Filmmaker and actor Justin Chon’s Blue Bayou is getting a high-profile 2021 summer release in theaters, Focus Features announced Friday.

The drama, a timely story about an American family fighting for their future as the father faces deportation, will hit the big screen in the U.S. on June 25.

In addition to writing and directing, Chon also stars in Blue Bayou. He plays Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean adoptee raised in a small town in the Louisiana bayou who is married to the love of his life, Kathy (Alicia Vikander), and stepfather to their daughter.

Struggling to make a better life for his family, he must confront the ghosts of his past when he discovers that he could be deported from the only country he has ever called home.

Chon — also a YouTube personality — previously helmed the films Gook and Ms. Purple, both of which won multiple festival awards.

Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham and Emory Cohen co-star in Blue Bayou. Producers are Chon, Charles D. King, Kim Poth and Poppy Hanks.

Focus acquired rights to the drama earlier this year out of the Cannes virtual film market. [Source]

Focus Features picked up the worldwide rights to Justin Chon’s “Blue Bayou” from MACRO and Entertainment One. The studio acquired the rights during this year’s Cannes’ virtual market, but did not announce a release window at this time. Chon wrote and directed the film, which he stars in alongside Academy Award winner Alicia Vikander, Mark O’Brien, Linh Dan Pham, and Emory Cohen.

The studio’s description reads, “Blue Bayou tells the heartbreaking story of Antonio LeBlanc, a Korean adoptee raised in the United States who is forced to confront his distant past and what it means for his own future and his family’s when he unexpectedly faces deportation.”

“Justin’s ability to open our eyes to new perspectives by celebrating our shared humanity is more vital now than ever before. We’re so proud to help bring his voice to the world and to reunite with Alicia along with the brilliant teams at eOne and MACRO,” said Focus Features chairman Peter Kujawski.

MACRO and eOne financed the project, with Chon, Charles D. King, Poppy Hanks, and Kim Roth producing. The executive producers are Clara Wu, Nick Meyer, Zev Foreman, and Eddie Rubin. Greta Fuentes and Yira Vilaro are also co-producers. The film will be distributed by Focus Features in the United States, with Universal Pictures International distributing in other markets.

Sierra/Affinity, the wholly owned subsidiary of eOne, represented the international sales of the film, with UTA and WME facilitating the domestic sale.

Alicia Vikander also stars in “The Green Knight,” from A24. That project was slated to release last May, but was delayed because of the ongoing health crisis. David Lowery wrote and directed the film, which features Dev Patel, Vikander, Joel Edgerton, and Sean Harris.

The description for “The Green Knight” adds, “An epic fantasy adventure based on the timeless Arthurian legend, The Green Knight tells the story of Sir Gawain (Dev Patel), King Arthur’s reckless and headstrong nephew, who embarks on a daring quest to confront the eponymous Green Knight, a gigantic emerald-skinned stranger and tester of men. Gawain contends with ghosts, giants, thieves, and schemers in what becomes a deeper journey to define his character and prove his worth in the eyes of his family and kingdom by facing the ultimate challenger.” [Source]