Teen Wolf alum Arden Cho, who played Kira Yukimura on the supernatural MTV series, has explained her decision to pass on Paramount+'s upcoming revival film due to being offered less pay than her co-stars. Cho says she turned the film down not because she was angry, but because she hopes to see more equality going forward.
In September 2021, it was announced that Teen Wolf series creator Jeff Davis had signed a deal to helm a revival film for Paramount+. In February 2022, the film revealed its cast, which was confirmed to include numerous returning stars from the television show. However, Teen Wolf stars Cho, Dylan O'Brien and Tyler Hoechlin were noticeably absent from the film's lineup (though Hoechlin would later board the project).
Shortly after the cast list was revealed, it came to light that Cho had declined to reprise her role as Kira in the film over pay inequality. Reportedly, Cho -- the only woman of color among Teen Wolf's four female regulars -- was offered half as much money as her three colleagues. Cho finally broke her silence on the matter in a recent interview with The Cut, during which she revealed that she may have not even been offered that much.
"I think I was actually offered even less," she told the outlet. Cho stated that it was not her team that leaked the pay information, saying that had it not come out, she "probably would've never shared it." Nevertheless, Cho hopes her decision to turn down the movie can lead to positive change for other actors. "I wasn't saying 'no' necessarily for me or because I was angry," she said. "I was saying 'no' because I hope that there will be more equality in the future."
Elsewhere in the interview, Cho explained that lesser offers are something actors of Asian descent are all too familiar with. "I could probably, off the top of my head, think of over 10 Asian-American actors I know who were paid significantly less than their counterparts," she said. "Sometimes you don't have a choice to say 'no.' Sometimes you just need it. You've got bills to pay."
Cho also opened up regarding her initial departure from MTV's Teen Wolf. Her character was introduced during the show's third season and would become a major player through its fifth. However, Kira she written out of the show ahead of Season 6. "I was in shock. I couldn't believe it," Cho recalled. "There wasn’t room for Kira."
As previously mentioned, Cho's former Teen Wolf co-star Dylan O'Brien -- who played Stiles Stilinski -- will similarly be sitting out the revival film. While O'Brien has not publicly addressed the situation, he did previously like a tweet voicing support for Cho. "He's always been very, very supportive," Cho told The Cut.
Loosely based on the 1985 Michael J. Fox-led film of the same name, Teen Wolf ran on MTV for six seasons from 2011 to 2017. The show starred Tyler Posey as main protagonist Scott McCall, a teenage werewolf hailing from the town of Beacon Hills. Posey is set to reprise his role in Paramount+'s upcoming revival film opposite fellow Teen Wolf alums Holland Roden, Shelley Hennig, Crystal Reed, Orny Adams, Linden Ashby, J.R. Bourne, Seth Gilliam, Colton Haynes, Ryan Kelley, Melissa Ponzio and Dylan Sprayberry. The Teen Wolf film will lead into a new spinoff series titled Wolf Pack.
Meanwhile, Cho is set to play the lead role in Netflix's upcoming legal drama Partner Track. The show is expected to premiere this summer.
Source: The Cut, via The Hollywood Reporter
