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 a contemporary,
hip hop–inspired adaptation of the stage musical
Bye Bye Birdie. However, Sony did not greenlight the film due to budget concerns. which did not pan out as the project was purchased by
Warner Bros. Pictures for their
2013 film. Chu directed
Step Up 2: The Streets in 2008. In 2010, he created, co-directed, and co-produced
The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers a web series featuring various types of dance. Chu says
LXD was inspired by
Michael Jackson's "
Thriller" and "
Smooth Criminal"
music videos and by the dancers he met while filming the movie
Step Up 2: The Streets. In 2011, Chu directed
Justin Bieber: Never Say Never an American
3-D concert film. During this period Chu had a dance crew called AC/DC or Adam Chu/Dance Crew. 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." In 2013, Chu was awarded the Visionary Award by
East West Players (EWP), the longest-running theater of color in the United States, for his contributions to the
Asian Pacific American (APA) community. In an online Q&A, Chu revealed that he had attended EWP's productions as a child and was excited "to push boundaries with them in the future." In 2013, Chu directed a pre-flight safety video for
Virgin America. The video was structured like a musical number that incorporated multiple styles and high-energy dance. The video was played before flights through 2018, when Virgin America was folded into
Alaska Airlines. In 2014, Chu and his producing partner Hieu Ho sold to
Focus Features a planned 1990s-set high school dance comedy called ''Can't Touch This
. He was also said to be developing two projects for Lionsgate at that time; the horror project Run
, and the magician sequel Now You See Me 2'', the latter releasing in 2016. Chu was initially set to return as director for
the third film in the
franchise, but
Ruben Fleischer took on the position instead. Chu next directed
Crazy Rich Asians, which was the highest-grossing film over the August 17, 2018, weekend, earned over $35M at the US box office during its first five days, and received a 93% rating from
Rotten Tomatoes. Within a week of the film's release,
Variety reported that a sequel was already in development by Warner Bros. with Chu scheduled to direct. Director Chu is part of Rachel Chu's family
in the book, as a distant cousin. In 2018,
Hulu was developing a television series adaptation of
The Wangs vs. the World, with author
Jade Chang adapting and Chu directing should the script move to pilot. In 2019, Chu was said to be producing, and in talks to direct, a feature adaptation of
Mary H. K. Choi's bestselling
YA romance novel
Permanent Record for Warner Bros. Chu directed
In the Heights, based on the
Broadway musical of the same name, for
Warner Bros. Pictures. It was previously set for a June 26, 2020, release, though it was delayed due to the
COVID-19 pandemic. The film was released on June 10, 2021. In October 2020, it was announced that Chu would be directing the pilot for the
Disney+ series
Willow, based on
the film of the same name, with
Warwick Davis returning as the title character. The following month, Chu entered talks with Disney to direct a
live-action adaptation of Lilo & Stitch, which he ultimately passed on due to other obligations. It was also announced, in December, that he was developing a series remake of
Swiss Family Robinson at
Disney+. In January 2021, Chu left directorial duties on
Willow due to production delays and personal reasons with the birth of his next child. The following month, it was announced that Chu would direct the
two-part film adaptation of
Wicked for
Universal Pictures, with both parts set for November 2024 and 2025 releases. In January 2024, Chu along with his production company Electric Company, signed a first look film deal with
Warner Bros. Pictures, where he'll direct both original and franchise films for the studio.
Upcoming projects Chu will direct an adaptation of
Dr. Seuss's ''
Oh, The Places You'll Go!'', produced by
Warner Bros. Pictures Animation alongside
Dr. Seuss Enterprises and
Bad Robot Productions. In February 2021, it was reported that Chu's next film would be
The Great Chinese Art Heist, based on a
GQ article by Alex W. Palmer. The film would explore a series of museum robberies in Europe where Chinese antiquities were stolen. In August,
Jimmy O. Yang,
Jessica Gao and
Ken Cheng were tapped to write the adaptation for Chu to direct. In March 2022, it was announced that Chu would be producing (and possibly directing) an animated film based on the children's modeling compound
Play-Doh. It will be produced by
Entertainment One and
Hasbro. In April 2023, it was revealed that Chu will direct and co-produce a feature film adaptation of
Andrew Lloyd Webber and
Tim Rice's musical
Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, a passion project he had been hoping to make for some time, for
Amazon MGM Studios and the
Really Useful Group. It will be produced by
Scott Sanders and Mara Jacobs, reuniting with Chu after working with him on
In the Heights. In August 2024, it was announced that Chu will direct the film adaptation of
Britney Spears' memoir
The Woman in Me for Universal, re-teaming with
Wicked producer
Marc Platt on the project. In April 2025, Chu became attached to direct the
live action adaptation of the video game
Split Fiction, with
Rhett Reese and
Paul Wernick writing the screenplay,
Story Kitchen producing, and
Sydney Sweeney cast in the lead role. In July 2025, it was announced that the live-action
Hot Wheels movie in development at
Mattel and
Warner Bros. would be moving forward with Chu set to direct, and
Juel Taylor and Tony Rettenmaier writing the script. == Filmmaking style and influences ==