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The romantic comedy film titled The Wedding Banquet was released in theaters on April 18, 2025, in the USA. The film is a remake of the 1993 film of the same title. It is directed by Andrew Ahn, who also co-wrote the script along with James Schamus. The distribution rights for the USA and Canada were acquired by Bleecker Street, and internationally by Universal Pictures.
The story follows two gay couples sharing a living space. Chris and his boyfriend, Min, rent Lee's garage. Lee lives with her girlfriend, Angela. To deal with certain problems, Min proposes to the four of them the idea that he would marry Angela for the green card and, in return, pay for Angela and Lee's IVF.
Complications begin when Min's grandmother, Ja-Young, decides to give them a surprise visit and throw the new couple a Korean-style wedding banquet.
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In an interview with Newsweek published on April 17, 2025, the director, Andrew Ahn, explained the importance of a balance between humor and sensitivity in the rom-com genre, which, according to him, is "magical."
As per the interview, he wanted to show the audience how it felt being in love, which is similar to being on a roller coaster. The director added:
"Romance is incredibly funny and silly, and at the same time so heartfelt. It's the kind of roller coaster of emotions that you ride when you fall in love. I really wanted to embrace that and in some ways even accentuate it, because I think that the comedy makes the drama more heartfelt and the drama makes the comedy more cathartic and even funnier."
Andrew continued to explain that he took working on his remake of the 1993 film seriously, as he wanted the film to connect with people who have fallen in love.
"I wanted The Wedding Banquet to feel dynamic and spiky and fun for an audience who go on this journey with this incredible ensemble. I really took the assignment seriously," he said.
What makes Andrew Ahn's The Wedding Banquet different from the original?
The Wedding Banquet by Andrew Ahn is less comical than the original and indulges its audience more towards gender-adjacent issues in a gay relationship. While the original had one gay couple in the plot, Andrew's story revolves around two gay couples whose lives are interconnected.
The deal in the remake involves Min helping Lee and Angela pay for their expensive IVF after an unsuccessful first try. Min's grandmother decides to throw a wedding banquet, unlike the original, where the parents are more involved. Andrew's expansion of the plot to two couples allows the movie to showcase a broader ethnic group and explore more ethnic identities as a core theme.
The Wedding Banquet remake was written with the intent to connect more with the modern-day audience. It explores subjects like family planning, views on same-sex relationships in different cultures, and the financial and emotional implications of having a baby in the present day.
In the same interview with Newsweek, Andrew Ahn also stated how his remake emphasizes the importance of being a community in the modern day. As per the director, a lot of importance is placed on individuality, and people often are left to digest harrowing issues alone.
"It's incredibly harrowing to absorb all the news that's unfolding in front of us, and to absorb that alone. I think that the only way that we can feel a sense of hope, a sense of motivation, is through community. Talking to people who share our values and who want to get together and fight for what we think is important," he said.
The Wedding Banquet intends to display a balance between individuality and having people to rely upon, noted Andrew Ahn.
"There's so much importance placed on the individual, and I think that's really important, but at the same time, I do think you have to balance this with a sense of the greater community. The greater world. So, you know, I really wanted to reflect that balance also in the film," continued the director.
Also read: The Wedding Banquet: Full list of cast explored
What is The Wedding Banquet all about?
The trailer for The Wedding Banquet was released on March 17, 2025, and is available on the official Bleecker Street YouTube channel. Min, who lives in Lee's garage with his boyfriend Chris, has been avoiding a return to his home country, South Korea, for some time now. In order to make his stay permanent in the U.S., he suggests that he marry Lee's partner, Angela.
In exchange for the green card, Min decides to pay for the lesbian couple's expensive IVF. What seemed like a perfect plan gets completely complicated after Min's grandmother surprises them with a wedding banquet for his grandchild.
Andrew Ahn co-wrote the script with James Schamus, the writer of the original film. The film stars Bowen Yang as Chris, Han Gi-chan as Min, Lily Gladstone as Lee, and Kelly Marie Tran as Angela. The other notable features include Joan Chen as May Chen and Youn Yuh-jung as Ja-Young.
The Wedding Banquet first premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. The romantic comedy film was theatrically released in theaters on April 18, 2025. As per IMDb, the film has a runtime of one hour and 42 minutes.
