Jon M. Chu | |
|---|---|
朱浩偉 | |
.jpg) Chu in 2025 | |
| Born | Jonathan Murray Chu (1979-11-02)November 2, 1979 (age 46) Palo Alto, California, U.S. |
| Education | University of Southern California (BFA) |
| Occupations |
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| Years active | 2001–present |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 5[1][2] |
Jonathan Murray Chu (born November 2, 1979)[3] is an American film director, producer, and screenwriter. He is known for directing the romantic comedyCrazy Rich Asians (2018), one of the first films by amajor Hollywood studio to feature a majority cast of Asian descent,[4] and the fantasy musicalsWicked (2024) andWicked: For Good (2025), atwo-part film adaptation of thestage musical. For directingWicked, Chu won theNational Board of Review Award for Best Director andCritics’ Choice Award for Best Director.
An alumnus of theUSC School of Cinematic Arts, other films he has directed often include musical elements, including the dance filmsStep Up 2: The Streets (2008) andStep Up 3D (2010), the science fiction filmG.I. Joe: Retaliation (2013), the musicalsJem and the Holograms (2015) andIn the Heights (2021),[5][6] as well as the live concert filmsJustin Bieber: Never Say Never (2011) andJustin Bieber's Believe (2013).
Chu was born inPalo Alto, California, and grew up in nearbyLos Altos. His mother, Ruth Chu, was born in Taiwan; his father, Lawrence Chu, was born inSichuan, China.[7][8][9] His family owns the restaurantChef Chu's. He is the youngest of five children.[10] He began making movies in fifth grade, when his mother gave him a video camera to document their family vacations. Chu instead began making home movies starring his siblings.[11][12]
Chu attendedPinewood School from kindergarten through 12th grade.[13] He obtained aBachelor of Fine Arts in film and television production from theUniversity of Southern California in 2003,[10] where he was a member of theSigma Phi Epsilon fraternity. He won thePrincess Grace Award, the Kodak Student Filmmaker Award,[14] theDore Schary Award presented by theAnti-Defamation League, theJack Nicholson directing award, and was recognized as an honoree for the IFP/West programProject: Involve.[15][16] In 2006, he launched aYouTube channel showcasing his early work and behind-the-scenesvlogs.[17]
After making his student short,When the Kids Are Away, Chu was signed toWilliam Morris Agency and attached to several high-profile projects. Chu was hired bySony Pictures to direct a contemporary,hip hop–inspired adaptation of the stage musicalBye Bye Birdie.[18] However, Sony did not greenlight the film due to budget concerns.[19] Sony re-hired Chu to direct their updated version ofThe Great Gatsby,[19] which did not pan out as the project was purchased byWarner Bros. Pictures for their2013 film.
Chu directedStep Up 2: The Streets[20] in 2008. In 2010, he created, co-directed, and co-producedThe Legion of Extraordinary Dancers[21] a web series featuring various types of dance. Chu saysLXD was inspired byMichael Jackson's "Thriller" and "Smooth Criminal"music videos and by the dancers he met while filming the movieStep Up 2: The Streets. In 2011, Chu directedJustin Bieber: Never Say Never[22] an American3-Dconcert film.
During this period Chu had a dance crew called AC/DC or Adam Chu/Dance Crew. In an interview, Chu addressed a question he is often asked, "Why do all of your films have dance?" He responded, "I don't know why. It seems so obvious. But there's something about the dancers that motivate me the most. I don't know if it's just dance, but I do think that the dancers are amazing artists, and every time I meet a new dancer, that triggers something in my brain, and I'm more creative than I could ever be. When I feel that creativity burst, I go with it."[23]
In 2013, Chu was awarded the Visionary Award byEast West Players (EWP), the longest-running theater of color in the United States, for his contributions to theAsian Pacific American (APA) community. In an online Q&A, Chu revealed that he had attended EWP's productions as a child and was excited "to push boundaries with them in the future."[24]
In 2013, Chu directed a pre-flight safety video forVirgin America. The video was structured like a musical number that incorporated multiple styles and high-energy dance.[25] The video was played before flights through 2018, when Virgin America was folded intoAlaska Airlines.
In 2014, Chu and his producing partner Hieu Ho sold toFocus Features a planned 1990s-set high school dance comedy calledCan't Touch This. He was also said to be developing two projects forLionsgate at that time; the horror projectRun, and the magician sequelNow You See Me 2, the latter releasing in 2016.[26] Chu was initially set to return as director forthe third film in thefranchise,[27] butRuben Fleischer took on the position instead.
