GAY TIMES speaks with The Wedding Banquet director Andrew Ahn and stars Kelly Marie Tran, Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-chan and Joan Chen about the queer rom-com’s relevance in an era of rising conservatism.

WORDS BY SAM DAMSHENAS

The stars of The Wedding Banquet have reflected on the film’s significance for LGBTQIA+, Asian and Indigenous-American representation, particularly in the era of Trump 2.0.

A remake of the 1993 classic of the same name, the queer rom-com follows lesbian couple Angela (Kelly Marie Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone), who are trying to have a baby via IVF but can’t afford a third round of treatment. They live with their friends: Min (Han Gi-chan), the closeted heir to a multinational empire, and his commitment-averse boyfriend, Chris (Bowen Yang).

When Chris turns down Min’s marriage proposal, Min decides to arrange a green-card marriage with Angela, offering to fund Lee’s IVF in exchange. Their plan is thrown into chaos when Min’s grandmother (Oscar-winner Youn Yuh-jung) arrives from Korea to meet her future granddaughter-in-law, and insists on throwing an extravagant wedding bash.

Directed by Andrew Ahn (Fire Island), The Wedding Banquet received rave reviews for Ahn’s direction and the cast’s performances, as well its homage to the original film as the refreshing dynamic between a gay and lesbian couple.

In an interview with GAY TIMES, Ahn reveals that he wanted to “reimagine” The Wedding Banquet for modern audiences, especially given the LGBTQIA+ community’s recent strides in marriage equality and parenthood.

“I wondered, ‘Now that we can [get married], do we actually want to? Should we?’ With my boyfriend, now that we have the option, it becomes a responsibility, a choice. I think there’s a lot of millennial indecision that we have,” explains Ahn. “And with children, I had this conversation with my boyfriend early on in our dating and he said, ‘If it happens it happens.’ I was like, ‘No! That doesn’t work that way for gay people.’”

“I realised in that moment, as a gay person, we have to be extremely intentional about having children and any sort of small hesitation actually becomes a big obstacle,” he continues. “I kind of split up my relationship with my boyfriend into these two couples – Chris and Min and Angela and Lee – to tackle these two ideas of how queer families can grow.”

Gi-chan, who makes his English-language debut in The Wedding Banquet, says he was drawn to Min as a “three-dimensional, complicated character” caught between living authentically as a gay man and fulfilling the expectations of his Korean family, a tension that reflects the complex intersection of queerness and cultural tradition.

“He’s still in the closet. And when I look at Min, he has a very child-like innocence, which I was really attracted to,” he says. “I think that everyone has a little child-like moment in the corner of their hearts, but we try to hide those moments when we grow up. That was similar to me, so it was the most charming [aspect of Min that] I was trying to make natural on the screen.”

For Yang, he was interested in exploring why Chris is “paralysed by what’s possible”, how he’s sabotaging a happy future with Min because he’s still “dejected” by what’s no longer possible in other areas of his life. “I’ve been saying that this is about a gay couple and a lesbian couple, and there’s a lot of overlap in that Venn diagram,” the Las Culturistas star continues. “But, marriage and parenthood aren’t necessarily living in that overlap. So, what makes this movie very interesting and compelling is that these are two couples that have to grapple with two things they are not normally faced with understanding or really moving through in normal circumstances.”

The inclusion of both queer men and women as lead characters in The Wedding Banquet is one of many reasons the film is groundbreaking. While authentic queer narratives have become more visible in recent years, from All of Us Strangers and Fellow Travelers to Love Lies Bleeding and Bottoms, it’s still rare to see queer characters of different genders sharing the spotlight equally. Ahn quips that “gay men are so annoying sometimes” – a sentiment Yang immediately agrees with – before adding that there’s much to learn from other members of the LGBTQIA+ community, particularly when it comes to “showing solidarity and the organic friendships that can happen.”

Unlike his experience on Fire Island, which featured a predominantly male cast to reflect the setting, Ahn envisioned The Wedding Banquet as more representative of his own “friend group”. “That’s something I really valued in the experience of making this film,” he says. “And honestly, getting to work with Kelly Marie Tran and Lily Gladstone? What a cast. I was very happy to show this mixed queer family.”

