Jon M. Chu to direct live-action Hot Wheels movie, Entertainment News
The 45-year-old filmmaker has been hired to direct the movie for Mattel and Warner Bros. Pictures.
Robbie Brenner, the president and chief content officer of Mattel Studios, said in statement given to Deadline: "Jon's ability to craft rich, elaborate worlds with a distinct point of view makes him the ideal storyteller to bring Hot Wheels to life. His films are visual spectacles — true eye candy — but what sets them apart is how he weaves unforgettable narratives within those stunning frames.
"Paired with Juel and Tony's compelling storytelling, this team is uniquely positioned to capture the heart, adrenaline and spirit of Hot Wheels, a leading brand in car culture."
Jon is thrilled to be working on it and also "excited to partner with Mattel Studios" on the project.
He said: "Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it's about imagination, connection and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I'm excited to partner with Mattel Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Bad Robot to create an adventure that honours Hot Wheels' legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new."
Jesse Ehrman, the Warner Bros. Pictures' President of Development and Production, thinks Jon is the perfect director for the project.
Jesse said: "Jon is a visionary director and an incredible partner to Warner Bros. We are thrilled to have him join us, along with the talented writing duo of Juel and Tony.
"With our collaborators at Bad Robot and Mattel Studios, we can't wait to bring Hot Wheels to life on the big screen."
Jon's previous directing credits include Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked. The acclaimed filmmaker previously explained how a meeting with Steven Spielberg changed his life.
Speaking to NPR, Jon shared: "I got to go to the Dreamworks office, which is, you know, overwhelming when you're 22 years old. I was prepared to tell him how much I loved him. And all he did was tell me what he loved about my short [film]… He invited me to his set to visit him and watch him direct. And it was the most encouraging, beautiful thing that someone could do…
"It was a masterclass for me to watch... He gave me a seat next to him. I'm sharing candy with him and this musical number that he was shooting, it wasn't happening… I saw him totally calm, never panic, and he just said, 'No, we're going to switch this camera. Forget that whole thing. We're going to switch the camera here, do this, do that.' And the whole machine moved. And he was just right back at the seat with me, and it kept going."
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AsiaOne
7 days ago
- AsiaOne
Jon M. Chu to direct live-action Hot Wheels movie, Entertainment News
Jon M. Chu is set to direct a live-action Hot Wheels movie. The 45-year-old filmmaker has been hired to direct the movie for Mattel and Warner Bros. Pictures. Robbie Brenner, the president and chief content officer of Mattel Studios, said in statement given to Deadline: "Jon's ability to craft rich, elaborate worlds with a distinct point of view makes him the ideal storyteller to bring Hot Wheels to life. His films are visual spectacles — true eye candy — but what sets them apart is how he weaves unforgettable narratives within those stunning frames. "Paired with Juel and Tony's compelling storytelling, this team is uniquely positioned to capture the heart, adrenaline and spirit of Hot Wheels, a leading brand in car culture." Jon is thrilled to be working on it and also "excited to partner with Mattel Studios" on the project. He said: "Hot Wheels has always been about more than speed — it's about imagination, connection and the thrill of play. Bringing that spirit to the big screen is an incredible opportunity. I'm excited to partner with Mattel Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Bad Robot to create an adventure that honours Hot Wheels' legacy while driving it somewhere entirely new." Jesse Ehrman, the Warner Bros. Pictures' President of Development and Production, thinks Jon is the perfect director for the project. Jesse said: "Jon is a visionary director and an incredible partner to Warner Bros. We are thrilled to have him join us, along with the talented writing duo of Juel and Tony. "With our collaborators at Bad Robot and Mattel Studios, we can't wait to bring Hot Wheels to life on the big screen." Jon's previous directing credits include Crazy Rich Asians and Wicked. The acclaimed filmmaker previously explained how a meeting with Steven Spielberg changed his life. Speaking to NPR, Jon shared: "I got to go to the Dreamworks office, which is, you know, overwhelming when you're 22 years old. I was prepared to tell him how much I loved him. And all he did was tell me what he loved about my short [film]… He invited me to his set to visit him and watch him direct. And it was the most encouraging, beautiful thing that someone could do… "It was a masterclass for me to watch... He gave me a seat next to him. I'm sharing candy with him and this musical number that he was shooting, it wasn't happening… I saw him totally calm, never panic, and he just said, 'No, we're going to switch this camera. Forget that whole thing. We're going to switch the camera here, do this, do that.' And the whole machine moved. And he was just right back at the seat with me, and it kept going." [[nid:719936]]
Straits Times
06-07-2025
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F1 drivers to get trophies made of LEGO at British GP
