directing it. And she was! Our meeting was great, and Jude's amazing, but still, every studio I'd met with didn't want to make it. It starred Asian kids and was expensive. I didn't think it would happen.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
THEN CAME NETFLIX. Specifically, an INCREDIBLE exec named Janet Wu. She'd been looking for a family adventure movie, but no one was writing them, and so my agent was like "my client has one." He sent it to her, she read it, and then immediately made an offer. Like, a day later.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
After Jude and I finalized things with Netflix, we were fortunate enough to pair up with producers Ian Bryce, Irene Yeung, JJ Hook, and Katie Malott, who've been nothing but insanely supportive, effective, and just plain incredible. Quite frankly, they get shit done.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
So for the last year I've been fine tuning story w/@JudeWeng and rewriting with the assistance of several amazing Hawaiian cultural consultants. And now we're shooting it! A movie I wrote for no one but myself 5 yrs ago! It's surreal and amazing, but also fills me with hope.
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
So yeah. I can’t wait for you guys to see our Netflix movie FINDING OHANA! 🎉 pic.twitter.com/3Iyy3NP0S5
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
Also, I should probably mention that the original inspiration for FINDING ‘OHANA, Jonathan Ke Quan, is also IN the movie. 🎉🎉🎉 pic.twitter.com/BgyyNr2rzZ
— Christina Strain (@christinastrain) September 30, 2019
Amazing.
The cast also includes Marc Evan Jackson, Lindsay Watson, Owen Vaccaro, Kelly Hu, Ke Huy Quan(!!!), Ricky Garcia, Ryan Higa, Mapuana Makia, Brad Kalilimoku, X Mayo and Kyndra Sanchez.
More here: ‘Young Sheldon’ Director’s Feature Debut 'Finding Ohana' Lands at Netflix