SPOILER ALERT: This story accommodates gentle spoilers for “The Brothers Solar,” accessible to look at on Netflix now.

On Could 22, 1992, three males brutally stabbed Japanese filmmaker Juzo Itami exterior his Tokyo dwelling, simply days after the discharge of his satire “Minbo no Onna,” or “Mob Girl.”

The director of “Tampopo” and “A Taxing Girl” suffered slash wounds throughout the face, neck and shoulder, however finally survived. Police suspected the assault could have been the yakuza’s retaliation for Itami’s “Mob Girl,” which portrays Japanese gangsters as crude bullies who’re outsmarted by lawyer Mahiru Inoue (performed by Itami’s spouse Nobuko Miyamoto).

This assault impressed writer-producer Byron Wu to develop “The Brothers Solar,” the crime household dramedy starring Michelle Yeoh as matriarch Eileen “Mama” Solar, which premiered on Netflix early this 12 months.

“I simply thought it was so humorous that these gangsters had been so insecure about their jobs that they beat up a comedy director,” Wu tells Selection. “That led to me to consider Asian masculinity and Asian American masculinity, after which my very own relationship with that.”

Created by Wu and Brad Falchuk, “The Brothers Solar” follows Charles Solar (Justin Chien), a Taiwanese gangster who should journey to Los Angeles to guard his mom and youthful brother, Bruce (Sam Track Li), after his father — the pinnacle of a Taipei triad — is shot by a mysterious murderer.

Wu spoke to Selection in regards to the inspiration behind the 2 brothers, working with a predominantly Asian group and why Yeoh has restricted combat sequences.

Charles is a Taipei gangster and the inheritor obvious to the Jade Dragons, however he actually likes to bake. Bruce, in the meantime, grew up in America and desires to pursue his personal passions. What impressed you to create these two very totally different brothers?

I believe it comes from simply the emotions of being Asian American. After we talked about Bruce and Charles, we talked in regards to the obligation to self versus obligation to household. Bruce could be very a lot pursuing his personal objectives, his improv. After which now we have Charles, who’s utterly dedicated to his household, does all the pieces his dad says and could be very a lot about defending the household. It’s about how these two philosophies come to a head. As an Asian American, I do know what that appears like. How do I fulfill each what I need to do in addition to what my household desires me to do? I grew up with that.

We needed to subvert these typical Asian American tropes of the very critical Asian murderer and the actually goofy, foolish Asian man, and we needed to mess around with them. So these two characters being collectively appeared like such a terrific match. We simply let these guys play — Sam and Justin embody that brotherly relationship so nicely and so naturally. 

“The Nice British Baking Present” is taking part in on Charles’ TV in the course of the opening combat scene. Why did you need to use that in the beginning of the sequence? 

It simply felt like such a good way of introducing the tone of it. We’re going to be somewhat totally different than your typical motion present. We’re gonna have somewhat little bit of tongue in cheek, and we’re gonna have somewhat little bit of comedy right here. 

We had that nice second with a cake falling, and timed it to when the man hits the desk. It needed to be finished as a result of Charles was baking and it appears like such an incongruent picture of “Bake Off” and violence.

There are a variety of locations in Los Angeles that you just don’t typically see on display screen, such because the Korean spa and the basement stuffed with mahjong aunties. Why did you need to introduce these elements of the Asian group? Did you develop up in L.A.? 

Truly, I didn’t develop up in L.A. – I grew up simply exterior of Seattle, Washington. A part of the explanation why I needed it to be set within the San Gabriel Valley was as a result of, once I first moved right here to L.A., I had a picture in my head of what L.A. was like –- Beverly Hills and Santa Monica, however I ended up transferring to Hacienda Heights. I bear in mind driving round and seeing this unbelievable space. It’s so Chinese language American, and there’s all these little nice Korean American hubs in it, too. There’s so many attention-grabbing locations in L.A. that I by no means actually noticed on TV, and so after we had been interested by setting a present in L.A., I used to be like, “It’s gotta happen in San Gabriel Valley.”

Have been there ever instances that you just anxious one thing could be perpetuating an Asian stereotype? 

I believe the important thing was having plenty of Asian American folks concerned, from our writers’ room to being on set with folks. If anyone felt like, Oh, maintain on, I really feel uncomfortable with this, it was one thing that we needed to hearken to. We need to play in a subversive area, so now we have to play into trope whereas additionally taking part in round with it. It’s a positive line.

It was essential to create an area like, Hey, in the event you really feel like one thing is mistaken, you gotta carry it up and discuss it in order that we will deal with it. It didn’t occur fairly often, however sometimes it could, and so we might simply be like, let’s determine this out. Let’s ensure that this feels proper. That’s the entire level of the present, in the long run: We wish Asian American folks to be ok with watching the present and be ok with being Asian American. Whether or not you had been born in Taiwan or within the States, it’s best to watch the present and be ok with your self in that approach. And so we wanted to guarantee that everybody who was engaged on the present felt good in that approach as nicely.

How did the thought of John Cho’s mansion come about? 

The author of that episode, Amy Wang, got here up with it. We had it simply set in some fancy mansion in Malibu, and he or she emailed me and Brad being like, “Hey, do you thoughts if I make this John Cho’s mansion?” We had been like, “What does that imply? However yeah, go for it. Let’s simply see the place this goes.” And he or she simply put all these items in there, and we cherished it. Brad particularly cherished it. He was like, “Oh, I sort of know folks like this.” 

We did should clear it along with his supervisor. And truly, I believe in the long run, we despatched [Cho] that Andy Warhol-esque portrait of himself. He requested for that, so we despatched it to him. 

Michelle Yeoh — the badass she is — has some superb motion scenes, however not as many as the opposite forged members. Why did you determine to maintain Mama Solar’s combat sequences very minimal? 

I believe a part of it was as a result of we didn’t need the viewers to see Mama Solar. We needed them to see, Hey, that is far more like my very own mother. We would have liked to develop [Mama Sun] to the purpose the place she might combat. If she was doing it from the beginning, I believe you’ll’ve been like, Oh, that’s Michelle Yeoh taking part in a mother, versus, That’s my mother being performed by Michelle Yeoh. That was the road we had been making an attempt to stroll. 

What was she like on set? 

She did a terrific job of main by instance. Michelle would carry round an enormous binder. She has a binder of all of the scripts and so they’re superbly annotated, there’s so many notes and so they’re colour coded. And I bear in mind, in the future, Sam got here in with a binder after seeing Michelle’s. She’s so gracious to each single individual, and it set such a tone. I’m new to the business and this type of factor, so having it come from her actually set such a regular for everybody. I can’t thank her sufficient for — I imply, in a approach, she’s simply being herself — however I thank her for being herself.

What concepts would you prefer to discover if there’s one other season?

Having labored on the present, and seeing all these different communities in L.A., I’d like to develop out and see extra Asian American communities, as a result of I believe it’s essential that we’re all on this collectively. I need to categorical that, and I believe the present has the area for that.

This interview has been edited and condensed.