Jon M. Chu is one of the busiest directors around. He's done so much lately that you've probably already forgotten he JUST directed the epic flop Jem and the Holograms. Chu was also at the helm of Now You See Me 2, which is in theaters now, and has adaptations of Littlest Pet Shop and Crazy Rich Asians on the way. But let's not forget it was his ability to choreograph song and dance numbers in the Step Up franchise that really launched his career, and it's that experience which will definitely inform his next gig.
Chu is in talks to direct a big screen version of In the Heights, the Tony Award-winning musical from Hamilton creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda. The musical is set over a few days in the Dominican-American neighborhood of Washington Heights in New York City.
The Weinstein Company is behind this one, although Universal took a shot at it some years back. At the time Kenny Ortega (High School Musical) was directing but there was conflict over the budget and lack of star power. With Miranda's Hamilton the hottest ticket around you can bet attracting top talent won't be an issue anymore. [THR]
