Revival

I stumbled upon news about that TV show where Maggie Q was going to star as Chinese pirate Ching Shih. I first read about this project in 2014 in Deadline, where it was described as a TV show called "Red Flag" after the pirate fleet. But apparently this somehow morphed into a TV movie called "Queen of Canton" that has the same description and has Maggie Q as the star. But it looks like the project is still in development and there hasn't been any news on it for a few years now. I hope it's not dead, just because Maggie's in a network TV show now. I mean, surely she can have some time off of Designated Survivor to do a movie? Or if she can't find time, then maybe they'll recast with a Chinese actress, like Sun Li from Iron Road? It's not that there's a lack of Asian actors in the business; it's that Hollywood doesn't provide enough lead Asian roles, or tries to whitewash them.

I was glad to hear that Disney cast a Chinese actress for their live-action Mulan. I hope they will try to cast the rest of the parts that way, and keep Mulan as the protagonist rather than a passive foil for whoever the male lead is. I'm pleased that the director is a woman, and that the scriptwriters are women too. Less chance of a male-gazy film and more something like a celebration of strength and power like in Patty Jenkin's Wonder Woman. I do wish that Disney would hire more women directors, though. It seems like in all their announcements for their live-action remakes, they keep picking predominately male directors. Why can't they spread it around a bit more?

I'm still looking forward to the Crazy Rich Asians movie too. Please let this new diversity push be a lasting trend, and not just a one-off like The Joy Luck Club in the 1990s.