Series Introduction

You simply don’t turn down a request from Michelle Yeoh, especially when she’s asked to play a formidable mother figure.

After her Oscar-winning performance in Everything Everywhere All at Once, Yeoh returns to a leading role as the fierce Mama Sun in the forthcoming Asian-American crime series The Brothers Sun.

Created by Brad Falchuk and Byron Wu, the show positions itself as a stylish crime drama that also digs into family dynamics.

Falchuk says the series is about the roles of son and brother and the struggle to hold a family together — amplified here because this family is steeped in criminal violence.

Though gunfights and life-or-death stakes push the plot’s intensity, the heart of the story lies in familiar, emotional conflicts that many viewers will recognize.

November 21, 2023

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Netflix's "The Brothers Sun" emerges as a thrilling blend of family drama and action-packed sequences, captivating audiences with its unique storytelling approach. Set against the backdrop of both Taipei and Los Angeles, the series weaves together elements of crime syndicate tensions and familial bonds.

At the heart of the narrative are the Sun brothers, whose contrasting lives collide when family secrets surface. The elder brother, raised in the dangerous world of Taiwanese organized crime, finds himself protecting his younger sibling, who has been sheltered from their family's dark legacy in California.

The show masterfully balances intense combat scenes with moments of genuine humor and emotional depth. Its cultural authenticity shines through detailed portrayals of Taiwanese traditions and family dynamics, offering viewers a glimpse into a world rarely explored in mainstream television.

Notable performances elevate the series, with the cast bringing nuanced dimensions to their characters. The production quality stands out with cinematography that captures both the gritty underworld of crime syndicates and the sun-drenched streets of Los Angeles.

For those seeking a fresh take on the crime genre with strong character development and cultural richness, "The Brothers Sun" delivers an engaging viewing experience that transcends typical action drama conventions.

Explore the globe-spanning chaos when Taipei's most feared gangster lands in LA

Bruce Sun's ordinary life shatters with his enigmatic brother's sudden arrival

Michelle Yeoh commands as the formidable matriarch holding their fractured family together

Witness jaw-dropping martial arts choreography blended with dark comedic beats

This action-packed series masterfully balances family drama and criminal underworld tensions

Discover why critics praise its fresh take on the crime genre with cultural specificity

Production secrets reveal meticulous fight training and authentic Taiwanese-American settings

Character dynamics evolve from strained sibling rivalry to reluctant partnership

Themes of legacy versus self-determination pulse through every explosive episode

Streaming now with all episodes available for immediate binge-watching immersion

Critical acclaim highlights standout performances and razor-sharp writing craftsmanship

Audience reactions celebrate its perfect storm of heartfelt moments and brutal action sequences

The Netflix series "The Brothers Sun" delves deep into Asian family dynamics, with culinary elements playing a central role in storytelling. Food isn't merely background decoration but serves as a crucial narrative thread connecting characters and culture.

As food stylist Melissa McCorley explains, she specifically sought out this project because it elevates food beyond simple set dressing. Her approach involved creating authentic Chinese cuisine representations, ranging from intimate family-style dishes to elaborate formal banquets that punctuate key moments in the story.

Cast member Justin Wu emphasizes the cultural authenticity, noting that depicting an Asian family narrative without prominently featuring food would lack credibility. In his view, meals and family gatherings around the table represent the heartbeat of Asian family life - these moments reveal character dynamics and advance the plot in ways dialogue alone cannot.

Viewers should prepare themselves not only for dramatic storylines but also for tantalizing culinary displays that might inspire kitchen experimentation. The carefully crafted food scenes showcase traditional recipes that have been passed through generations, mirroring the family legacy themes that run throughout the series.

The Sun family's kitchen becomes a metaphorical battleground where tradition meets modernity, much like the central conflicts facing the characters themselves.

A Taiwanese crime dynasty fractures when its patriarch survives an assassination attempt

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Legendary enforcer Charles "Sofa-Leg" Sun races to Los Angeles

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His mission: shield sheltered brother Bruce and formidable matriarch Eileen

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Bruce's world shatters discovering his family's brutal legacy

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Taipei's underworld erupts in violent power struggles

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Three Suns confront decades of separation and secrets

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Director Kevin Tancharoen anchored the series in familial bonds

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"Every family carries its chaos and insecurities," Tancharoen noted

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Yet within that turmoil lies an unbreakable, profound love

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Charles, Bruce, and Eileen must redefine brotherhood

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Their survival hinges on healing amidst loyalty-testing threats

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The series blends brutal action with darkly comedic family dysfunction

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Exploring what kinship demands when blood means danger

You can find the show’s pulse-pounding trailer above.

