For more than 50 years, Chef Chu’s kitchen in Los Altos, California, has produced dishes that please everyone. . . including a certain Hollywood director. Before bringing “Crazy Rich Asians” and “In the Heights” to the big screen, Jon M. Chu, the boy, folded napkins in the corner of his father’s restaurant in Silicon Valley.
His immigrant parents, who came from China and Taiwan, immersed him in American culture, such as in the 1939 film “The Wizard of Oz. “Chu said they sang “Over the Rainbow” all the time: “This concept of dreaming about someone else was instilled in us beyond the walls of my room, because that’s what my parents conceived when they came to United States,” he said. “It’s the promise of anything else. My mom would call us the Asian Kennedys, and she would call us. He would dress us the same. So, we’ve got those epic family photos!
His mother, Ruth, said her son didn’t need to be a director: “He wanted to be an actor. But he found that he wasn’t tall enough or handsome enough!”
“That’s Mom’s message,” Dad Lawrence said. “That’s how we communicate as a family. Very simple. “
The 44-year-old’s adventure to the red carpet is not so simple, as he points out in his memoir, “Viewfinder”. It all started with Sharper Image’s June 1992 catalog and an ad for an audio/video mixer, “where you attach Combine the VCRs and stereo and you can make a movie. “
First the amateur films, then his own remake of “Titanic. ” Then came film and Chu landed meetings with Steven Spielberg and two film contracts at the age of 23.
But this is Hollywood, so when the deals fell through, he was unemployed. Once his mother returned, he got straight to the point: “I won a script for a dance movie sequel,” Chiu said. “And I told my agents, ‘Oh, I don’t do direct-to-DVD videos. Discovered through Spielberg!’ I told this story to my mom and she said, “When did you become a snob? That? That? She says, “If you’re a storyteller, a storyteller can tell a story in any medium. “
A decade of documentaries (“Justin Bieber: Never Say Never,” “Believe”), dance projects (“Step Up 3D”) and action sequels (“G. I. Joe: Retaliation,” “Now You See Me”) followed. 2″ ). Critics weren’t fans, but you couldn’t argue with the box office.
And yet, Chu was not satisfied. ” I stopped talking about being Asian for a long time, because if I did, I would suddenly be an ‘Asian director’ and be perceived as such,” he said. “But I started to feel a little empty. For example, what do I need to say the most?In reality, I had not reviewed my path, where my circle of relatives comes from. “
The result: 2018’s “Crazy Rich Asians,” a box office and critical success. Based on Kevin Kwan’s best-selling novel, it’s the first American film with a mostly Asian cast in 25 years.
In search of inspiration, Chu knew where to go: chef Chu’s kitchen. “I knew what I was looking for to get out of here,” he said. “I wanted Eleanor to be in an environment like this, because to me, they’re the ones who play jazz while they’re preparing the food.
“I wanted that force to manifest as Eleanor walked around the island,” Chu said.
Watch a scene from “Crazy Rich Asians,” in which Rachel (Constance Wu) meets her boyfriend’s mother, Eleanor (Michelle Yeoh):
Chu followed up with the film of the Lin-Manuel Miranda musical “In the Heights. “
Translating struggle and ambition to the big screen with lavish visuals and elaborate numbers will be Chu’s calling.
Now he has landed in Oz, where he is directing the adaptation of the Broadway megahit “Wicked. ” The first part, released this fall, stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo.
Kent said: “‘Wicked’ has this line: ‘It’s time to accept my instincts as true, close your eyes and jump. ‘”When I heard that, it sounded a bit like you. “
“That’s the only explanation for why I made this movie,” Chu said. “It’s about fighting for that dream and fighting through uncomfortable situations to get there. “
The Son of Immigrants with Big Dreams is a family story; however, Jon M. Chu knows that the road to an ending in Hollywood is rarely what it seems.
For example, his vision of the “Wizard of Oz” has replaced it since he was a child. “I think this yellow brick road is no longer the path you are following, because there is no magician who can give you what you want. ” he said. Life is a series of adventures on foot and as you walk, you smell the flowers and feel the air. And maybe you’ll realize that you’re actually flying. “
To watch a trailer for “Wicked: Part 1,” click on the video below:
Story produced by Dustin Stephens. Publisher: Emanuele Secci.
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