ABC is teaming with Viola Davis and Julius Tennon's JuVee Productions to develop an hour-long drama series titled 'Ohana, based on Kiana Davenport's 1994 novel Shark Dialogues, according to the Hollywood Reporter. Former Time staff writer and foreign correspondent Lisa Takeuchi Cullen will write the adaptation.
"So many Hawaii-set stories have been told from the white point of view," said Cullen. "This is a story we're passionate about telling from the point of view of native Hawaiians--Pacific Islanders, people of Asian descent and people of hapa heritage."
In a joint statement, Tennon and Davis said: " 'Ohana is Hawaiian for 'family,' and that is a big part of who we are and what we want JuVee to support: embracing cultures and points of view from all over the world and showing that we all can relate and connect to each other."
THR noted that "the deal comes as Crazy Rich Asians' $35 million five-day opening has provided the comp needed to prove the marketability of Asian-American stories. Cullen says she referenced the Warner Bros. film in her pitch, and it was sold the day Crazy Rich Asians opened."
"The landscape has shifted dramatically in the last 12 months, and maybe in the last week," she said. "I would be very open to [the protagonist] being cast with an Asian-American actor, because I think Crazy Rich Asians is going to be the biggest movie this year, and there's going to be a huge demand."
Andrew Wang, head of TV for JuVee, which has an overall deal with ABC Studios, added: "At JuVee, we're passionate about compelling stories with diverse perspectives, told by diverse voices like Kiana and Lisa, so this project is a perfect fit."