Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu is well aware of the significance of viral marketing. During WIRED’s Big Interview event in San Francisco, the former YouTuber and director of Crazy Rich Asians discussed how collaborating with artists like Justin Bieber taught him about the importance of engaging with fans online throughout the creative process.
While working on Bieber’s concert film, Never Say Never, in the late 2000s, Chu mentioned that the young star, who was 14 at the time, used Twitter to introduce Chu to his fan base. Following a humorous clip posted by Bieber suggesting that Chu was following him around on set, Chu noticed a rapid increase in his online followers by tens of thousands almost instantly. This experience emphasized to him the power of establishing a direct connection with fans.
His collaboration with Bieber made Chu realize that storytelling begins even before filming commences and continues even after the movie is completed. He emphasized how crucial it is to maintain this narrative continuity to keep fans engaged, which is why he believes fans have shown such strong interest in Wicked: For Good and its predecessor. The film’s marketing strategies and press tours heavily rely on the relationships fostered among the cast during production.
Chu highlighted the close bonds formed between stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo due to the immense pressure felt by the team to create not just a great film but also a commercially successful one. Drawing parallels to Silicon Valley developers working tirelessly together on a project, Chu described their camaraderie as vital to their success.
As a native of the Bay Area, Chu expressed his gratitude towards the tech industry for his early opportunities in entertainment. In the 1990s, patrons at his parents’ Chinese restaurant would support his filmmaking aspirations by providing him with computers and software, giving him an advantage when he attended college at the University of Southern California.
Chu’s long-standing relationship with technology has made him receptive to exploring the integration of AI in filmmaking. He finds AI’s capabilities for data organization intriguing and has invested effort into understanding its potential applications in his creative process.
While working on Wicked, Chu valued practical sets and spontaneity over rigid planning. He believed that allowing room for improvisation rather than strictly adhering to pre-written scripts for dialogue or camera movements led to more authentic and memorable moments in the film.
Reflecting on iconic scenes like Elphaba’s wink at the camera while donning her witchy cape in the first film, Chu emphasized how such spontaneous gestures contribute to creating lasting images in cinema and art. He underscored that these unscripted moments capture genuine emotion and beauty that scripted actions often fail to achieve.