'Wicked' director Jon M Chu signs multi-year deal with Paramount
What's the story
Jon M Chu, the acclaimed director behind the recent blockbuster Wicked: For Good, has signed a multi-year first-look deal with Paramount Skydance. The agreement will cover both film and television projects and is set to begin on January 2. This move comes after Chu's previous deal with Warner Bros., where he directed Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights.
Deal details
Chu and his Electric Somewhere banner are now moving ahead
Under the new three-year deal, Chu and his Electric Somewhere production company will be stationed at Paramount. They will collaborate closely with Paramount Pictures co-chair Josh Greenstein, Skydance chief creative officer Dana Goldberg, Motion Picture Group president Don Granger, and Paramount Television Studios president Matt Thunell. The agreement is part of a trend where major talents like Matt and Ross Duffer, James Mangold, and Will Smith have also signed similar deals with Paramount Skydance.
Film success
'Wicked' continues to dominate box office
Meanwhile, Chu's latest film, Wicked: For Good, is still breaking box office records and receiving critical acclaim. Its predecessor, Wicked (2024), starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande, has become the highest-grossing film adaptation of a Broadway musical ever. It has grossed over $756 million worldwide so far. The sequel, which was released in November, has also set records for the largest global opening for a Broadway show-based film and the second-largest domestic opening of 2025.
Future endeavors
Chu's upcoming projects include Britney Spears biopic, 'Hot Wheels' movie
Apart from his deal with Paramount, Chu has several other projects in the pipeline. He is set to direct a biopic on pop star Britney Spears for Universal and a live-action Hot Wheels movie for Warner Bros. He is also working on an animated adaptation of Dr. Seuss's Oh the Places You'll Go with Grande and Josh Gad voicing the lead characters. Additionally, he will direct a stage-to-screen musical adaptation of Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.