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Over the past few years, A24 has become renowned for its experimental, daring, diverse, and highly entertaining stories that they've helped distribute on TV and cinema screens. The newest addition to their rich collection is the series Beef (2023), which is created by comedy writer and producer Lee Sung Jin. The show was first announced back in March 2021 with Steven Yeun (Minari) and Ali Wong (Always Be My Maybe) attached as the lead stars. The show's premise was initially kept under tight wraps, which only built major hype and mystery around the series. Yet, with the world premiere happening at the 2023 SXSW Festival and the recent release of the trailer, Beef is shaping up to be another eccentric and intense story for the audience to savor.
Lee Sung Jin, who previously went by his moniker of Sonny Lee, has been involved with comedy series since 2007, with Beef being his first major project as showrunner. The Korean-born writer has already racked up some impressive writing credits after working on shows like It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, 2 Broke Girls, and Tuca & Bertie, an animated series that Wong and Yeun also starred in. Jin also served as executive producer for recent series like Undone and Dave, and was part of the 2015 Emmy-nominated team for Outstanding Comedy Series for Silicon Valley. His remarkable work so far in television certainly promises a riveting viewing experience for his upcoming dark comedy. Another noteworthy thing about the series is the vast involvement of Asian talent in front and behind the camera which marks great progress for the increase of Asian representation in media.
No feuds will need to be started when the informative guide below will you tell you everything we know so far about Beef.
When and Where Is Beef Coming Out?
The dramedy is set to premiere first at the 2023 SXSW Festival on March 18, 2023. Shortly after, it will be exclusively streaming on Netflix, with a premiere date of April 6, 2023. All 10 episodes will be released together, with each episode having a general runtime of about 30 minutes.
Watch the Beef Trailer
The first Beef trailer was released by Netflix on March 15. It opens with the two lead characters Amy Lau (Ali Wong) and Danny Cho (Steven Yeun) who are both facing their own respective struggles in their lives. The pair could not be more different with Amy having a lavish lifestyle and Danny having to hustle to make ends meet. One fateful road rage incident brings them together and rapidly escalates into a reckless car chase. However, it doesn't end there as their anger toward each other consumes them to an obsessive extent. Amy and Danny continue to cross paths, determined to destroy each other's lives because "Revenge is best served raw".
What Is the Plot of Beef About?
Given the colloquial definition of the word "Beef", the show's title alludes to the ongoing feud following a road rage encounter between the two main characters, which serves as the story's major catalyst. Show creator Lee Sung Jin developed the series after being inspired by a real-life traffic altercation that he had with a stranger. He elaborates in a recent Vanity Fair interview from February:
“I wasn’t in a particularly bad mood that day, but I sort of was like, You know what? That’s not okay to do, and I’m going to follow you home.”
The incident, at least the sense of it, is captured perfectly in the first trailer for the series, right down to the instigator's car being followed. Yet, the show expands on the raw fury that is elicited from such a simple and petty scenario. Danny and Amy, who share the titular beef, are driven to irrational lengths through the series to disrupt and wreck each other's lives. The pair being from different socio-economic backgrounds plays an additional factor in their dispute and personal outlooks and struggles. However, it begs the question if their wrath is legitimately directed at each other or rather fueled and misguided by their individual unresolved issues. On that notion, Jin further shares:
I really wanted to explore two people who have just a lot of things that they haven’t dealt with, and they keep repressing it and pushing it inside—and how does that come out?
The official synopsis for the series reads as follows:
"Beef" follows the aftermath of a road rage incident between two strangers. Danny Cho, a failing contractor with a chip on his shoulder, goes head-to-head with Amy Lau, a self-made entrepreneur with a picturesque life. The increasing stakes of their feud unravel their lives and relationships in this darkly comedic and deeply moving series.
Who's In the Cast of Beef?
Steven Yeun and Ali Wong lead the dark comedy as Danny Cho and Amy Lau respectively. They both also serve as executive producers for the show. Both stars have gained notable popularity in recent years, with Yeun receiving an Oscar nomination for his role in the 2020 film Minari. After departing his well-known role as Glenn Rhee in The Walking Dead, Yeun has built an impressive list of movie roles including Bong Joon Ho's Okja, Burning, Sorry to Bother You, and most recently, Jordan Peele's Nope. His voice acting repertoire includes Voltron: Legendary Defender, Final Space, and Invincible.
Wong is best known for her Netflix comedy specials including Baby Cobra, Hard Knock Wife, and Don Wong. She starred in projects such as the DC film Birds of Prey and the ABC sitcom American Housewife. Wong went on to lead the Netflix rom-com Always Be My Maybe and feature in the Prime Video sci-fi drama Paper Girls. She's also a voice actor for the animated series Big Mouth and Tuca & Bertie.
As mentioned, the ensemble of characters is predominantly Asian American, with actors such as Joseph Lee (Searching) and Remy Holt (1923) who will play George and Junie, Amy's husband and daughter. Patti Yasutake (Star Trek: The Next Generation) plays Fumi, Amy's mother-in-law while Ashley Park (Emily in Paris) is Naomi, a colleague of Amy's. Young Mazino (Prodigal Son) and David Choe (The Choe Show) star as Paul and Isaac, Danny's family members. Justin H. Min (The Umbrella Academy) plays Edwin, a friend of Danny. Mia Serafino (Crowded), Maria Bello (NCIS: Naval Criminal Investigative Service), and Ione Skye (Say Anything) are also set to guest star in the series.
Who Are the Creators of Beef?
Lee Sung Jin is the show creator, head writer, and executive producer, and also directed an episode of the series. Jake Schreier (Thunderbolts) and Hikari (37 Seconds) join him as executive producers and also direct. Ali Wong, Steven Yeun, Alli Reich, and Ravi Nandan are also executive producers on the project. The writing team includes Alice Ju (The Other Two), Carrie Kemper (The Rehearsal), Alex Russell (Dave), Kevin Rosen (Preacher), Marie Hanhnhon Nguyen (A Friend of the Family), and Jean Kyoung Frazier (Pizza Girl). The music for the series has been provided by The Haxan Cloak (Midsommar), series cinematography is by Larkin Seiple (Everything Everywhere All at Once), and the series film editing is by Nat Fuller, Jordan Kim, Harry Yoon, and Laura Zempel.