Fresh off her success as the all-powerful matriarch in Crazy Rich Asians, actress Michelle Yeoh and her yet-to-be-named production company have entered an overall agreement with SK Global Entertainment and its international and domestic labels, Ivanhoe Pictures and Sidney Kimmel Entertainment.
SK Global president John Penotti made the announcement today. The first look deal includes producing, directing and select acting opportunities for Yeoh. The partnership grew out of SK Global and Yeoh’s recent collaboration on the aforementioned groundbreaking success of the Warner Bros. rom-com Crazy Rich Asians.
The film is the first major studio feature to include an all-Asian cast and a contemporary Asian narrative since The Joy Luck Club in 1993. Crazy Rich Asians opened number one at the box office grossing $35M.
“I’m truly excited to continue my relationship with Ivanhoe and SK Global to develop stories that bridge cultures,” said Yeoh. “The success of Crazy Rich Asians has shown us that there are many more wonderful stories to tell from around the globe and I am delighted to partner with this very creative and wonderful team.”
Born in Malaysia, Yeoh began her career as a martial arts film star. She appeared in international features including The Heroic Trio and well-known martial arts choreographer Yuen Woo-ping’s Tai Chi Master and Wing Chun. She is known for her role in Ang Lee’s Academy Award-winning film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and appeared in the James Bond film Tomorrow Never Dies as well as Marvel’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2.
SK Global’s upcoming projects include Neil Jordan’s psychological thriller Greta starring Isabelle Huppert and Chloë Grace Moretz. The feature was developed under the Sidney Kimmel Entertainment banner and will bow at TIFF. Ivanhoe Pictures developed the Hindi-language television series Ghoul which will debut on Netflix August 24.
Yeoh is repped by David Unger at Artist International Group.
