David Ellison's Skydance-owned Paramount continues to snatch up talent like a thirsty whale in the ocean. The latest to join the fray? The Wicked filmmaker Jon M. Chu. On Wednesday, Chu inked a three-year, first-look producing deal with Paramount Pictures and Paramount Television Studios, a move that takes effect on January 2, 2026.
Under the deal, Chu and his production company will work tirelessly to develop and produce feature films and television projects for the Melrose Avenue studio. He'll be working closely with Paramount Pictures co-chairs Dana Goldberg and Josh Greenstein, Motion Picture Group president Don Granger, and Paramount Television Studios president Matt Thunell.
Chu is wrapping up a storied tenure at Burbank-based Warner Bros, where he crafted the feature adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights and the critically acclaimed Crazy Rich Asians. According to sources, Warner Bros. made a valiant effort to retain him, while Universal, the studio behind the Wicked movies, also wooed him with siren songs. But none could match the allure of New Paramount, a studio that lured Matt and Ross Duffer away from Netflix and signed filmmaker James Mangold and actor Will Smith, among others.
Chu is coming off Wicked: For Good, the second installment in his film adaptation of the famed Broadway musical. The film, starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, opened mere weeks ago and holds the record for the biggest global opening ever for a movie based on a Broadway show, and the second-biggest opening at the domestic box office in 2025. Wicked, the first installment, released last year and became a box office hit, earning more than $756 million worldwide. It also scored 10 Oscar nominations, including best picture. At the ceremony earlier this year, it ultimately won the Academy Awards for best production design and best costume design.
Chu previously directed the critically acclaimed Crazy Rich Asians, which served as a turning point for Asian and Asian American representation in Hollywood. On top of In the Heights, he also counts Now You See Me 2 and Step Up 2 the Streets among his credits. He's currently in development on the live-action Hot Wheels feature for Warner Bros., as well as executive producing a Crazy Rich Asians TV series that HBO Max is developing.
Chu is represented by UTA, Artists First, and Goodman Genow.
