Coming to the U.S. isn’t everything it’s cracked up to be. Being a Communist spy in disguise in foreign territory, however, is an even tougher task — especially for someone of Vietnamese descent in the immediate aftermath of the Vietnam War. Hoa Xuande stars as the main protagonist of “The Sympathizer,” known only as the Captain. A former spy for the Viet Cong, his relocation to America as a refugee only tests his conflicting loyalties even further. And that’s before multiple Robert Downey, Jr.’s show up, pushing him to his breaking point.
That’s the juicy setup for what looks like a thrill-a-minute drama from one of the most acclaimed filmmakers around. Park Chan-wook serves as co-showrunner on “The Sympathizer” along with Don McKellar, and is backed by a stellar cast led by Xuande and Downey, Jr. Joining them will be Fred Nguyen Khan, Toan Le, Phanxine, Vy Le, Ky Duyen, Kieu Chinh, Duy Nguyen, Alan Trong, and the great Sandra Oh. Park Chan-wook is slated to direct the first three episodes of this seven-episode miniseries, along with directors Fernando Meirelles and Marc Munden. Max subscribers, be sure to mark down the premiere date of April 14, 2024.
Based on Viet Thanh Nguyen’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name, THE SYMPATHIZER is an espionage thriller and cross-culture satire about the struggles of a half-French, half-Vietnamese communist spy during the final days of the Vietnam War and his new life as a refugee in Los Angeles, where he learns that his spying days aren’t over.
