“Kim’s Convenience” star Paul Sun-Hyung Lee has set up his next project.
The Canadian actor, who played Appa on the CBC comedy over five seasons, is set to host “Fandemonium,” a new series delving into the sub-cultures of makers, artists and collectors inspired by franchises such as Star Wars, Ghostbusters and Nintendo.
The show is in development at Great Pacific Media, the factual production company owned by Toronto’s Thunderbird Entertainment Group, who also produced “Kim’s Convenience.”
“‘Fandemonium’ will bring to the forefront the creative enthusiasts who have turned their love of pop culture into something spectacular,” said David Way, president of Great Pacific Media. “Hosted by the acclaimed actor Paul Sun-Hyung Lee, who is a die-hard fan himself, the series will showcase all the creativity and community that a fictional world can create, from a fan-built, one-of-a-kind custom pinball machine to the mechanic who makes screen-accurate movie car replicas to the YouTubers turning fictional movie props into reality.”
Lee will investigate different fandoms in each episode, highlighting everything from rare collectables to long-lost props and outrageous fan builds — all while meeting the people behind them.
“‘Fandemonium’ is a passion project made for the fans, about the fans, by a fan,” says Lee. “I’m excited to be collaborating with Great Pacific Media to celebrate fandom in all its forms and show the world the positivity and impact that being a fan can be.”
The show is among Lee’s first projects since the end of “Kim’s Convenience” last year.
The Canadian drama about a Korean-Canadian family running a Toronto convenience store was a hit for the CBC and gained an international fanbase when it was picked up by Netflix. After the show was abruptly canceled last year, however, cast members such as Simu Liu (“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings”) spoke out about their frustrations with the lack of diversity on the production team and in the writers’ room and how their characters were depicted.
“Kim’s Convenience” was recently acquired by FilmRise to be featured on its own FAST (Free Ad-Supported Streaming TV Services) channel.
Outside of the CBC show, Lee has also starred in the Disney Plus series “The Mandalorian” and “The Book of Boba Fett.” He was recently cast in Netflix’s “Avatar: The Last Airbender” series.
“Fandemonium explores how people – from all different backgrounds – are united by a film, comic, video game or book,” said Jennifer Twiner McCarron, CEO of Thunderbird. “There is no one better than Paul to find that out. He is immensely talented and brings so much enthusiasm to his work, we’re so excited to be working with him on another series.”
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