Chu next directedCrazy Rich Asians, which was the highest-grossing film over the August 17, 2018, weekend, earned over $35M at the US box office during its first five days,[28] and received a 93% rating fromRotten Tomatoes. Within a week of the film's release,Variety reported that a sequel was already in development by Warner Bros. with Chu scheduled to direct.[29] Director Chu is part of Rachel Chu's familyin the book, as a distant cousin.[30]
In 2018,Hulu was developing a television series adaptation ofThe Wangs vs. the World, with authorJade Chang adapting and Chu directing should the script move to pilot.[31] In 2019, Chu was said to be producing, and in talks to direct, a feature adaptation ofMary H. K. Choi's bestsellingYA romance novelPermanent Record for Warner Bros.[32]
Chu directedIn the Heights, based on theBroadway musical of the same name, forWarner Bros. Pictures. It was previously set for a June 26, 2020, release, though it was delayed due to theCOVID-19 pandemic. The film was released on June 10, 2021.[33][34][35][36]
In October 2020, it was announced that Chu would be directing the pilot for theDisney+ seriesWillow, based onthe film of the same name, withWarwick Davis returning as the title character.[37][38] The following month, Chu entered talks with Disney to direct alive-action adaptation ofLilo & Stitch,[39] which he ultimately passed on due to other obligations. It was also announced, in December, that he was developing a series remake ofSwiss Family Robinson atDisney+.[40]
In January 2021, Chu left directorial duties onWillow due to production delays and personal reasons with the birth of his next child.[41] The following month, it was announced that Chu would direct thetwo-part film adaptation ofWicked forUniversal Pictures, with both parts set for November 2024 and 2025 releases.[42][43]
In January 2024, Chu along with his production company Electric Company, signed a first look film deal withWarner Bros. Pictures, where he'll direct both original and franchise films for the studio.[citation needed]
Chu will direct an adaptation ofDr. Seuss'sOh, The Places You'll Go!, produced byWarner Bros. Pictures Animation alongsideDr. Seuss Enterprises andBad Robot Productions.[44]
In February 2021, it was reported that Chu's next film would beThe Great Chinese Art Heist, based on aGQ article by Alex W. Palmer. The film would explore a series of museum robberies in Europe where Chinese antiquities were stolen.[45] In August,Jimmy O. Yang,Jessica Gao andKen Cheng were tapped to write the adaptation for Chu to direct.[46]
In March 2022, it was announced that Chu would be producing (and possibly directing) an animated film based on the children's modeling compoundPlay-Doh. It will be produced byEntertainment One andHasbro.[47][48]
In April 2023, it was revealed that Chu will direct and co-produce a feature film adaptation ofAndrew Lloyd Webber andTim Rice's musicalJoseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a passion project he had been hoping to make for some time, forAmazon MGM Studios and theReally Useful Group. It will be produced byScott Sanders and Mara Jacobs, reuniting with Chu after working with him onIn the Heights.[49]
In August 2024, it was announced that Chu will direct the film adaptation ofBritney Spears' memoirThe Woman in Me for Universal, re-teaming withWicked producerMarc Platt on the project.[50]
In April 2025, Chu became attached to direct thelive action adaptation of the video gameSplit Fiction, withRhett Reese andPaul Wernick writing the screenplay,Story Kitchen producing, andSydney Sweeney cast in the lead role.[51]
In July 2025, it was announced that the live-actionHot Wheels movie in development atMattel andWarner Bros. would be moving forward with Chu set to direct, andJuel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier writing the script.[52]
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Chu has cited a variety of sources as influences on his filmmaking. These include the work ofSteven Spielberg andJohn Hughes, as well as Asian-American filmmakers such asDestin Daniel Cretton,Alice Wu andJustin Lin. Chu has also cited various films as influences on his directing style, particularly Spielberg'sE.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982) and musical films such asThe Wizard of Oz (1939),Singin' in the Rain (1952),The Sound of Music (1965) andLittle Shop of Horrors (1986).[53][54][55] Chu has also used his own childhood and family experience as a recurring theme through his work, as exemplified byCrazy Rich Asians.[56]
