Lionsgate’s dramedyJoy Ridewill be screening atSouth by Southwestahead of its wider release in movie theaters. Directed byCrazy Rich AsiansandRaya and the Last Dragonwriter Adele Lim, marking her directorial debut, the film is written by Cherry Chevapravatdumrong (Family Guy) and Teresa Hsiao (Awkwafina Is Nora from Queens). Lim, Chevapravatdumrong, and Hsiao also serve as producers alongside Seth Rogen, Evan Goldberg, James Weaver, and Josh Fagen.
Joy Ridefollows four Asian-American friends traveling through Asia in a quest to find one of their birth mothers. It stars Ashley Park (Emily in Paris), Sherry Cola (Good Trouble), Stephanie Hsu (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and comedian Sabrina Wu. The cast also includes Desmond Chiam (The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Alexander Hodge (Insecure), Ronny Chieng (Ronny Chieng: International Student), and Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians).
The film’s official synopsis is as follows:
Joy Ride is a hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery that centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging, and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.
Related:Joy Ride: Plot, Cast, Release Date, and Everything Else We Know
Catch Joy Ride at SXSW 2023
“Joy Rideis a wild romp with so much heart – it’s the perfect match for the energy and crowd that makes South by Southwest so special,” Lim said when the film was announced to premiere at SXSW.
SXSW’s VP of Film and TV, Claudette Godfrey, added: “Joy Rideis an absolute blast, with plenty of side-splitting laughter and a genuine warmth at its core. We fell in love with its rowdy rollercoaster of friendship and self-discovery, and know our audience will too.”
“I can’t wait for the SXSW audience to get to seeJoy Ride,” producer Seth Rogen also hypes. “It’s hilarious and original, and it’s always thrilling to get to go back to Austin with agreat comedy. It’s the only festival to really put comedy films in as prominent a position as other genres and I’m grateful for that.”
Joy Ridewill have its world premiere at the South by Southwest film Festival in Austin, Texas, on July 16, 2025. It will screen at Paramount Theatre at 9:00 p.m. - 10:32 p.m. The film will later release in theaters on August 19, 2025. You can find out more about the festival by heading over toSXSW.com.