Tran, best known for her role as Rose Tico in the Star Wars sequel trilogy, emphasises the importance of visibility for viewers with little exposure to East Asian, Indigenous-American or queer communities. “These are also human beings who are full of hopes and dreams, who want to be loved and accepted,” she says. In light of the current political climate, where LGBTQIA+ rights are under threat and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives are being rolled back, Tran underscores that “legislation doesn’t change until the culture does.” With that in mind, she adds, “Hopefully we get to change culture, change legislation, and make change. That is the dream.”

In light of content honouring Navajo Code Talkers being removed from various U.S. government websites, Gladstone emphasises just how timely a film like The Wedding Banquet is amid what she describes as a “slow rise in fascism”: “We’re rhyming with a very significant part of history again. I feel like, because our characters come from strong, identifiable cultural backgrounds that shape their queerness, it shaped how our characters interact with each other and is making a statement about the great DEI experiment of our time: America.”

Gladstone shares that the script for The Wedding Banquet didn’t explicitly identify Lee as Indigenous, but she approaches every role through the lens of her own identity. To illustrate, she cites a quote from Danny DeVito: “No matter what character I play, they’re all going to be short!” Gladstone, who memorably became the first Indigenous-American to win a Golden Globe for Best Actress and to be nominated for the Best Actress Oscar, for her role as an Osage woman in Killers of the Flower Moon (2023), saw The Wedding Banquet as an opportunity to continue honouring her heritage. She named her character after Princess Angeline, the daughter of Chief Seattle, leader of the Duwamish and Suquamish peoples.

Building on that, Gladstone made a conscious choice to root Lee’s motivations and relationships in a deeply Indigenous worldview, one that pushes back against colonial ideas of land, family, and identity. “I had to decide why, in this day and age, it’s important for Lee to have a child of her own. It’s set up that we found a Taiwanese sperm, so the child would look, at least, like its mom, and it’s clearly Lee’s own egg. So, why would that be important to her?” For Gladstone, the idea of “keeping Duwamish land in Duwamish hands” became central to Lee’s story, especially considering that the Duwamish people, the original inhabitants of Seattle, are still not federally recognised and have repeatedly had their attempts at recognition blocked. Making Lee a Duwamish woman allowed both the character and the film to explore themes of land sovereignty and generational continuity.

Decolonising the concept of family was equally important. Gladstone notes that “it’s been only fairly recently in our history where the idea of the nuclear family has been introduced through colonisation,” along with homophobia, transphobia, and genderphobia. “There’s always traditionally been a space for multiple genders, multiple sexualities. The two have been delineated by our language and cultural practice. A lot of what seems like ‘new knowledge now,’ you can find roots in Indigenous knowledge.” For her, it was crucial that Lee be an explicitly Indigenous character who is “decolonising all of those things by being a community leader, by housing unhoused trans and queer youth, by creating a home for queer families on her ancestral land.”

@gaytimes Lily Gladstone reflects on the importance of indigenous representation in The Wedding Banquet ❤️ #interview #indigenous #indigenoustiktok #newmovie #nativeamerican #representation #queertiktok #dannydevito ♬ Pieces (Solo Piano Version) – Danilo Stankovic

The Wedding Banquet also stars Joan Chen as May Chen, Angela’s mother who, after previously rejecting her for her sexuality, has now become an unwavering LGBTQIA+ ally (and a “mother,” if you will), leading their local PFLAG chapter (Parents and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). Chen previously played Hwei-Lan Gao in Saving Face (2004), one of the first-ever films to centre an LGBTQIA+ Chinese character. It has since been hailed as one of the greatest queer films of all time. Despite May’s consistent efforts to be supportive, Angela sees her activism as performative, and that tension drives a wedge between them.

