Tourism Malaysia is proud to announce its official support for the highly anticipated feature film Worth The Wait, a heartwarming romantic comedy celebrating Asian talent, love across the borders, and the beauty of cultural connection.
Premiering today in Kuala Lumpur, the film has already won hearts for its emotional depth, universal themes of love and hope, and standout all-Asian cast.
The star-studded ensemble 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).
Acclaimed Taiwanese director, Tom Shu-Yu Lin – the eight-time Golden Horse nominee – makes his English-language debut with Worth The Wait. Today’s red carpet gala drew cast and crew from U.S.A, Canada, Taiwan, and Singapore, making the premiere a truly international celebration.
Partially filmed in Malaysia, the film is an on-going effort to promote Asian representation in North America. The film highlights the country’s natural beauty, vibrant local heritage, and warm hospitality—elements that continue to make Malaysia a world-class travel destination.
“Films like Worth The Wait inspire audiences worldwide to explore Malaysia for themselves,” said Datuk Manoharan Periasamy, Director-General of Tourism Malaysia. “This collaboration is part of our broader strategy to integrate tourism with film and entertainment. The film industry is a growing niche that allows Malaysia to shine—both as a featured story and as a filming location.”
The partnership reflects Tourism Malaysia’s 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).
Produced by Rachel Tan, former Miss Malaysia and a rising force in Southeast Asian cinema, Worth the Wait has earned praise from audiences and critics alike for its heart-warming plot, cross-cultural representation, and universal values of love, hope and restoration.
“Worth The Wait is not just entertainment, but also a reflection on love, faith and hope,” said Rachel Tan explaining 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.”
The 1 hour 42 minute movie will be released to theatres in Malaysia in August. It marks a significant milestone for Malaysian cinema, particularly with Worth The Wait being one of the few romantic dramas to receive international theatrical and streaming release as a hit streaming original film in Hollywood, Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia and New Zealand and soon to also be released in theaters in Malaysia and Singapore. It will be distributed in Malaysia by Astro Shaw.
The red carpet movie premiere today at DaDi Cinema in Pavillion Kuala Lumpur drew a crowd for 200 guests, including a special appearance with cast and filmmakers traveling into Kuala Lumpur from as far as the U.S.A, Canada, Taiwan and Singapore.
Worth The Wait from King Street Pictures marks 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.