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox SILVERSTONE, England - The top three Formula One drivers in Sunday's British Grand Prix will have to handle their trophies with care during the podium celebrations or risk ending up with a pile of LEGO toy bricks. The novel trophies are part of a multi-year partnership between LEGO and Formula One that has already put drivers in a fleet of 10 brick-built cars for a pre-race parade at the Miami Grand Prix, a moment that went viral. Sunday's race marked 75 years of the championship at the Silverstone circuit where it started in 1950 and the winner's gold-adorned LEGO trophy, modelled on the real RAC golden trophy, is made of 2,717 bricks. It weighs more than 2kg and is more than 59cm high. The second and third-placed trophies are white with red and blue detailing respectively, while the constructors' is dark blue and gold. "We wanted to create something very special because it's the 75th anniversary," LEGO's chief product and marketing officer Julia Goldin told Reuters. The blocks are stuck together with glue, and took seven builders 210 hours to create in Denmark. Goldin said breakages would not be the end of the world. McLaren's Lando Norris did just that in Hungary with a special porcelain trophy in 2023. "If he smashes the trophy it will fall apart into thousands of beautiful bricks," said Goldin. "And then we can rebuild it. Because that's the whole point of LEGO bricks. "You can create amazing things and then you can rebuild them. I just want the drivers to be happy and whatever they do is fine." NEW AUDIENCES Formula One is reaching out to a new demographic, and particularly a younger audience, with considerable success and has found partners in previously untapped areas. That includes deals with Mattel's Hot Wheels toy cars, a 2026 collaboration with Disney's Mickey & Friends and LEGO announced last year. Emily Prazer, Formula One's chief commercial officer, rejected any suggestion of the sport "dumbing down" and said the strategy was to make brands more accessible and reach out to those who may never go to a race. "LEGO puts us in nearly every shopping mall in the world," she told Reuters. "Disney helps us appeal to the next generation of fan. Hot Wheels and Mattel allow for kids to actually play with the cars at home." Goldin said LEGO also appealed to more and more adults and had products that were intriguing to people with all kinds of interests. "The same is happening with F1 and there is a real benefit of how the sport is able to engage different people with different interests and different elements of the sport," she said. "We are not just trying to turn the sport into a toy but actually trying to help the fans to experience the best." REUTERS
New Paper
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It is hard to see how Crazy Rich Asians actor Henry Golding could ever be broke but if it does happen, he has a plan - he will use what little he has to buy a pair of scissors. "Have scissors, will survive" is a throwback to his teenage hair-cutting days which allowed him to stop receiving pocket money from his parents. Those childhood days that shaped him and his views on finances were about taking just boiled eggs and salt on days out and shopping at cheaper supermarkets. They represented the simple lifestyle and frugal mindset of an East Malaysian boy growing up in Britain, with one working parent and two siblings. His father, who moved the family from Sarawak to Surrey, was a helicopter engineer in the British army, while his mother took care of the three children. At age 14, Golding started working on Saturdays at a barber shop, earning £24 a day. "I stopped receiving my pocket money, and I was like, I'm gonna look after myself. I was very independent. 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Walter has built the company by offering something so simple, straightforward, but with high returns. It's something I wish I had when I was younger, to be able to grow my hard-earned £24. Career-wise, it has of course been me being a part of Crazy Rich Asians. It was a conscious decision to go through the audition process for it. Sometimes you do have to take a leap of faith when it comes to things like that. Doing things that aren't familiar to me is scary, for sure. But I just had to find my feet and get used to putting myself in those types of situations and adapt pretty fast. It has been crazy since then. Q: Money-wise, what were your growing-up years like? A: I learnt to adapt a lot, from growing up in Malaysia as a kid, and then moving to the UK when I was nine years old, and then leaving the UK and going back to Malaysia when I was 22. I have also lived in Singapore and the United States. What I have learnt is: invest in yourself. 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And so I was able to have what I wanted, but he would instil in me that I had to pay for it in some way. Q: Where's home for you? A: We moved back to London to be close to the family, and to be closer to where the work is. Work seems to be happening in Europe a lot. And we're just much happier in London. It's a metropolis - one of the oldest cities in the world - and has such a rich history and beautiful architecture. Q: What do you drive? A: If we're moving around London, we'll take the Tube. But if it's out of London, I drive a hybrid family vehicle for taking the kids along. Q: What would your perfect day look like? A: I would say, waking up with the kids, happy and joyful. It would also be having breakfast and a coffee in the park, spending time with family and friends and checking in on my investments, making sure that they're doing well - that's the best day. Money Matters Q: What would you do if you suddenly had a windfall of millions? A: Invest it. Luckily, we do have a good daily routine where we're not spending too much money, so I can invest it. Q: If you suddenly had only $100 to your name, what would you do with it? A: I would buy a pair of scissors.