Whether it’s performative or not, May is trying – and that effort to do better is something many parents of LGBTQIA+ children can learn from. “This is the only way to love your children,” Chen tells GAY TIMES. “I have other lesbian friends who were in that generation, like the Saving Face director [Alice Wu], her generation, everybody has that tragedy, especially for East Asian families, how to tell your family [that you are queer]. Where I come from, it’s still not allowed in mainstream media. You think you’re a failure if your children are not straight. It’s like, ‘No, you cannot be gay because I’m not a bad mother’. That kind of attitude.”

Chen explains that May has overcome many of the prejudices and societal expectations placed on her as an East Asian mother of a queer child, and is now doing her best to “make up for it”: “You love her, not knowing that she has, in the beginning, hurt her child so deeply, traumatised [her]. But she’s not unique, it happens in most Asian cultures. [Wu] came out to her mom and, for two years, they didn’t speak, until the mother turned around. Somehow, you know, there is no other way to love your children.”

The Wedding Banquet is out in UK cinemas now.

The post With DEI and queer voices under threat, The Wedding Banquet speaks louder than ever appeared first on GAY TIMES.

The first full-length trailer has arrived for Overcompensating, starring Benito Skinner as a closeted jock navigating university life.

Also created and written by the former GAY TIMES cover star, the upcoming Prime Video series chronicles the “wild, chaotic journey of Benny,” a former football player and homecoming king coming to terms with his sexuality.

He becomes “fast friends” with Carmen (Wallay Barram), a “high school outsider on a mission to fit in at all costs”.

The official synopsis continues: “With guidance from Benny’s older sister (Mary Beth Barone) and her campus-legend boyfriend (Adam DiMarco), Benny and Carmen juggle horrible hookups, flavoured vodka, and fake IDs.

“Deeply funny and personal, the show explores the lengths to which we all overcompensate while on the path to finding out who we really are.”

The trailer builds on the teaser, showing Benny as he attempts to have sex with Carmen, fantasises about fellow student Miles (Rish Shah), and hooks up with a character played by The White Lotus star Lukas Gage.

It also reveals additional guest stars including Megan Fox (Jennifer’s Body), Matt Rogers (No Good Deed), Bowen Yang (The Wedding Banquet), James Van Der Beek (Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23), Didi Conn (Shelter), Rachel Matthews (Upgraded), Danielle Perez (The Night Agent), and TikTok stars Boman Martinez-Reid and Yasmine Sahid.

Also joining the cast are Holmes, Corteon Moore, Owen Thiele, Nell Verlaque, Tomaso Sanelli, Andrea Martin, Connie Britton, Kyle MacLachlan, Kaia Gerber, Julia Shiplett, Tommy Do, Alexandra Beaton, Claire Qute, Elias Azimi, Maddie Phillips and Charli XCX.

The brat singer also serves as an executive producer and executive music producer.

Produced by A24, Strong Baby, and Amazon MGM Studios, Overcompensating premieres all eight episodes on 15 May on Prime Video.

You can watch the hilarious first trailer below.

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The director of Fire Island has addressed the idea of a potential sequel.

Back in 2022, LGBTQ+ movie enthusiasts were treated to the queer Pride and Prejudice retelling/rom-com starring Joel Kim Booster, Bowen Yang, Matt Rogers, Tomas Matos and Zane Phillips.

The film, which is currently streaming on Hulu in the US and Disney+ in the UK, follows two best friends – Noah (Booster) and Howie (Yang) – as they embark on their annual weeklong vacation to the titular gay hotspot.

Upon release, fans and critics praised the Andrew Ahn-directed comedy for centring the queer Asian-American experience and for exploring issues such as body image, wealth and race, as well as its celebration of LGBTQ+ culture.

As the Lydia Bennett-based Luke, Rogers memorably went viral for his scene with Keegan (Matos) in which the breakout duo pay homage to Marisa Tomei and her Oscar-winning role in My Cousin Vinny.

Over the last few years, Fire Island fans (including us) have called on the cast and crew to return for a sequel.

While nothing has been officially greenlit, Ahn recently revealed to Entertainment Weekly that he and Booster mulled around the idea of a potential follow-up.

