Oscilloscope Acquires Justin Chon Sundance Drama ‘Ms. Purple’

EXCLUSIVE: After the warm reception it received at its world premiere at Sundance in January, Justin Chon’s sibling drama Ms. Purple has found a home. Oscilloscope Laboratories announced today that it has acquired North American rights to Ms. Purple which features breakout performances from Tiffany Chu and Teddy Lee. Oscilloscope, which was founded by the late great Beastie Boys member Adam Yauch, will release the film in theaters later this year.

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“I am absolutely thrilled to be working with Oscilloscope for the release of Ms. Purple,” said Chon. “Their independent ideology has always been in line with what we envisioned for this film so we are excited to work together in its release. Oscilloscope is punk rock in an industry where punk rock no longer exists.”

Ms. Purple follows an Asian American sister and brother, Kasie (Chu) and Carey (Lee), who were raised and are now seemingly stuck in Koreatown, Los Angeles. Abandoned by their mother and brought up by their father, the siblings continue to struggle with deep emotional wounds from the difficulty of the parental dynamic. Now, with their father on his death bed, the estranged Carey comes home to help Kasie care for him. As they reunite over their dying father, Kasie and Carey confront their shared past, attempting to mend their relationship.

Chon with the cast of ‘Ms. Purple’
Taylor Jewell/Shutterstock
“Justin has created an exceptional film that simultaneously embeds us in a very particular culture and familial dynamic and yet blossoms with universality” said O-Scope’s Dan Berger. “The siblings’ journey, while emanating from a very particular place, will resonate with anyone that appreciates living, breathing, and real human experiences on screen. We’re very psyched to be collaborating with him and his team to bring this film to a wide audience.”

Chon produced the film alongside Alex Chi and Alan Pao. Ms. Purple marks the follow-up to Chon’s critically acclaimed Gook which premiered at Sundance in 2017. The film won the Best of Next! Award at the festival and Chon went on to win Film Independent’s Someone to Watch Award in 2018.

As Chon told Deadline at Sundance, Ms. Purple is the second installment of a trilogy of Asian family dramas. He is currently chipping away on the third installment Blue Bayou (wt) at MACRO which focuses on a Korean American adoptee from New Orleans that’s getting deported. Where Gook was a story about a brother and a brother and Ms. Purple puts the lens on a sister and brother, Blue Bayou focuses on a relationship between a mother and son.

30WEST represented North American rights on behalf of the filmmakers. 30WEST’s track record for Sundance films is quite impressive as they co-financed and co-represented the U.S. rights on Late Night which sold to Amazon for a record-setting $13 million. They also sold Grand Jury Prize Winner The Souvenir to A24.

Chon is repped by APA and attorney Scott Whitehead.

View this article at Deadline.