Jon M. Chu, director of the smash hit Wicked adaptation, snagged the Critics Choice Award for Best Director, beating out some serious Oscar contenders. But it was his acceptance speech that really stole the show.
“I’m going to win that Oscar!” Chu joked, before admitting, “I’m not nominated.” Ouch.
Chu, clearly surprised by the win, gave a heartfelt speech about his love for filmmaking, saying, “We get to tell stories for our life. I’d been waiting to not think about algebra or grammar ever again. I just wanted to make movies. I wanted to work with my friends.”
“I wanted to share whatever it is we had in our heads that week, that year, in our childhood. I feel very privileged to be here, to be telling the stories to the world with all of you out here.”
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He went on to thank his family and cast, adding “This is for all the people who love artists. It’s a hard life to love an artist. We are selfish people. We are weird. But you guys pick us up. … America is the greatest place in the world. Yes, we have our issues. It’s the greatest place where dreams can come true. We can achieve stuff my parents could have never dreamed.”
But that little jab at the Oscars? Definitely the highlight of the night.
This isn’t the first time Chu has been recognized for his work on Wicked. The film has been cleaning up at awards shows, with wins for Best Production Design and Best Costume Design at the Critics Choice Awards.
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So, what’s next for Chu? He’s currently working on the sequel, Wicked: For Good, which is set to hit theaters in November 2025. And who knows, maybe this time he’ll get that Oscar nomination.