“There’s always been conversation about doing a sequel,” he told the news outlet. “I don’t know if a real concrete idea has been formed yet, but there are things in the ether.”

Towards the end of his statement, Ahn revealed that Booster “always jokes” that a Fire Island sequel would be like the hit Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That, adding: “Where it’s 30 years later, and they’re older and gayer. We’ll see what happens.”

Ahn isn’t the only one who has talked about a potential Fire Island sequel.

In a 2023 interview with GAY TIMES, Matt Rogers said there were “immediate” conversations about a follow-up film after the release of the gaycation comedy.

The Las Culturistas podcast co-host added that “there was some talk” about the sequel taking place in Provincetown and focusing on the nuptials of Howie and Charlie, where they would “run into the characters that were from the first movie”.

“It would be a really interesting continuation,” explained Rogers. “The truth is, you do pull away from the dock, watch them dance, and you do wanna know what’s next.

“That is, I think, a compliment to the ensemble and the wonderful script. You do fall in love with the characters by the end. More than just the characters, their group dynamic was worth following.”

Booster also shared his two cents on a Fire Island sequel in a separate interview with GAY TIMES in 2022.

“While I don’t know that I necessarily feel all the way inspired to write another gay vacation movie at this time, I would definitely do anything to work with this cast again,” he said. 

“Maybe what will happen is I’ll do an And Just Like That… sort of style film in 20 years from now. We’ll all return to Fire Island, and we’ll see where these characters are in 20 years.”

While the future of the Fire Island universe remains uncertain, Ahn is blessing LGBTQIA+ movie enthusiasts with other pieces of queer-led media.

On 18 April, the acclaimed director’s new film, The Wedding Banquet, will hit theatres in the US.

A remake of the 1993 classic of the same name, the upcoming rom-com follows lesbian couple Angela (Kelly Tran) and Lee (Lily Gladstone), who are trying to have a baby via IVF but can’t afford a third round of fertility treatment.

Min (Gi-chan, in his English-language debut), their friend, is the “closeted scion of a multinational corporate empire,” meaning he has “plenty of family money, but a soon-to-expire student visa.”

After his boyfriend, the commitment-averse Chris (Yang), turns down his marriage proposal, Min decides to arrange a green-card marriage with Angela, offering to fund Lee’s IVF in exchange.

Check out the full trailer for The Wedding Banquet below.

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The first trailer has arrived for The Wedding Banquet, starring queer icons Bowen Yang, Lily Gladstone and Kelly Marie Tran.

A remake of the 1993 classic of the same name, the upcoming rom-com follows lesbian couple Angela (Tran) and Lee (Gladstone), who are trying to have a baby via IVF but can’t afford a third round of fertility treatment.

Min (Gi-chan, in his English-language debut), their friend, is the “closeted scion of a multinational corporate empire,” meaning he has “plenty of family money, but a soon-to-expire student visa.”

After his boyfriend, the commitment-averse Chris (Yang), turns down his marriage proposal, Min decides to arrange a green-card marriage with Angela, offering to fund Lee’s IVF in exchange.

Their quiet plan to elope is thrown into chaos when Min’s grandmother (Oscar winning Minari star Youn Yuh-jung) arrives from Korea to meet her future granddaughter-in-law and insists on hosting an extravagant wedding celebration.

The Wedding Banquet was directed by Andrew Ahn, the visionary behind Fire Island (2022), which has been hailed as one of the best LGBTQIA+ films of the decade. (Yang also memorably starred in the rom-com as Howie.)

Ahn co-wrote the script with James Schamus, who was nominated for an Oscar for his screenplay for Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon (2000) and won a BAFTA for producing Brokeback Mountain (2005).

In the first trailer for The Wedding Banquet, Angela, Lee and Chris “de-queer the house” as Min returns from the airport with his grandmother, Angela’s ally mother laments her daughter’s decision to marry a man and Chris comments on the ‘absurdity’ of their situation.

The Wedding Banquet premiered at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. It will receive a theatrical release in the U.S. on 18 April. Watch the trailer here or below!

