Kung Fu
I really, really wanted a kick-ass, strong female Asian lead — showrunner Christina M. Kim.
Gender-swapped Kung Fu reboot — with Olivia Liang as kick-ass Nicky Shen — premiered last night to 1.4 million viewers and 0.2 in the demo, giving The CW its highest viewership for a Wednesday night premiere in the 7 years since The 100 debuted.
Nicky Shen returns home to Vancouver as San Francisco after three years away.
Tzi Ma is Nicky’s father Jin Shen
Vancouver love representing https://t.co/TjpzBXV7ic
— Tzi Ma (@tzima8) April 8, 2021
A quarter-life crisis causes a young Chinese-American woman, Nicky Shen (Olivia Liang), to drop out of college and go on a life-changing journey to an isolated monastery in China. But when she returns to San Francisco, she finds her hometown is overrun with crime and corruption and her own parents (Tzi Ma and Kheng Hua Tan) are at the mercy of a powerful Triad.
Nicky will rely on her tech-savvy sister (Shannon Dang), pre-med brother (Jon Prasida), Assistant District Attorney and ex-boyfriend (Gavin Stenhouse), and new love interest (Eddie Liu) as well as her martial arts skills and Shaolin values to protect her community and bring criminals to justice … all while searching for the ruthless assassin (Gwendoline Yeo) who killed her Shaolin mentor and is now targeting her.
Filming in Vancouver’s Dr. Sun Yet-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.
Night shoot.
@yvrshoots Last night Kung Fu filming at Sun Yat Sen Park in Chinatown #bcfilm pic.twitter.com/tIL3hdMJyM
— Brenda (she/her) (@canadianfrost) October 24, 2020
Filming in Vancouver’s Chinatown.
Nicky is destined for greatness. #KungFu premieres Wednesday, April 7! Stream next day free only on The CW. pic.twitter.com/0QdrK8f87j
— Kung Fu (@cw_kungfu) March 8, 2021
The series has been filming in Vancouver since mid-October.
Filming dates: October 16th to April 26th, 2021.
Related: The CW’s Kung Fu Reboot With Olivia Liang Starts Filming in Vancouver.
Cast: Olivia Liang, Tzi Ma, Kheng Hua Tan, Shannon Dang, Jon Prasida, Eddie Liu, Gavin Stenhouse, Gwendoline Yeo, , Tony Chung and Vanessa Kai.
Olivia Liang as Nicky Shen.
how it started | how it’s going @cw_kungfu pic.twitter.com/pWToAFs0oS
— Olivia Liang 🦋 梁安平 (@olivialiang_) April 3, 2021
The family
Characters:
Henry Chu (Eddie Liu), a martial arts instructor and Chinese art history buff who has instant chemistry with Nicky.
Nicky’s parents Jin Shen (Tzi Ma), and mother Mei-Li (Kheng Hua Tan)— husband-and-wife restauranteurs whose secrets threaten to destroy their lives just as they deal with the return of their estranged daughter.
Nicky’s older sister Althea Shen (Shannon Dang), who’s newly engaged and on her way to planning her dream Chinese wedding.
Althea’s fiancé Dennis Soong (Tony Chung), a high school mathlete turned popular guy and beloved son of the wealthy Soong family.
Nicky’s brother Ryan Shen, (Jon Prasida) a quick-witted medical student who has to deal with the sudden return of his estranged older sister.
Nicky’s ex-boyfriend Even Hartley (Gavin Stenhouse), an Assistant District Attorney.
Nicky’s mentor Pei-Ling Zhang (Vanessa Kai), who trained Nicky in fighting at an all-female Shaolin temple of monks before she was killed by Zhilan.
Assassin Zhilan (Gwendoline Yeo), who killed Nicky’s mentor Pei-Ling Zhang and now is targeting Nicky.
Writer/producer: Christina M. Kim.
Producers: Greg Berlanti, Sarah Schechter, Martin Gero.
Nicky’s brother Ryan Shen, (Jon Prasida).
Related: Olivia Liang Cast as Female Lead in a Reimagined Kung Fu Pilot for The CW.
The pilot filmed in Vancouver for four+ days in March before a film industry shutdown because of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Related: The CW’s Kung Fu Reboot Pilot With Female Lead Expected To Film in Vancouver.
The CW ordered the project to series in May.
Filming in Vancouver:
@olivialiang_ Filming some Kata scenes on the set of @cw_kungfu @WhatsFilming @yvrshoots pic.twitter.com/DzgPkd94MV
— NewWestBoyⓂ️ (@CaptCanuck66) October 23, 2020
@olivialiang_ near the end of her #Kata scene were she falls as two background baseball ⚾️ catchers don’t even react. Is this the beginning of a new legend in #KungFu @cw_kungfu @WhatsFilming @yvrshoots pic.twitter.com/qLT0OGhrxl
— NewWestBoyⓂ️ (@CaptCanuck66) October 23, 2020
Update: they are also filming on pipeline road. @WhatsFilming @yvrshoots
— Vancouver-Girl (@Vancouver_Girl_) November 20, 2020
Batwoman’s Camrus Johnson reached out to the Kung Fu family.
🙋🏻♀️ https://t.co/dvXkT0cuDp
— Olivia Liang 🦋 (@olivialiang_) February 24, 2021
And Supernatural’s Richard Speight Jr. directed episode 10.
Big news! #Supernatural super writer @robertberens has a new show on @TheCW – KUNG FU! It’s super fun and unique with a fantastic cast (I know firsthand because I directed episode 10). It premiers April 7! Gather the fam & tell your friends! @cw_kungfu pic.twitter.com/lOqkL3g6Bv
— Richard Speight, Jr. (@dicksp8jr) April 6, 2021
Kung Fu airs Wednesdays at 8 p.m., on The CW.