Jon M. Chu

Born: 1979-11-02

Jonathan Murray "Jon" Chu (born November 2, 1979) is an American film director and screenwriter best known for directing the movies Step Up 2: The Streets, Step Up 3D and Justin Bieber: Never Say Never. 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. 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. He also is in a dance crew called AC/DC or Adam/Chu Dance crew. His father, Lawrence Chu, is a well-known chef and his parents own Chef Chu's, a popular restaurant in Los Altos, California. He also attended Pinewood School from kindergarten through 12th grade. Chu is currently directing the online series The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers. 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."


Placeholder

Freaked

as Giant Stuey Monster
Released: 1993-09-11

A vain actor, his best friend, and an activist end up at a mutant freak farm run by a weirdo...

Movie page

Be Natural: The Untold Story of Alice Guy-Blaché

as Self
Released: 2018-12-07

The epic life story of Alice Guy-Blaché (1873–1968), a French screenwriter, director and...

Movie page

Justin Bieber's Believe

as Self
Released: 2013-12-19

A backstage and on-stage look at Justin Bieber during his rise to super stardom.

Movie page

Soul of a Nation Presents: Together As One: Celebrating Asian American, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander Heritage

as Self
Released: 2022-05-27

Primetime program celebrating the diversity and recognizing the accomplishments and...

Movie page

YouTube Live

as Himself
Released: 2008-11-22

YouTube Live was a 2008 event streamed live on the Internet from San Francisco and Tokyo. It was...

Movie page

A Night at the Academy Museum

as Self
Released: 2021-10-12

Exclusive look at the movies' 120-year history as well as an insight into the largest...

Movie page

Justin Bieber: The New Me

as uncredited
Released: 2021-11-09

From teenage heartthrob to married man, Justin Bieber has had his career challenges, but the...

Movie page

100 Years of Warner Bros.

as Self
First aired: 2023-05-25

Tracing a century of movie and TV history, these four documentary specials explore the...

TV Show page

One Perfect Shot

as Self
First aired: 2022-03-24

This docuseries celebrates some of the most iconic moments in filmmaking with each episode...

TV Show page