Joan Chen Lands Life Rights To Dr. Qin Huilan And Wei-Lai

EXCLUSIVE: Director and actress Joan Chen has purchased the life rights of Dr. Qin Huilan and Wei-Lai.

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Qin Huilan is a 70-year-old, retired doctor who traveled to Shanghai in 2022 to visit her youngest son, Wei-Lai. As the weather got cold, Huilan borrowed a cashmere coat from her son who surprisingly had a closet full of major designer brands, including Prada. Despite the unspoken taboo subject, the two of them formed a new bond over fashion when Wei-Lai encouraged her to begin posting photos in his outfits on social media accounts that he had created for her.

The following grew quickly, and caught the attention of Ashley Brokaw, an American fashion casting director who is known for her work with Prada. Brokaw direct messaged Huilan via Instagram, informing her that she had spoken with Mrs. Prada, and the two of them would love to have Huilan walk in the 2024 MiuMiu Paris Fashion Week show. This opportunity brought forth a thrilling and amusing adventure for Huilan, who had lived in a secluded small town in China her entire life. Since then, she has not only become a fashion icon but also an inspiration for women of all ages, encouraging ordinary people to pursue their “impossible dreams.” Huilan has maintained a strong relationship with Mrs. Prada and continues to support the brand.

Chen is best known for her roles in Bernardo Bertolucci’s Oscar-winning The Last Emperor, David Lynch’s Twin Peaks series, and Oliver Stone’s Heaven and Earth , as well as for directing the film Autumn in New York , starring Winona Ryder and Richard Gere and the Chinese-language films Xiu Xiu The Sent-Down-Girl , English, and Hero.

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Next up for Chen, she executive produces and stars in the Focus Features film, DIDI , which won the Audience Award at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival. She just wrapped production on The Wedding Banquet, in which she stars alongside Lily Gladstone and Bowen Yang and is now in production on the Amazon MGM holiday comedy Oh. What. Fun. , alongside Eva Longoria, Jason Schwartzman, and Michelle Pfeiffer.

She is repped by Inphenate and Stuart Rosenthal at GGSSC.

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