Hallmark Channel has come under fire for its upcoming romantic comedy, 'All's Fair in Love and Mahjong', which features a predominantly white cast despite the film's focus on the Chinese tile-based game. The movie, set to premiere on 9 May, stars Fiona Gubelmann, Paul Campbell, Yan-Kay Crystal Lowe, Tamera Mowry-Housley and Melissa Peterman. While Lowe is of half-Chinese descent, critics argue that the network has failed to ensure adequate Asian representation in the main cast.
The backlash comes during Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, with social media users accusing Hallmark of cultural appropriation. One Threads user described the casting as a "slap-in-the-face", while others questioned the decision to greenlight the film. Comments on Instagram included remarks about "colonisation" and calls for the network to stick to its own culture rather than profiting from others.
The controversy is compounded by a partnership with Miss Mahjong, an e-commerce site, to release a special set of tiles featuring non-traditional symbols, which are used in the movie. Critics have asked why Hallmark did not use a traditional mahjong set or work with an Asian-owned company. Questions have also been raised about the involvement of Asian writers and the casting of Chinese actors for a story centred on Chinese culture.
This is not the first time Hallmark has faced public criticism. The network previously upset conservatives in 2022 by airing its first original Christmas movie focused on an LGBT+ love story. Former Hallmark star Candace Cameron Bure later left for the more conservative Great American Family network, stating that Hallmark had become "a completely different network". In contrast, actress Lacey Chabert defended Hallmark, saying she had "found a real home" there.