Chu and graphic designer Kristin Hodge married on July 27, 2018, inSt. Helena, California.[57][58] Their daughter, Willow, was born in 2017; she is named after the 1988 fantasy filmWillow.[59] Their son, Jonathan Heights, was born in 2019. His middle name comes from the film,In the Heights, which Chu was in the middle of directing at the time.[60] Their other children are daughter Ruby, son Iggy, and daughter Stevie Sky.[61][62][63][2]
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Cinematographer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | Silent Beats | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | Also sound and production designer |
| 2002 | When the Kids Are Away | Yes | Yes | No | Yes | |
| Gwai Lo: The Little Foreigner | Yes | No | No | No | ||
| Killing Babies | No | No | Yes | No | ||
| 2018 | Somewhere | No | No | Yes | No |
| Year | Title | Director | Producer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2008 | Step Up 2: The Streets | Yes | No | |
| 2010 | Step Up 3D | Yes | No | |
| 2011 | Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | Yes | Executive | Documentary |
| 2012 | Step Up Revolution | No | Executive | |
| 2013 | G.I. Joe: Retaliation | Yes | No | |
| Justin Bieber's Believe | Yes | No | Documentary | |
| 2014 | Step Up: All In | No | Executive | |
| 2015 | Jem and the Holograms | Yes | Yes | |
| 2016 | Now You See Me 2 | Yes | No | |
| Dance Camp | No | Yes | ||
| 2018 | Crazy Rich Asians | Yes | No | |
| 2019 | Step Up: Year of the Dance | No | Yes | |
| 2021 | In the Heights | Yes | No | |
| 2024 | Wicked | Yes | No | |
| 2025 | Wicked: For Good | Yes | No | |
| 2027 | Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat | Yes | Yes | |
| 2028 | Oh, the Places You'll Go! | Yes | No | Animated film |
| Year | Title | Director | Executive Producer | Writer | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010–2011 | The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers | Yes | Yes | Yes | Creator, Also editor |
| 2019 | Ken Jeong: You Complete Me, Ho | Yes | Yes | No | TV special |
| 2019–2024 | Good Trouble | Yes | Yes | No | Pilot |
| 2020–2021 | Home Before Dark | Yes | Yes | No | |
| 2022 | Thai Cave Rescue | No | Yes | No | [64] |
| Beauty and the Beast: A 30th Celebration | No | Yes | No | TV special | |
| 2023 | The Company You Keep | No | Yes | No |
| Association | Date of Ceremony | Category | Nominated work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Directors Guild of America Student Awards | November 12, 2002 | Best Asian American Student Filmmaker - West Coast | Gwai Lo: The Little Foreigner | Won | [65] |
| Cinema Eye Honors | January 11, 2012 | Audience Choice Prize | Justin Bieber: Never Say Never | Nominated | [66] |
| Chicago Independent Film Critics Circle Awards | February 2, 2019 | Impact Award | Crazy Rich Asians | Nominated | [67] |
| Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards | July 1, 2021 | Best Filmmaker | In the Heights | Nominated | [68] |
| National Board of Review | December 4, 2024 | Best Director | Wicked | Won | [69] |
| The Astra Awards | December 8, 2024 | Best Director | Won | [70] | |
| Washington D.C. Area Film Critics Association | December 8, 2024 | Best Director | Nominated | [71] | |
| Michigan Movie Critics Guild | December 9, 2024 | Best Director | Nominated | [72] | |
| Las Vegas Film Critics Society | December 13, 2024 | Best Director | Nominated | [73] | |
| New York Film Critics Online | December 16, 2024 | Best Director | Nominated | [74] | |
| TiBS Editors Choice Awards | December 30, 2024 | Best Director | Won | [75] | |
| Critics Association Of Central Florida | January 2, 2025 | Best Director | Runner-up | [76] | |
| Houston Film Critics Society | January 14, 2025 | Best Director | Nominated | [77] | |
| Critics' Choice Movie Awards | February 7, 2025 | Best Director | Won | [78] | |
| Online Film & Television Association | February 23, 2025 | Best Director | Nominated | [79] | |
| American Cinema Editors | March 14, 2025 | Golden Eddie Filmmaker of the Year | — | Won | [80] |
| Motion Picture Association Awards | September 8, 2025 | Creator Award | Won | [81] | |
| Savannah Film Festival | October 26, 2025 | Vanguard Director Award | Wicked: For Good | Won | [82] |
Director Jon M. Chu is now a proud father of five!
My mom's from Taiwan. My dad's from mainland China. They came over when they were 19, 20 years old.
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| Other | |
