Jon M. Chu, at the halfway point of directing back-to-back Wicked movies, will deliver the keynote address at USC‘s 142nd commencement ceremony in May.
Chu, whose credits also include Crazy Rich Asians and In the Heights, graduated from the USC School of Cinematic Arts in 2003. He will receive an honorary degree as part of the ceremony May 15 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the university said Friday.
“Jon continues to spark the imaginations of millions through the dazzling worlds he creates. He’s a terrific champion of the amazing talent — performers, technicians and craftspeople — who contribute so much to the creative arts and bring important stories to life,” USC president Carol Folt said. “He’s also a wonderful role model to students and storytellers, and we can’t wait to hear his inspirational words.”
Wicked: Part 1 scored 10 Oscar nominations this year including Best Picture and won two, for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design. The movie became the highest-grossing adaptation of a Broadway musical of all time and grossed $733.7 million at the worldwide box office.
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The sequel, Wicked: For Good, is gearing up to hit theaters on November 21, 2025.
Chu has long credited USC with his development and has stayed close with the university; he met his Wicked and In the Heights cinematography Alice Brooks when both were students there. There is a Jon M. Chu APAA Cinematic Arts Scholarship, awarded to students whose projects focus on Asian Pacific culture in film, TV and interactive media, and he recently established the Jon M. Chu Endowed Student Fund.
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