"As a gay and Asian storyteller": Andrew Ahn shares how he connected with the characters before coming up with The Wedding Banquet remake

The Wedding Banquet, a remake of the 1993 film, is an upcoming romantic comedy directed by Andrew Ahn. It will be released in theaters on April 18, 2025. The movie premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival.

The Wedding Banquet remake follows the story of a quartet of queer friends living in Seattle who go along with a fake Korean wedding so Min can acquire a green card to stay with his boyfriend in America. Angela agrees to be Min's bride in return for funded IVF treatment plans. Things become complicated when Min's traditional grandmother arrives in America and arranges for a Korean wedding.

In an interview with Slant Magazine on April 13, 2025, Ahn said he'd watched the 1993 version of the movie with his mother when he was eight. This ignited a spark that led him to depict the gay Asian-American experience on screen. Ahn also spoke about his experience as a filmmaker and his understanding of how the industry works.

"It’s not like writing a novel; you have to spend so much money. It’d be naïve to ignore the business part, but as much as possible, [I’m] holding true to a certain set of priorities for me as a gay and Asian storyteller," he said.

---

How Andrew Ahn engineered the making of The Wedding Banquet

In the interview, Andrew Ahn stated that he wanted the characters in The Wedding Banquet remake to remain authentic, however, he also wanted the movie to be organic and reflective of his sense of humor and personality. James Schamus, the original co-writer, helped him craft and engineer the movie to his liking.

Ahn also spoke about how he thinks films are a true reflection of those who create them.

"I think it’s true about any filmmaker that you age into your movies, and I think that that’s really exciting and interesting. Your films should always reflect who you are in some way," he shared.

He spoke about how he also ensured that he created a supportive environment where the actors could be themselves and bring their characters to life with their interpretations. He also incorporated his actors' suggestions to make the film feel more real.

"Lily’s from Seattle, and I asked her, “Where do drunk people go to grab a bite?” And she said, “Oh, they go to Dick’s. They grab a bag of Dick’s.” We put that into the movie, and I think she was really tickled by that," he said.

Ahn added that he hopes that artists are inspired to tell their own stories after looking at his work. He believes that the power of expression lets people feel more confident and helps us look after one another better.

---

The Wedding Banquet: 1993

The Wedding Banquet: 1993 (Image via YouTube/Rotten Tomatoes Classic Trailers)

The original version of The Wedding Banquet, which inspired the remake, is directed by Ang Lee. The movie follows the story of a gay Taiwanese man, Wai-Tung, who is in a happy long-term relationship with his boyfriend, Simon. However, Wai-Tung's parents want him to get married to a traditional Chinese bride.

To deal with them, Wai-Tung decides to go ahead with a marriage of convenience. He decides to marry Wei-Wei, a struggling artist from Shanghai who lives in his building. The marriage would allow Wei-Wei to get her green card and would also stop Wai-Tung's parents from interfering with his love life.

However, Wai-Tung's parents surprise them with a visit to oversee the proceedings of the wedding. The film then follows Wai-Tung, Simon, and Wei-Wei as they struggle to pull off their plan due to the complications that arise.

---

The Wedding Banquet hits theaters on April 18, 2025.