It was definitely worth the wait. The highly-anticipated romantic comedy Worth The Wait opened in more than 30 cinemas nationwide over the weekend, and we were first in line, with popcorn barrels in hand.
Aptly timed with the Merdeka month celebrations, the heartfelt film, which was partly shot in Malaysia, has already won over American viewers on Fox’s streaming channel Tubi.
The four-story plot feature film is applauded for its emotional depth, and universal themes of love, hope and redemption.
The star-studded all-Asian cast includes Ross Butler (13 Reasons Why), Lana Condor (To All The Boys I’ve Loved Before Franchise), Andrew Koji (Black Doves), Sung Kang (Fast and The Furious Franchise), Elodie Yung (The Cleaning Lady), Karena Ka-Yan Lam (multiple Golden Horse Award winning Hong Kong and Taiwan actress in her U.S. and English language debut), Osric Chau (Supernatural), Kheng Hua Tan (Crazy Rich Asians), and Yu-Beng Lim (Rebel Moon). Meanwhile, acclaimed Taiwanese director, Tom Shu-Yu Lin – the eight-time Golden Horse nominee – makes his English-language debut with Worth The Wait.
With at least 10 scenes filmed in Malaysia, the 1 hour 42 minute family-friendly movie highlights Malaysia’s natural beauty, vibrant local heritage, food and warm hospitality.
Rachel Tan, former Miss Malaysia and producer of the film said, “Worth The Wait is not just entertainment, but also a reflection on love, faith and hope,” adding that the film is loosely based on her personal love story which blossomed through a long distance relationship between Malaysia and the United States.
“Dan and I wanted to create something that celebrates our Asian identity while also speaking to audiences around the world – and the response so far has been incredibly encouraging.”
Dan Mark, one of the film’s producers said, “We encourage Malaysian audiences to come out to support the film which contributes towards putting the country on the world stage as a destination of choice for film makers.”
Worth The Wait has earned praise from audiences and critics for its authentic narratives, heart-warming scenes and cross-cultural representation. In addition to the U.S., the film will also be released in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, Canada, United Kingdom, the Middle East and Taiwan. It is distributed in Malaysia by Astro Shaw.
The film is supported by Tourism Malaysia, in its commitment to supporting creative industries that champion Malaysian culture and tourism through powerful storytelling and visual media. This initiative is also part of the national effort to boost tourism ahead of Visit Malaysia Year 2026 (VM2026).
Worth The Wait is produced by King Street Pictures, marking its sixth cinematic release. King Street Pictures, known for its emotionally-charged narratives and commitment to diverse storytelling, continues to champion Asian representation in global cinema. With several successful films prior to this, Kingstreet continues to push creative boundaries and uplift underrepresented voices in cinema.
