What Really Drew Michelle Yeoh to Star in The Brothers Sun?

Summary

• Netflix's The Brothers Sun is one of the most notable premieres of the year.
• The crime thriller stars the legendary Michelle Yeoh.
• The actress had a variety of reasons for agreeing to work on the show.

This year has just begun, but it's already seen a number of high-profile releases, some of which have unfortunately gone almost completely unnoticed. For example, one of the first Netflix premieres of 2024, The Brothers Sun, hasn't exactly been the talk of the town. But the show has proven popular with viewers, boasting a solid 7.7 rating on IMDb.

Released on January 4, The Brothers Sun centers on Bruse Sun, an ordinary Asian-American from California who suddenly discovers that his family is a notorious mafia gang in Taiwan. Kept in the dark about the ugly truth by his mother, Bruce must now face the hardships and dangers of a criminal lifestyle while his mother and older brother try to protect him at all costs.

In addition to a thrilling, action-packed plot, The Brothers Sun has a star of a lead - Oscar winner Michelle Yeoh portrays the mother of the family, bringing her charm and tremendous star power to the table.

A Miscellany of Factors Behind Michelle Yeoh's Decision to Star in The Brothers Sun

Given the actress' A-list status, it may seem odd that she would accept a role in a seemingly minor project. But apparently, Yeoh had a number of good reasons for agreeing to play Mama Sun.

'A few very, very good reasons. The first, I must say, was Brad Falchuk [the director]. When I read that this is the first "baby" production of his new production house, I thought, "Well, he's not Asian. Why is he championing an all-Asian cast? There must be something he sees in that. That must be very special, right?" Or maybe, he is Asian. I don't know. I'm still working on that,' Michelle Yeoh revealed in a recent interview.

Another reason was the show's exciting premise.

'It's about the Triads,' the actress said. 'This is a horrible, gory world but they made it… it's dark humor, and you're going, "Hahaha… I really shouldn't laugh at that."'

Most importantly, Yeoh was drawn to The Brothers Sun by the opportunity to work with a group of talented young actors on a fascinating project.

'The action and all that is incredible. They have been so creative. We have, like, fricking dinosaurs, like, doing martial arts,' Michelle Yeoh added. 'And the young cast like Justin [Chien], and Sam [Song Li], and Highdee [Kuan], and Alice [Hewkin]. They love what they're doing. And it's so obvious. And they have such a wild time, which is what we want, right?'

The Brothers Sun is available to stream in full on Netflix.

Source: YouTube.