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The Birth of Jon
Born Jonathan Murray Chu in Palo Alto, California, to Lawrence (a restaurant owner and well-known chef) and Ruth Chu. Jon is the youngest of five children. Both his parents were immigrants. His mother is from Taiwan, and his father is from Mainland China. -
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Attended Pinewood School
Chu attended Pinewood School from kindergarten to when he graduated from 12th grade. It was a private school in Los Altos and is known for its performing arts and math courses. -
Interest in Filmmaking
When Chu was in fifth grade, his mother gifted him a video camera to document family vacations. Instead of recording traditional vacation footage, he started making home movies with his siblings as actors, creating science fiction and murder mystery stories. This early experimentation sparked his passion for storytelling through film. During his childhood, he also took tap, drums, saxophone, violin, guitar, piano; developed a love of dance music -
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University of Southern California
Chu attended the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts in Los Angeles, graduating in 2003, where he received a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) in Film and Television Production and where he received several awards, including the Jack Nicholson Award, the Princess Grace Award and the Kodak Student Filmmaker Award. -
When the Kids Are Away
As a student at USC, Chu directed a short musical film that was described as energetic and humorous, focusing on what mothers do when their children are not around. The success of "When the Kids Are Away" opened doors for Jon M. Chu. It was this film that caught the attention of his idol, Steven Spielberg, leading to Chu's representation by the William Morris Agency -
Step Up 2: The Streets
Jon M. Chu's first big film was his feature film directorial debut and a sequel to the original "Step Up" movie. The film was a commercial success, grossing over $150 million worldwide. It also launched him into a successful career directing various other films. Based on the success of Step Up 2, Chu was chosen as director for the third installment of the series, Step Up 3D. He later served as executive producer for the fourth installment, Step Up: All In (2014) -
Bye Bye Birdie
Chu was hired by Sony Pictures to direct their feature film Bye Bye Birdie, but the project was cancelled due to budgetary concerns. -
Media Vanguard Award
Chu wrote, produced, and directed the web television series The LXD: The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. Chu stated he was inspired by the music videos of singer Michael Jackson and by the dancers he met while filming the Step Up films. LXD became the most-viewed original web series on Hulu, and it won the 2010 Media Vanguard Award for best original web series. Meanwhile, he began filming the documentary Justin Bieber: Never Say Never, which documents Bieber’s career. -
Awards for LXD Continued...
Chu received the 2011 Digital Luminary Award in the original web content category and won the Pioneer Prize at the 2011 International Digital Emmy Awards. Chu continued working in television thereafter, though primarily as an executive producer for arts- or dance-themed shows. The Justin Bieber: Never Say Never documentary was released in early 2011. -
Visionary Award
Chu was awarded the Visionary Award by East West Players (EWP), the longest-running theater of color in the United States, for his contributions to the Asian Pacific American (APA) community. -
G.I. Joe: Retaliation Release
After its release, the movie won a Teen Choice Award for Choice Movie: Action, and was nominated for a Taurus Award at the World Stunt Awards. Additionally, the movie received nominations for Best Action at the Golden Trailer Awards for both the teaser and the summer 2012 blockbuster trailer. -
Jem and the Holograms Flop
This film, directed and produced by Chu, was a significant commercial failure. It struggled to reach even $3 million at the box office, despite a budget of $5 million. It even had one of the worst opening weekends in Hollywood history -
Now You See Me 2 Release
Sequel to Now You See Me: Now You Don't. It received a few nominations, but no wins, at the 2016 Teen Choice Awards. However, it is considered a box office success, earning $334 million worldwide. While it received mixed reviews, similar to its predecessor, the film maintained its popularity and reinforced the franchise's success. -
Helping Trojans tell their stories
USC supporters Karen Wong and Scott Lee renamed a scholarship they had previously established in Chu’s honor, the Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholarship, for students whose projects focus on Asian Pacific culture in film, television, and interactive media. -
Marriage
Chu married graphic designer Kristin Hodge in St. Helena, California, after the birth of their first daughter, Willow Chu, in 2017. After getting married, they had four additional children together. -
Rise of Asian‑American Representation
Chu directed the first Hollywood film with a majority Asian cast, Crazy Rich Asians. It received a Screen Actors Guild Award nomination for best cast and a Golden Globe Award nomination for best picture. -
Career Expansion
Chu's blockbuster Crazy Rich Asians broke ground in terms of Asian and Asian American film representation and inspired discussions around whitewashing and casting decisions. The success of Crazy Rich Asians led to Chu signing a multimillion-dollar, four-year contract with 20th Century Fox Television. -
Beginning of "In the Heights"
The initial filming of the American musical drama film, In the Heights, took place in the summer of 2019. A little after that, Jon and Kristin welcomed baby boy Jonathan Heights Chu into the world. His name was inspired by the film that he was directing. -
Minor Setback
Originally intended to be released in 2020, In the Heights was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. -
Chu to Direct Wicked
After Stephen Daldry left the film production, it was announced that Chu would take over and direct the film Wicked for Universal Pictures. He connected with the story's themes of feeling out of place and being different, drawing on his experiences as a child of immigrants. Additionally, Chu was drawn to the challenge of adapting a beloved musical with a strong narrative and iconic characters. Chu always wanted it to be him. “I’ve been chasing ‘Wicked’ for 20 years,” he said. -
In the Heights Release
"In the Heights" received numerous nominations and awards for its film adaptation. It won multiple awards at the Hollywood Critics Association Midseason Awards in 2021, including Best Picture and Best Filmmaker for Jon M. Chu. It also received nominations for a Golden Globe for Best Actor in a Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy, and a nomination for Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media at the Grammy Awards -
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Filming for Wicked
Wicked began in December 2022 and wrapped in January 2024, with a break in between due to the 2023 SAG-AFTRA strike. Principal photography took place in England, with the central hub being Sky Studios Elstree. The production also utilized other soundstages at Elstree Studios and Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, as well as locations in Ivinghoe -
Jon Missing the Wicked Premire
Jon M. Chu missed the Los Angeles premiere due to the birth of his fifth child. His wife, Kristin Hodge, gave birth to a baby girl on the same day as the premiere. He shared the news and expressed his excitement about the new addition to his family on social media -
Release of Wicked
It has been a major success, becoming the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical. It has grossed over $750 million worldwide. Despite initial predictions from some, it has broken several box office records -
Best Director
Jon M. Chu was honored at the 2025 National Board of Review Awards gala for his direction of the film "Wicked". The gala celebrated "Wicked" as the Best Film, with Chu also receiving the Best Director award -
Academy Award Nominations
Wicked has an impressive total of 10 Academy Award nominations, including one for Best Picture. The other nominations included Best Actress in a Leading Role, Best Actress in a Supporting Role,
Best Visual Effects, Best Sound, Best Editing, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, Best Costume Design -
Wicked Academy Awards
At the 97th Academy Awards, Wicked won Best Costume Design (Paul Tazewell) and Best Production Design (Nathan Crowley; Set Decoration: Lee Sandales). Tazewell, in particular, made Hollywood history as the first Black man to win the Costume category. -
Wicked: For Good
Jon M. Chu is actively working on Wicked: For Good, the sequel to the movie Wicked. He is currently in post-production, overseeing the editing and visual effects of the film, which is scheduled for release on November 21, 2025. He has mentioned that the positive reception of the first Wicked film has influenced his approach to the sequel, particularly in how they pay off specific details and storylines.