The post The Wedding Banquet – from the same director of Fire Island! – receives hilarious first trailer appeared first on GAY TIMES.

Raya and the Last Dragon star Kelly Marie Tran has publicly come out as queer.

The 35-year-old talent announced the exciting news during a recent Vanity Fair feature for her film The Wedding Banquet – which is a remake of Ang Lee’s 1993 queer romantic comedy of the same name.  

“I haven’t said this publicly yet, but I’m a queer person,” she exclaimed.

Tran went on to gush about the upcoming Andrew Ahn-directed project and how portraying her gay character didn’t feel like acting.

“The thing that excited me about it was I got to play a person that I felt like I knew. I don’t feel like I’m acting at all in this movie,” she continued.

“I’m here doing this amazing movie with these amazing people. I’ve never been in a queer space before. I’ve never truly felt this accepted.”

Taking place in Seattle, Washington, The Wedding Banquet remake follows Angela (Tran) and her girlfriend Lee (Lily Gladstone), who are trying to have a baby through IVF, and their best friends Chris (Bowen Yang) and Min (Han Gi-chan), who live in the former couple’s guest house. 

Similar to its predecessor, the film features a faux wedding plan, with Min and Angela agreeing to walk down the aisle to appease the former’s conservative Korean parents and secure a green card. At the same time, Angela intends to use the opportunity to raise money for IVF treatments.

 

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Elsewhere in her interview, Tran revealed that she and Angela shared similar life moments – especially regarding the character’s coming out journey with her mother, played by Minari star Joan Chen.

“I came out to my mom in a very specific experience. The scenes that I have with Joan Chen in this movie are very similar to the experience that I had,” she explained.

Before publicly coming out as queer, Tran had consistently used her platform to support the LGBTQIA+ community.

Following the release of Raya and the Last Dragon, she affirmed fans who theorized that the title character is queer.

“I think if you’re a person watching this movie and you see representation in a way that feels really real and authentic to you, then it is real and authentic,” she told Vanity Fair. “I think it might get me in trouble for saying that, but whatever.”

Tran also expressed her hopes for more LGBTQIA+ representation in future Disney projects, stating: “There’s a lot of work to be done in that respect. I’d love to see a Disney warrior who – I don’t know, can I say this without getting in trouble? I don’t care – is openly in the LGBTQ+ community.”

Ahn’s The Wedding Banquet remake is set for release in 2025.

Check out the trailer to Lee’s 1993 classic here or below.

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Taiwan will become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage on 24 May.

Despite a public referendum voting against same-sex marriage in Taiwan, the country’s government has overruled the decision and followed the initial court ruling to legalise same-sex marriage.

Same-sex marriage will automatically become legal in the country on 24 May, and applications to get married in the capital city of Taipei opened up yesterday (23 April).

The Department of Civil Affairs confirmed that it was taking online and phone bookings, and the Home Affairs Department confirmed that it was equipped handle same-sex marriages by the court deadline.

Despite there being an automatic date for the legalisation, the Taiwanese government have confirmed plans to legislate for the ruling before the automatic deadline. There are currently two equal marriage bills in parliament, with one giving more rights than the other.

Last December, the government estimated that 4,000 same-sex couples had already applied to get married.

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LGBTQ groups are celebrating the decision, with Equal Marriage Taiwan collecting well-wishes for same-sex newlyweds, and The Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights planning a wedding banquet outside the Presidential Office for the day after same-sex marriage is legalised.

Benson Lee from Equal Marriage Taiwan said: “We are looking forward to seeing the first same-sex marriages in Asia. And show to the world that Taiwan proudly has our own democratic constitution and diversity values in Asia.”

And although Taiwan will become the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage, ten same-sex couples in Japan are suing the government for not recognising their relationship.

The Japan Times reports that the couples are seeking some form of compensation and that their claims will be filed in courts around the country, like in Tokyo or Nagoya.

One of the lawyers for the couples, Shinya Maezono said: “We want our call to be widespread so that the freedom to marry will be recognised for everyone.”

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