Jon M. Chu Bit By The Musical Bug Again, Directing Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat
As confirmed by Deadline today, Jon M. Chu, one of cinema's premiere makers of cinematic musicals, will be adapting the Andrew Lloyd Webber/Tim Rice operetta "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat" for Amazon Studios. In addition to directing, Chu will produce the film alongside Scott Sanders, who worked on Chu's adaptation of Lin-Manuel Miranda's and Quiara Alegría Hudes' stage musical "In the Heights," released in 2021.
"Joseph" is an outsize, rock-forward, expressionistic rendition of the Book of Genesis, telling the story of the Coat of Many Colors. In Genesis, Joseph was given said garment by his father, much to the chagrin of his jealous brothers, who began to plot against him. Joseph was thrown into a pit, with one of his more benevolent brothers planning to rescue him later. He was eventually dragged out and sold into slavery. In the Webber/Rice musical, Joseph eventually gets out of bondage and returns home to the humility of his brothers.
The musical was first performed in a shortened version in the late 1960s and made its full-size stage debut in 1972. It is often considered a companion piece to Webber's and Rice's "Jesus Christ Superstar." Ever since, it has been a staple in high school theaters and repertory houses everywhere. No round of auditions will ever pass without a passionate rendition of "Any Dream Will Do."
The show has previously been filmed as a live-performance movie in 1999, directed by David Mallet and with Donny Osmond as Joseph. Richard Attenborough played Jacob, Joseph's father, and Joan Collins also appeared. Chu's new film would be a full-on cinematic adaptation. In 2014, Elton John was said to be working on a film version of "Joseph," but that project fell through.
The Amazing Technicolor Jon M. Chu
Jon M. Chu has always been an enthused filmmaker of musicals and dance films. He gained a lot of attention with the release of "Step Up 2: The Streets" in 2008 and "Step Up 3D" in 2010. Not incidentally, "Step Up 3D" is perhaps one of the best dance films ever committed to film. He also directed and produced a spin-off YouTube series called "The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers," a surreal dream series about superhero hoofers who do dance battles to survive. After a brief dalliance with Hollywood action blockbusters when he made "G.I. Joe: Retaliation," Chu helmed the actually-pretty-good film adaptation of "Jem and the Holograms" in 2015. Chu also made the enormous hit romantic comedy "Crazy Rich Asians" before returning to musicals with the incredible "In the Heights." Chu also directed a pair of Justin Bieber concert films, "Justin Bieber: Never Say Never" and "Justin Bieber's Believe." The man knows how to film music and performance.
Chu is currently in England filming two movies based on the Tony-winning musical "Wicked." Those films will star Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Bailey, and Jeff Goldblum. "Wicked," based on the novel by Gregory Maguire, tells the "true" story of The Wicked Witch of the West from "The Wizard of Oz," folding in a great deal of strange, fantastical sociopolitical intrigue. "Wicked: Part One" is currently scheduled for release in November of 2024.
In addition to the second part of "Wicked," Chu is also currently attached to direct a film version of Dr. Seuss' 1990 book "Oh, the Places You'll Go!" That film is tentatively scheduled for release in 2027.