TWO-TIME ACADEMY AWARD® WINNER CHLOÉ ZHAO TO EXECUTIVE PRODUCE PARTICIPANT’S LIMITED SCRIPTED SERIES BASED ON THE LANDMARK VINCENT CHIN STORY

LOS ANGELES – November 18, 2021 – Participant, the leading media company dedicated to entertainment that stands at the intersection of art and activism, announced today that Oscar®-winning filmmaker Chloé Zhao will executive produce its upcoming limited scripted series inspired by the Vincent Chin story. Participant will develop and produce this series which, through an exclusive agreement with the Chin Estate and Helen Zia, is the only authorized telling of the landmark civil rights case about the 1982 murder of Chinese American Vincent Chin.

Zhao will serve as an executive producer alongside the creative team of Zia, Vicangelo Bulluck, Paula Madison and Donald Young. Zia is a former autoworker-turned-journalist who became a national organizer and the spokesperson for the Justice for Vincent Chin Campaign, as well as executor of the Chin Estate. Miura Kite, SVP of Global TV, will oversee the series on behalf of Participant.

Zhao stated, “I was deeply moved by Helen’s personal connection to Vincent’s story as well as her incredibly insightful and nuanced perspective on this difficult yet inspiring story. I’m very honored to join the team and to embark on this journey together.”

“Chloé Zhao has the vision and sensitivity to unpack the complexities of racism, hate, violence and injustice. We are eager for Chloé’s insights into the multilayered story of Vincent Chin, who was killed in Detroit as it faced economic collapse, where Asian immigrants were unwelcome yet struggled for legitimacy, where masculinity and homophobia added to the toxic brew of communities in conflict–and where people came together to fight for the humanity of Vincent and all people. We can’t overstate how enthused we are that Chloé Zhao has joined our project,” said Zia.

David Linde, CEO of Participant, added, “Chloé is an incredible filmmaker and we are so fortunate that she will be lending her talents to this project. We could not have asked for a better creative team to tell Vincent’s story and honor his legacy in an impactful way.”

Amidst the severe recession and anti-Asian hate following the collapse of the auto industry in the 1980s, the murder of Vincent Chin in Detroit and the lenient sentences of probation and minimal fines for his two white killers sparked widespread outrage in America and thrust Asian American communities into the limelight and into the nation’s raging debates on race. With exclusive access to this pivotal moment in Asian American history, the series will reveal the definitive account of a civil rights movement that matters today more than ever, when a community discovered its voice.

Zhao is a Chinese writer, director, editor and producer. Her feature debut, Songs My Brothers Taught Me, premiered at the 2015 Sundance Film Festival. Her second feature, The Rider, premiered at Directors Fortnight at the 2017 Cannes Film Festival and was awarded the Art Cinema Award. Her third film, Nomadland, premiered at the 2020 Venice Film Festival and was awarded the Golden Lion. The film and Zhao also earned the industry’s highest acclaim including Golden Globe®, BAFTA, DGA, PGA Awards and 3 Academy Awards®, including Best Director, Best Actress in a Leading Role and Best Picture. For her latest feature, she co-wrote and directed Marvel Studios’ Eternals.

Participant’s growing television slate includes such acclaimed series as Ava DuVernay’s Emmy®-winning When They See Us, now streaming on Netflix; America to Me, the 10-part docuseries from award-winning filmmaker Steve James, as well as his follow-up series City So Real on National Geographic; sci-fi drama series Noughts + Crosses on Peacock; and the original series Interior Chinatown, based on Charles Yu’s National Book Award-winning book, in development at Hulu. ###