Jon M. Chu Misses ‘Wicked’ Premiere for Birth of Fifth Child
Jon M. Chu had a pretty good excuse for missing the premiere of “Wicked.”
The director of the two-part musical epic couldn’t make the starry Los Angeles event because his wife gave birth to their fifth child, a girl, on Saturday, Nov. 9 — the same day as the pink-and-green celebration.
More from Variety
“This movie has always moved in mysterious ways,” Chu wrote on Instagram Stories. “Today is a day I’ve been dreaming about for a long time. Two babies (a movie and a little girl) all at one time and I truly couldn’t be happier I won’t be able to be at the ‘Wicked’ premiere tonight with all of you. There was a change of plans at about 4 a.m. this morning…”
Chu continued, sharing that he and his wife were “welcoming our fifth child into our family” and adding that “no, we will not be naming her Galphaba.”
That portmanteau nods to the two main characters in “Wicked,” Elphaba (aka the Wicked Witch of the West) and Glinda (the Good). Adapted from the beloved Broadway musical, the story takes place before during and after “The Wizard of Oz” and follows an unlikely friendship that’s torn apart by external forces. The cast also includes Jonathan Bailey as Fiyero, Michelle Yeoh as Shiz University headmaster Madame Morrible, Ethan Slater as Boq and Bowen Yang as Pfannee. Part one opens in theaters on Nov. 22 followed by part two in November 2025.
“Send all the love to our insanely talented cast and crew tonight. They deserve it and send a little extra welcome to my little girl bursting her bubble and coming into our world any moment now,” Chu wrote on Instagram. “If she can even have a fraction of the bravery that my wife, @cynthiaerivo @arianagrande @michelleyeoh_official or @marissa_edob has then she too will defy gravity one day.”
The 45-year-old filmmaker of “In the Heights” and “Crazy Rich Asians” also posted a photo of the garment bag holding his outfit for the L.A. premiere and joked: “Should I just wear the suit for the birth?”
Chu and his wife Kristin Hodge have four other kids: Willow (7), Jonathan (5), Ruby (3) and Iggy (20 months). During the premiere, Chu shared a video of Hodge and their newest addition with the caption, “Magic is in the air. Welcome to our world, you’re gonna do great. You have a lot of witches on your side.”
Best of Variety
Sign up for Variety's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Solve the daily Crossword
