Sidelined: The QB and Me<\/a>.<\/p>\n\u201cIt\u2019s uplifting,\u201d Wu tells Now Toronto. \u201cI love rom-coms and coming-of-age stories\u2026 It tells a very powerful story about resilience and chasing one\u2019s dreams.\u201d<\/p>\n
The films lean into a classic small town high school dynamic: the cheerleader and the bad-boy jock, as dancer Dallas Bryan (Siena Agudong) and football prodigy Drayton Lahey (Noah Beck) navigate ambition, attraction, and unexpected chemistry. Their love story continues in the sequel, where the transition to college tests their relationship through distance, growth, and the question of who they\u2019re each becoming.<\/p>\n
Inspired by foundational romance films like 10 Things I Hate About You, When Harry Met Sally, and Richard Linklater\u2019s Before trilogy, Wu said the storyline drew him in because he wanted to portray a realistic story audiences could see themselves in.<\/p>\n
\u201cI really wanted a film that people can feel like they\u2019re being wrapped around in a blanket,\u201d he said. \u201cThese characters are very grounded \u2013 real people who have big dreams but are also conflicted with what they want in life. I think these questions are what we ask ourselves all the time. What are our dreams? What do we really want to chase, and what are our priorities?\u201d<\/p>\n
With an unexpected ending that has left many fans reeling online, speculation is already swirling about a potential third installment in the franchise \u2013 some have even dubbed it Sidelined 3: Touchdown. Wu remains tight-lipped but optimistic. He notes that there wasn\u2019t a second book to adapt for the sequel, so a third movie doesn\u2019t yet have a blueprint, making it very much a wait-and-see situation.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf we\u2019re privileged enough, we\u2019d be happy to continue that story,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m reading all the fan theories and hoping we get a chance to do it.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n
Before Sidelined, Wu honed his directing skills on the Toronto-based, award-winning television series Kim\u2019s Convenience, which follows a Korean-Canadian family running a Moss Park convenience store as they navigate customers, each other, and the evolving world around them.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Becoming the youngest director to work on the series, Wu described it as a \u201cdream come true,\u201d saying it was an opportunity not only to work closely with a relatable story but also to shine a global spotlight on his hometown.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a show that meant a lot to me and my family because we would watch it together,\u201d he said. \u201cIt was one where I could actually have conversations with my parents as an immigrant Chinese family. I could not be more fulfilled to be able to shine a light on Toronto to the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
Looking ahead, Wu is eager to explore a wider range of genres beyond romantic comedies, which he describes as a \u201cstepping stone.\u201d He likens himself to Sidelined character Dallas, hoping to be fearless and pursue whatever wild opportunities come his way.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want to have the opportunity to try different things. Maybe an action film. Maybe a period piece\u2026 I\u2019d love to do more adult romance, political thrillers, sci-fi. I\u2019m really open to anything,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Now that Sidelined 2 is out in the world and streaming on Tubi, Wu says he hopes it leaves a lasting impression on young audiences.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would hope to instill a sense of confidence \u2013 confidence to believe in yourself, to not be swayed by love or by opportunity, but to make the right choice for you,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Toronto-based director Justin Wu is clear about the kinds of stories he wants to tell: ones that are…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":369163,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[49,48,75,1554,7811,1788,3302],"class_list":{"0":"post-369162","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-entertainment","8":"tag-ca","9":"tag-canada","10":"tag-entertainment","11":"tag-film","12":"tag-scarborough","13":"tag-television","14":"tag-toronto"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369162","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=369162"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/369162\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/369163"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=369162"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=369162"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=369162"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}