Jon M. Chu

Jonathan Murray Chu (; born November 2, 1979) is an American filmmaker. He has directed the films Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D, Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,"Director named for Justin Bieber movie" The Globe and Mail , August 13, 2010. Hasbro franchises Jem and the Holograms and G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and the romantic comedy Crazy Rich Asians. Chu is an alumnus of the University of Southern California School of Cinema-Television. There, he won the Princess Grace Award, the Dore Schary Award presented by the Anti-Defamation League, the Jack Nicholson directing award, and was recognized as an honoree for the IFP/West program Project: Involve.
==Life and career==
Chu was born in Palo Alto, California and grew up in nearby Los Altos. His mother, Ruth Chu was born in Taiwan and his father, Lawrence Chu was born in Sichuan. Lawrence Chu is a well-known chef, and his parents own Chef Chu's, a popular restaurant in Los Altos. He attended Pinewood School from kindergarten through 12th grade.
After making his student short, When the Kids Are Away, Chu was signed to William Morris Agency and attached to several high-profile projects. Chu was hired by Sony Pictures to direct their feature Bye Bye Birdie but Sony never green lit the film due to budget concerns. Sony recently got back into business with Chu to direct their updated version of The Great Gatsby, which did not pan out but, after being purchased by Warner Bros. Pictures with Baz Luhrmann attached, developed into the 2013 film. He is in 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."
Chu directed Crazy Rich Asians, which was the highest-grossing film over the August 17, 2018 weekend, and earned over $35M at the US box office during its first five days, and a 93% certified fresh rating from Rotten 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. Director Chu is part of Rachel Chu's family in the book, as a distant cousin, making life surrealistically linked to art.
Chu is also set to direct the film adaptation of the Broadway musical In the Heights for Warner Bros., which is scheduled for a June 26, 2020 release date, with creators Lin-Manuel Miranda and Quiara Alegría Hudes attached to the film as well.
==Filmography==
Year	Film 	Director	Producer
2008	Step Up 2: The Streets 	 	
2010	Step Up 3D 	 	
2011	Justin Bieber: Never Say Never	 	
2013	G.I. Joe: Retaliation 	 	
2013	Justin Bieber's Believe 	 	
2015	Jem and the Holograms 	 	
2016	Now You See Me 2 	 	
2018	Crazy Rich Asians 	 	
2020	In the Heights 	 	
Executive producer
* Step Up: Revolution (2012)
* Step Up: All In (2014)
===Short films===
Year	Film 	Director	Producer	Writer	Notes
2001	Silent Beats 	 	 	 	Also sound and production designer
2002	When the Kids Are Away	 	 	 	
===Television===
Year 	Title 	Director	ExecutiveProducer	Writer	Notes
2010–2011 	The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers	 	 	 	Creator;Also editor
2019–present	Good Trouble 	 	 	 	
==References==
==External links==
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Category:1979 births
Category:American writers of Chinese descent
Category:Film directors from California
Category:Living people
Category:Writers from Palo Alto, California
Category:American film directors of Chinese descent
Category:American male screenwriters
Category:American male child actors
Category:USC School of Cinematic Arts alumni
Category:Asian-American film directors
Category:Screenwriters from California