As a postmodern jack-of-all-trades, restaurateur, author, and food personality Eddie Huang has never shied away from being an onscreen presence. He’s been on several food-related TV shows over the last decade on MTV, Viceland, and The Cooking Channel. His 2013 memoir, “Fresh Off the Boat,” was also made into an ABC sitcom that concluded earlier this year.
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Huang has never been behind the camera, however, until now. “Boogie,” his directorial debut, hits theaters next year and marks Huang’s first foray into filmmaking. He wrote the screenplay too, a coming-of-age story about a teenage basketball phenom in Queens, NY, who dreams of NBA stardom as he navigates pressure from his parents, on-court rivals, and highschool romance.
Taylor Takahashi stars as the titular Alfred “Boogie” Chin, with Taylour Paige, Pamelyn Chee, Jorge Lendeborg Jr., Alexa Mareka, Mike Moh, and Perry Yung rounding out the cast. Domenick Lombardozzi also has a supporting role in the film.
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“Boogie” also marks the posthumous acting debut of Pop Smoke, an up-and-coming Brooklyn rapper killed earlier this year during a home invasion in Los Angeles. Pop Smoke’s star was on the rise during the film’s production last summer due to his affiliation with the burgeoning Brooklyn drill genre. His debut album, “Shoot For the Stars, Aim For the Moon” came out this July, five months after his death. More of Smoke’s new music will be available on the “Boogie” soundtrack, available on Victor Victor Worldwide/Republic Records.
With its focus on the urban experience and Asian-American identity, “Boogie” looks like a project centered squarely in Huang’s wheelhouse. Will he bring the same success rate he has brought to restaurants and TV shows to his directing debut? Audiences find out on March 5, when “Boogie” opens from Focus Features.
