According to Deadline.com, none other than director Justin Lin has acquired the screen rights for David Henry Hwang's critically-acclaimed comic play Chinglish: Justin Lin Revs Screen Adapation Of David Henry Hwang Play 'Chinglish.'Justin Lin will direct and produce the screen adaptation of Hwang's extremely un-Fast Five-like stage play of crossed cultures. To knowledge, Chinglish does not feature any high-speed chases, car chases or explosions... but hey, we all know adaptations can be tricky:
Hwang will write the script and will co-produce with Bobbi Thompson. The play, a romantic comedy with a timely, political spin, opened at Chicago's Goodman Theatre en route to Broadway. An international tour beginning at Berkeley Repertory Theatre starts this fall. "As soon as I saw Chinglish on Broadway, I began to envision this smart and insightful cross-cultural comedy as a film,” Lin said. "I'm excited about working with David to bring this very timely story to the screen." Lin's Barnstorm has a first-look deal with Universal, and the studio will get first crack at this.I never got around to seeing Chinglish, and while it sounds like a far cry from the Fast movies, I have confidence that Justin Lin can handle it with right kind of sensitivity. But he is very busy man -- when will he have time to actually make it?
Over at YOMYOMF, here's David Henry Hwang's own take on the Chinglish stage-to-screen adaptation: The 'Chinglihs' Journal: A New Chapter.