Freeform Orders ‘AZNBBGRL’ Pilot From Natalie Chaidez And Dinh Thai

Natalie Chaidez, Dinh Thai — L to R: Natalie Chaidez and Dinh Thai Laura Burke, Courtesy

EXCLUSIVE: Freeform has picked up to pilot AZNBBGRL, an hourlong drama from Natalie Chaidez (The Flight Attendant), Dinh Thai (Wu-Tang: An American Saga), producer Melvin Mar (Fresh Off the Boat) and 20th Television.

Set in the vibrant Vietnamese community of Little Saigon in Southern California’s Orange County, AZNBBGRL is a coming-of-age story about three Asian American teenagers driven by a desire to break free from generational expectations and carve out their own place in the world. Together, these three very different women find escape and form a bond deeper than family when they become entangled with a street gang that offers them a way out.

The project is written by Chaidez and Thai, who executive produce along with Kai Yu Wu (The Ghost Bride) and The Detective Agency’s Mar and Jake Kasdan. 20th Television, where The Detective Agency is based, is the studio.

Chaidez recently wrapped work on Season 2 of HBO Max’s The Flight Attendant, serving as co-showrunner and executive producer opposite creator Steve Yockey. She previously executive produced and served as showrunner on USA’s Queen of the South, and Syfy’s 12 Monkeys and Hunters.

2022 Freeform Pilots & Series Orders

Thai most recently directed episodes of NBC’s medical drama New Amsterdam and Hulu’s Wu-Tang: An American Saga.

Wu most recently created the Netflix series The Ghost Bride, currently available to stream in its entirety. She will serve as co-executive producer on the Disney+ series, American Born Chinese, which comes from The Detective Agency and 20th TV. Writing credits also include The CW’s The Flash and NBC’s Hannibal.

Mar also executive produces Disney+/20th TV’s series Doogie Kamealoha, MD. At Freeform, 20th TV, part of Disney TV Studios, has breakout new comedy series Single Drunk Female.

Chaidez is repped by Circle of Confusion, CAA and Jackoway Tyerman Wertheimer Austen Mandelbaum Morris & Klein. Thai is repped by Kaplan/Perrone Entertainment and Paradigm. Wu is repped by Underground and UTA.