WILLIAM YU
is a Korean American screenwriter who tells dynamic stories about ambitious outsiders upending the systems that have held them back.
An NBCU TV Writers Program alum, William was recently brought back as a Story Editor for the second season of BRILLIANT MINDS, an NBC medical drama starring Zachary Quinto (Star Trek). He was also on the writing staff for THE ‘BURBS, an upcoming Peacock mystery comedy series starring Keke Palmer (One Of Them Days), as well as FIGHT NIGHT: THE MILLION DOLLAR HEIST, winner of Outstanding Limited Series at the NAACP Image Awards, a Peacock crime drama starring Kevin Hart (Jumanji), Samuel L. Jackson (Pulp Fiction), and Don Cheadle (The Ocean’s Trilogy).
Yu's half hour dramedy GOOD BOY was selected for the Sundance Episodic Lab and a Sundance Institute grant to direct a proof of concept that was selected to numerous film festivals and is now available on Omeleto. Overall, GOOD BOY content has amassed 150,000+ views.
On the feature side, William had his rom-com feature IT WAS YOU voted to the annual Black List - the buzzy compendium of the year’s most-liked unproduced Hollywood scripts - and attached Crazy Rich Asians director Jon M. Chu as a producer.
William is also the creator of #Starring JohnCho, a viral, award-winning social movement that used Photoshopped movie posters to spark a global conversation about Asian American representation in media and was covered by BBC, CNN, and The New York Times.
Raised in Hong Kong, educated in Boston, and seasoned in New York, William resides in Los Angeles. He is repped by Manager Zack Zucker at Bellevue, Agents Halle Mariner and Danny Alexander at IAG, and Lawyer Adam Cooper at Jackoway Austen.
Shows
Accolades
Scripts
BLOOD DANCE TEARS (Feature; PSYCHOLOGICAL THRILLER)
After suffering a heart attack, a K-pop star retreats to a quiet American town, only to get ensnared in a dangerously seductive relationship with a local shopkeeper.
In development.
It Was You (Feature; Romantic Comedy)
With the future of Manhattan's Chinatown at stake, a stubborn store clerk battles against an innovative CEO’s expansion plan, but little do they know that they've been falling in love with each other on a new, anonymous dating app.
Annual Black List select. Out to buyers with Jon M. Chu’s prodco Electric Somewhere.
Starring david park (Feature; family/action)
Trapped in a cinematic time loop, overlooked actor David Park must battle his way through heroes, villains, and his own shortcomings in order to make it back to his family. Inspired by the worldwide phenomenon #StarringJohnCho.
Pitch & concept deck avail upon request.
RUIN ME (Pilot; Hour-long; ROMANCE CRIME DRAMA)
When an unassuming ad exec is swindled of her life savings by a master scammer, she launches herself into a toxic, obsessive hunt for revenge.
Script & pitch deck avail upon request.
Koreagate (Pilot; Hour-long; POLITICAL SCANDAL Drama)
Washington D.C., 1970. The ambitious Tongsun Park, known as "The Asian Gatsby", conducts an illegal influence campaign that brings U.S. democracy to the brink and lives in infamy as the political scandal known as Koreagate. Based on true events.
NBCU TV Writers Program select. Script & pitch bible avail upon request.
Good Boy (Pilot; Half hour; Dramedy)
A young Korean American with dreams of launching his own streetwear brand struggles with dysfunctional relationships and conflicting family values, forcing him to question if doing it for the culture is really worth the hype.
Sundance select. Script & lookbook avail upon request. Watch the short here.
Good Boy / 2022 / 16min / Written and directed by William Yu
Speaking Engagements
As an outspoken advocate for Asian Americans with a passionate social media following, William has been requested to speak with news outlets, conferences, advertising agencies, universities, high schools, and Fortune 500 businesses.
William speaks from a representation-first perspective that examines how marginalized voices can take their creativity to have an impact on culture. Yu’s presentations range from the rising wave of Asian American culture, the shifting landscape of social media and its influence on pop culture, to how to turn a passion project into a career, and the transition from being an advertising strategist into a full-time screenwriter.
Engagements include: keynotes, interviews, panels, Q&As, lectures, and more.