Joy Ride: release date, trailer, cast, plot and everything we know about the comedy (2024)

In addition to all the action films like Fast X and the highly-anticipated superhero blockbuster The Flash, moviegoers are also going to be treated to some Grade-A comedy this summer with the new project Joy Ride. It's the story of a woman who travels to China with quite the motley crew of friends in search of her birth mother.

The movie is the brainchild of Cherry Chevapravatdumrong, Teresa Hsiao and Adele Lim. While their names may not be instantly recognizable, their work certainly is, as Chevapravatdumrong and Hsiao have written many episodes of Family Guy and Lim was the co-writer for the 2018 box-office hit, Crazy Rich Asians. Just knowing these three combined their writing powers is reason enough to put this movie on your must-watch list. By the way, did we mention Seth Rogan (The Fabelmans) is on board as a producer?

Keep reading to see find out more about Joy Ride.

Joy Ride release date

Joy Ride premieres exclusively in theaters in the US on Friday, July 7. It is set to come out in the UK on August 4.

Joy Ride trailer

The Joy Ride trailer certainly gets you primed and ready to watch the full movie. Check out the clip below.

Joy Ride plot

Here is the official synopsis of the film:

“From the producers of Neighbors and the co-screenwriter of Crazy Rich Asians, Joy Ride stars Ashley Park, Sherry Cola, Oscar nominee Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu. The hilarious and unapologetically explicit story of identity and self-discovery centers on four unlikely friends who embark on a once-in-a-lifetime international adventure. When Audrey’s (Ashley Park) business trip to Asia goes sideways, she enlists the aid of Lolo (Sherry Cola), her irreverent, childhood best friend who also happens to be a hot mess; Kat (Stephanie Hsu), her college friend turned Chinese soap star; and Deadeye (Sabrina Wu), Lolo’s eccentric cousin. Their no-holds-barred, epic experience becomes a journey of bonding, friendship, belonging and wild debauchery that reveals the universal truth of what it means to know and love who you are.”

Joy Ride cast

Leading the way for the Joy Ride cast is Ashley Park. The actress is a familiar face for those Emily in Paris fans as she portrays Mindy Chen. Park has also been featured in Girls5eva and is in Only Murders in the Building season 3.

Rounding out the core group of friends in the film are Sherry Cola, Stephanie Hsu and Sabrina Wu. Cola stars in the hit show Good Trouble, Hsu recently received an Oscar nomination for her role in Everything Everywhere All at Once and for Wu, Joy Ride serves as her most notable project to date.

Joy Ride director

Adele Lim pulls double duty in Joy Ride as both a writer and director. While the film serves as her directorial debut, she’s no novice in Hollywood. She’s been a producer on Lethal Weapon (series), Reign and Private Practice, and again was a writer on Crazy Rich Asians and helped write the screenplay for Raya and the Last Dragon.