Gemma Chan to tell Asian murder victim's story in new film and podcast

Gemma Chan is producing a new podcast and film about a 1982 Asian hate crime and murder.

The Crazy Rich Asians star has partnered with audio series bosses at QCODE to stage a table read of Hold Still, Vincent, about tragic Vincent Chin, who was murdered by a pair of disgruntled white auto industry workers, days before his wedding.

The recording, which will be produced by officials at A-Major and M88, will be released first as a podcast, before the script, written by Johnny Ngo, is turned into a film, directed by twins Aaron and Winston Tao.

Chin's killers were convinced he was Japanese and blamed cheaper car imports from Japan for layoffs at U.S. manufacturing plants. Though the killing was widely viewed as a hate crime at the time, the two men convicted of causing Vincent's death never served a day in jail and were ordered to pay a fine and serve three years' probation, resulting in widespread outrage.

The uproar is often regarded as a turning point for Asian-American civil rights.

"The death of Vincent Chin occurred during a dark time in America's history with unsettling parallels to what we have seen happen over the past year with the stoking of hatred towards Asians and the scapegoating of Asians for Covid-19," Chan shared in a statement, obtained by Deadline.

"However, it also brought Asian-Americans together to form multi-ethnic and multi-racial alliances in the pursuit of justice and to advocate for change. It feels more urgent than ever to bring Vincent's story to a wider audience," she explained.

The news of the podcast comes amid an uptick in hate crimes targeting Asians in the U.S., attributed to the origins of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China.