When a Broadway star and an Oscar-nominated screen phenom decide it’s time to let loose, you’d better pay attention. Joining forces in the razor-sharp new comedy Joy Ride, Broadway favorite Ashley Park and screen trailblazer Stephanie Hsu take the wheel—not as sidekicks, but as bold, uproarious leads. Alongside scene-stealing co-stars Sherry Cola and Sabrina Wu, the cast’s electric chemistry takes this story from zero to sixty, making the movie the kind of comedy that crashes through every expectation.
Joy Ride is a wild, women-powered romp about friendship, identity, and chaos on the open road. The story follows Audrey (Park), an overachieving lawyer and Chinese adoptee sent on a business trip to Asia. Tagging along are her childhood best friend Lolo Chen (Cola), Lolo’s K-pop-obsessed cousin Deadeye (Wu), and Audrey’s glamorous college roommate-turned-soap star Kat (Hsu). Together, they embark on a roaring adventure across China—complete with unexpected detours, drug-smuggling train rides, and a string of late-night disasters. With these four women behind the wheel, absolutely anything can happen.
What sets Joy Ride apart isn’t just that it’s female-led, but that it’s also Asian-led—from its cast to its creative team. Directed by Adele Lim (Crazy Rich Asians) and co-written with Cherry Chevapravatdumrong and Teresa Hsiao, the film is a no-holds-barred journey of belonging and self-discovery told through an unapologetically raunchy lens.
In an interview, Lim shared her vision for breaking stereotypes in her directorial debut: “There’s a certain way Asian American women, particularly, are portrayed in TV and film—there’s a lot of exoticization and fetishization. We really wanted to tell a story inspired by our friendship and our friends, and having characters that were messy and thirsty and just pieces of work.”
For Park, Joy Ride offered a rare opportunity to lead a major studio comedy and bring laughter to the forefront of Asian representation: “We are so excited just to have a movie out there that’s just making people laugh and to have an Asian movie be associated with an amazing comedy. I think Asian joy—that’s what the movie was and that’s what it felt like.”
Get in the driver’s seat and enjoy the chaos, the laughter, and the heart. Joy Ride streams exclusively on Lionsgate Play.
About Lionsgate Play
Lionsgate Play, a premium streaming service from Lionsgate India and Starz, offers bespoke quality content to its users. It boasts premium and curated content including Premieres, billion-dollar Franchise Movies and binge-worthy Box Sets. Lionsgate Play is accessible to consumers in the Philippines via www.lionsgateplay.com for Php79 monthly with PLDT Home and Php199 quarterly plan with Smart.
A curated selection of Lionsgate Play titles is also available on Cignal Super, the Philippines’ first and only streaming aggregator app. With only One Login, One Subscription, users can watch content from multiple streaming apps for only P799/month (Premium+ Plan) or P499/month (Premium Plan).
For more information about Lionsgate Play Philippines, visit lionsgateplay.com and follow them on Facebook and Tiktok.
About Cignal
Cignal is a multi-platform media company in the Philippines, offering a wide range of content through satellite television, streaming services, and digital platforms. With a strong commitment to delivering powerful stories and meaningful connections, Cignal continues to bring joy and entertainment to Filipinos everywhere – enriching lives through innovation, technology, and the Filipino spirit.
About PLDT Home
PLDT Home is trusted by Filipinos to deliver the fastest internet connection and future-ready innovations to their homes. It is the only telco in the Philippines that has received the most prestigious “Fastest Fixed Internet, Five Years In a Row” award at the Ookla® Speedtest Awards™ 2022 – a first for PLDT and the Philippines. Enabling moments that bring the family closer together, PLDT Home offers unli-entertainment including Lionsgate Play and its library of award-winning titles.
About Smart
Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is a wholly owned wireless communications and digital services subsidiary of PLDT, Inc., the Philippines’ largest and only integrated telecommunications company. Smart serves approximately 97% of the country’s population with its combined 2G, 3G, 4G LTE, and 5G network, providing mobile communications services, high-speed internet connectivity, and access to digital services and content to Filipinos, supporting the country’s growing digital economy, and providing the best customer experience for an increasingly digital Filipino lifestyle.