Michelle Yeoh has praised how the series packs plenty of comedy into its beats.

Even the fight choreography — at times quite fierce — is staged with a playful, knowing tone, according to co-creator Brad Falchuk.

Falchuk says those sequences often include wink-like nods to the audience, sometimes more than one.

That mix of humor and intense action has attracted industry attention.

The Brothers Sun earned an Emmy nomination for Outstanding Stunt Coordination for Comedy Programming.

The Star-Studded Cast of "The Brothers Sun"

Netflix's action-packed series "The Brothers Sun" boasts an impressive ensemble cast led by Academy Award winner Michelle Yeoh. The series brings together both established actors and rising stars to create a compelling family drama with gangster elements.

At the center of the story are Justin Chien and Sam Song Li, who portray the Sun brothers with remarkable chemistry. Their on-screen relationship forms the emotional core of the series, with Chien playing Charles, the elder brother trained in the family's criminal enterprise, and Song Li as Bruce, the younger sibling who has been sheltered from the family business.

The supporting cast features several notable performers including Highdee Kuan as ambitious assistant district attorney Alexis Kong and Joon Lee as TK Lee, Bruce's childhood friend with gangster aspirations. Johnny Kou rounds out the main family dynamic as Big Sun, the patriarch of the Sun family.

Recurring roles are filled by talented actors including Alice Hewkin, known for her work in "The Crown" and "Sex Education," and Jon Xue Zhang, who previously appeared in Marvel's "Eternals." The ensemble also includes comedian Jenny Yang, Disney Channel alum Madison Hu, and versatile actor Rodney To.

Behind the camera, the series benefits from the creative vision of Byron Wu and an impressive production team including Brad Falchuk and Mikkel Bondesen. Kevin Tancharoen brings his directing expertise to the project, helping to shape its distinctive visual style.

The series premiere was a star-studded affair, with Netflix executives Ted Sarandos and Bela Bajaria showing their support alongside the cast. Even Gwyneth Paltrow made an appearance on the red carpet, adding to the event's high-profile nature.

With its blend of family drama, crime elements, and cultural exploration, "The Brothers Sun" represents an exciting addition to Netflix's diverse programming lineup, brought to life by this talented cast and crew.

Creating an Authentic Asian-American Series

Byron Wu’s path to creating The Brothers Sun began in small, practical steps: he wrote the series, co-created it with Brad Falchuk and serves as an executive producer.

He first met his industry contact, Mikkel Bondesen, while working as his assistant, and later crossed paths with Bondesen again during Wu’s time at the American Film Institute in Los Angeles—by then Bondesen was running Falchuk’s production outfit for Netflix.

Wu sent Bondesen his script hoping to get representation; instead Bondesen passed it on to Falchuk. A Zoom call followed, and Falchuk quickly offered to come on as co-creator and showrunner, positioning himself as a mentor to Wu and praising the “spark” he saw in the young writer’s work.

From the outset, authenticity was a priority.

All eight episodes were shaped in a writers’ room made up predominantly of Asian writers, with Falchuk collaborating alongside them. The cast even contributed Taiwanese slang and culturally specific lines, helping scenes feel lived-in and true to experience.

Writers on the show include Jason Ning, Amy Wang, Ally Seibert, SJ Son, Andrew Law and Justin Calen-Chenn, among others.

Wu deliberately filled the room with a variety of Asian American perspectives—not only Taiwanese and Chinese American voices, but also Korean American writers and storytellers with adoption backgrounds—so the series could reflect a wider Asian American emotional reality rather than a single, narrow viewpoint.

The story’s heart is a Taiwanese-American immigrant family, and the creative team treated cultural specificity as a guiding principle.

Wu and Falchuk wanted viewers to feel the intimacy and detail of family life: the small rituals, the domestic objects, the language and the humor that signal a particular upbringing.

That sense of place became a major concern in production choices.

The San Gabriel Valley (SGV) is both setting and character in the show.

When Mama Sun and Bruce flee Taiwan in the story, they put down roots in Southern California’s SGV—a choice rooted in real experience. Actor Sam Song Li, for example, shared a background similar to his character’s, having been raised by a single mom in the 626 area. Wu himself lived in Hacienda Heights and recalled how vibrant and underrepresented the region felt, which made it the natural home for the Sun family.

