Jon M. Chu Signs First-Look Deal With Paramount Pictures
LOS ANGELES - Director Jon M. Chu has entered into a first-look deal with New Paramount, the studio announced today. The agreement encompasses film development across all genres, bringing the filmmaker behind blockbuster hits like Wicked and Crazy Rich Asians exclusively too the studio.
This move positions Chu as a key creative force at Paramount,a studio rapidly building momentum with high-profile signings. New Paramount recently secured the Stranger Things creators, Matt and Ross Duffer, as well as filmmaker James Mangold and actor Will Smith. The deal with Chu underscores the studio’s ambition to attract top talent and develop commercially successful and critically acclaimed projects.
Chu’s recent success with the Wicked film adaptation has been notably noteworthy. Wicked: Part One released last year, grossing over $756 million worldwide and receiving 10 Academy Award nominations, ultimately winning awards for best production design and best costume design. Wicked: Part Two – For Good,which premiered weeks ago,currently holds the record for the biggest global opening ever for a movie based on a Broadway show and the second-biggest domestic opening of 2024.
Beyond Wicked, Chu is known for directing the critically acclaimed Crazy Rich Asians, a landmark film for Asian and Asian American representation in Hollywood. His other credits include In the Heights, Now You See Me 2, and Step Up 2 the Streets. He is currently in development on the live-action Hot Wheels feature for Warner Bros. and executive producing a Crazy Rich Asians TV series for HBO Max.
Chu is represented by UTA, Artists First, and Goodman Genow. The first-look deal signals a notable partnership, with Paramount poised to benefit from Chu’s proven ability to deliver both box office success and culturally impactful storytelling.
