Focus Features has acquired world rights to Sean Wan's coming-of-age film “Dìdi” from Sundance. The film won the U.S. Dramatic Audience Award and the U.S. Dramatic Special Jury Award for Best Ensemble Cast at last week's Sundance Film Festival.
The film follows the title character, played by Isaac Wang, as he goes through adolescence as a Taiwanese-American boy living in the Bay Area. Joan Chen, Shirley Chen and Zhang Lihua also appear.
“Dìdi” is produced by Carlos López Estrada, Josh Peters, Valerie Bush, and Sean Wang. Chris Quintos Cathcart, Tyler Boehm, Robina Riccitiello, Joan Chen, Chris Columbus, Eleanor Columbus, Dave A. Liu and Jennifer J. Pritzker serve as executive producers.
The film will be the first release from Estrada's Antigravity Academy, a production company and talent development organization focused on creating opportunities for emerging filmmakers.
“'Diddy' is a movie I've always wanted to see. It's about me living my best life, set in a place I know, starring people who look like people I know. It's a coming-of-age story from the worst version of our times in our lives. Ever since it premiered at Sundance, it has been a dream to see this film resonate with so many people. We're very excited to partner with Focus to share this story with an even wider audience and hopefully get to see ourselves. Among them is Kiska Higgs, president of production and acquisitions at Focus Features, in a statement.
She continued: “Everyone on 'Focus' saw a part of themselves in 'Diddy,' and we wanted to bring Sean Wan's incredible vision of a California misfit to the world that would fall in love with 13-year-old Wan Wan.” I can’t wait to share it with the audience inside” as he stumbled into high school. ”
This will be director Wang's feature directorial debut. He is currently an Oscar-nominated director for the short film NĎi Nai and Wài Pó. This short story was also selected as a finalist in TheWrap's ShortList 2023.
Focus will release “Dìdi” on February 9th on Disney+ and Hulu.
