Jon M. Chu Jumps Ship to Paramount in Massive First-Look Deal

Damien Johnson
Dec 22, 2025
2 min read

The dust has settled from the Wicked: For Good box office explosion, and the biggest winner isn't Universal (who produced the musical), but Paramount Pictures. In a major coup that confirms the studio is aggressively rebuilding its A-list roster, blockbuster director Jon M. Chu has signed a three-year first-look producing deal with Paramount Pictures and Paramount Television Studios.

This move is pure power play. Chu, who directed both Crazy Rich Asians at Warner Bros. and the two-part Wicked phenomenon at Universal, was hotly pursued by both previous partners. However, sources confirm that Paramount’s offer was simply unmatched. Starting January 2, 2026, Chu and his Electric Somewhere production banner will be based right on the Paramount lot, developing and producing both feature films and television shows. This is a massive shift in allegiance and a clear message to the competition.

Why did Paramount drop the biggest bag? Because Jon M. Chu is currently Hollywood’s safest bet.

His most recent film, Wicked: For Good, didn't just succeed—it set an absolute record for the largest global opening ever for a movie based on a Broadway show and scored the second-biggest domestic opening of 2025. That kind of box office dominance, following the colossal $756 million worldwide haul of the first Wicked film, makes Chu a must-have talent. He’s a director who can deliver spectacle, emotion, and mass appeal across multiple genres, from the romantic comedy fire of Crazy Rich Asians to the complex musicality of In the Heights.

This deal is about more than one filmmaker; it's about the bigger strategy at Paramount. Under its new leadership, the studio is moving fast to resuscitate its standing and compete with the heavy hitters.

By signing Chu, Paramount proves it can still snatch top talent from bigger rivals. Chu joins an already impressive roster of filmmakers and stars recently brought over, including the creators of Stranger Things, Matt and Ross Duffer, director James Mangold, and megastar Will Smith. This commitment to signing established, commercially viable talent is a direct investment in the studio’s future, signaling that Paramount is ready to become a production powerhouse again. We can’t wait to see what kind of global hits Chu unleashes under the mountain logo.