The production shot extensively in the SGV to capture its texture—small businesses, family-run restaurants and strip malls—and the team insisted that many of those details couldn’t be faked on a set.

Falchuk has said the goal was to let the SGV inhabit the show the way Albuquerque inhabited Breaking Bad: as more than backdrop, but as an atmospheric presence you can practically smell and feel.

Wu pushed for realistic props and décor—things as specific as calendars or household pads—so cast members reacted to sets with recognition; Madison Hu reportedly walked into the Sun house and felt immediately transported to her own parents’ home.

Director Justin Tanchero (Tancharoen in reporting) who also grew up around the SGV, leaned into the area’s beige architecture and strip-mall charm, celebrating the comfort and familiarity those places hold for many residents.

Even the series’ visual identity nods to that regional DNA.

The show’s logo was modeled on the familiar old-school strip mall sign, a small homage to the signs you see outside longtime Chinese restaurants and bakeries—details that anchor the series in a specific, beloved landscape.

The show mixes several languages — English, Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean — and doesn’t shy away from authentic Taiwanese profanity.

A memorable moment: Yeoh walks into a standing mahjong circle filled with San Gabriel Valley aunties, a scene built around the tangled favors and obligations that drive the story.

Many cast members, including Wu, Chien, Yang, Xhang and Yeoh, deliver lines in fluent Mandarin, while Yeoh also contributes Cantonese dialogue.

Yeoh played a hands-on role beyond acting, working with producer David Fu to verify word choices and correct nuances in the scripts.

When she first met the creators, she pressed them on language accuracy — questioning whether certain words were precisely right and suggesting alternatives when they weren’t.

Creator Ryan Murphy and co-creator Falchuk emphasized representing the particular cultures at the center of the show, which meant getting the language and rhythms accurate.

Writer Justin Calen-Chenn often penned lyrical Mandarin lines that weren’t literal translations but felt natural to native speakers.

The series intentionally lets languages shift back and forth, reflecting how bilingual families actually communicate in the real world.

To nail regional turns of phrase, writers even phoned their mothers and other relatives to confirm specific Mandarin expressions.

If you want more behind-the-scenes details, there’s plenty else to discover as you continue exploring the series.

Charles Sun hides a surprising passion behind his deadly reputation:

a love for baking that often outweighs duty.

He's captivated by crafting perfect churros,

inspired by a local stand near his brother's college.

The show's creators deliberately made these treats irresistible,

even designing the satisfying crunch sound for maximum viewer craving.

His baking skills extend beyond churros.

He notably prepares traditional pineapple cakes for Alexis,

winning over even non-sweets enthusiasts on set.

The actress playing Mama Sun became a frequent visitor to the craft services table,

specifically longing for Melissa McSorley's exceptional creations.

Food stylist Melissa McSorley played a vital role,

reuniting with creators Brad Falchuk and Kevin Tancharoen after previous collaborations.

Her initial meeting with co-creator Byron Wu cemented her confidence,

as they meticulously planned every culinary detail together.

For McSorley,

the project offered a meaningful chance to showcase authentic nuances of the Asian-American experience through food,

something she found profoundly exciting and rare on television.

Gallery and Trailer Highlights

A photo gallery accompanies the series, with many images credited to Michael Desmond and a few to James Clark, all for Netflix.

The stills highlight character moments, set details, and behind-the-scenes glimpses from the production.

Scroll through the images above to see the full collection.

The show is currently streaming on Netflix.

For more coverage from Geeked Week 2023, visit geekedweek.com.

Keep up with news and announcements by following Netflix Geeked on X.

The new trailer for The Brothers Sun mixes pulse-pounding action with intimate family moments.

Michelle Yeoh anchors the footage with her signature blend of grace and lethal presence.

Justin Chien and Sam Song Li inject youthful energy and comic timing that play off Yeoh’s steadiness.

Stylish cinematography and rapid-fire editing highlight martial-arts sequences alongside quieter, emotional scenes.

Themes of loyalty, sibling bonds, and consequences simmer beneath the set pieces, giving the action real weight.

Overall, the trailer promises a stylish action-comedy that balances heart and adrenaline.

Strong performances and palpable chemistry among the leads make it worth checking out.

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