Sung Kang, best known for his role as Han Lue in the Fast & Furious franchise, is now taking the director’s seat for the upcoming live-action film adaptation of Initial D.
Kang has recently made his directorial debut with his horror-comedy film Shaky Shivers. While promoting the film in an interview with South China Morning Post, he opened up about the challenges of discrimination in Hollywood and his decision to step behind the camera. He stated, “People think it’s all rosy on my side of the fence, but I’ve yet to play the role I feel I can. It’s like I’m at the starting line, but I never get to run the full race. Yes, I’ve been in big tent pole movies. But as an artist, I am not fulfilled.”
When the roles he wanted didn’t appear, he believed that “It was time to get behind the camera and start creating.” He added, “As a director, I can give opportunities to people who face the same struggles I face in Hollywood. It’s about paying it forward and passing on knowledge.”
With his future films, he hopes to be able to tell stories that he’s passionate about. His two upcoming projects include a film about his childhood in a biracial family in the US state of Georgia, and an adaptation of Shuichi Shigeno’s Initial D manga. Initial D previously had a live-action adaptation in 2005 starring Jay Chou.
“It’s about cars and drifting and cool things like that,” Kang says. “Almost a Rocky or Karate Kid. A fun, big-budget movie that expresses my love affair for cars.”
Kang is a notable motorhead, with deep ties to the car community. His passion for cars was reignited during his involvement in The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, leading to the restoration of a 1973 Datsun 240Z. The Drive also notes that in a recent episode of his Car Stories podcast, he mentioned that legendary Japanese Porsche tuner RWB is developing an AE86 for the Initial D movie.
Ultimately, Kang’s love for cars promises to inject a fresh perspective into Initial D.
Edwin is a seasoned raconteur with a lifelong passion for video games, comic books, movies, and more. He thrives on captivating stories and immersive world-building, with a soft spot for adorable monsters.
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A'bidah Zaid
