AI may be revolutionizing filmmaking—but according to director Jon M. Chu, it could never have created one of Wicked’s most magical moments. And that’s where the debate begins: can technology ever truly replicate human spontaneity?
At WIRED’s Big Interview event in San Francisco, Wicked: For Good director Jon M. Chu—once a YouTube creator and the visionary behind Crazy Rich Asians—shared insights about the deeper connection between creativity, technology, and fan engagement. Chu knows a thing or two about going viral. His early collaborations with global pop icon Justin Bieber taught him how crucial emotional connection is when building a story that audiences care about. During the making of Bieber’s concert film Never Say Never, a then-14-year-old Bieber introduced Chu to the world through Twitter. One playful post about Chu “following him everywhere” on set exploded online, instantly boosting the director’s following by tens of thousands. That moment, Chu explained, crystallized how storytelling now begins long before the cameras roll—and continues long after the credits fade.
“The story is already happening before you call ‘action,’” Chu explained, emphasizing that modern audiences want to be part of the creative journey. That’s why the Wicked films—especially Wicked: For Good—have leaned into casting relationships and authentic fan interaction as part of their marketing DNA. The tight-knit bond between stars Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo reflects that philosophy. Facing the enormous pressure to deliver both cinematic artistry and box-office success, the cast and crew became deeply connected. Chu even likened their experience to Silicon Valley developers burning the midnight oil to launch a groundbreaking product. “We only had each other,” he said, “so we became very, very bonded.”
As a Bay Area native, Chu’s affinity for innovation goes back much further than Hollywood. Growing up in the 1990s, he often received unexpected gifts from customers at his parents’ Chinese restaurant—computers, video cards, even software—from tech enthusiasts who noticed his budding interest in film. Those moments of generosity jump-started his journey to the University of Southern California and ultimately into directing. “I was built by the generosity of this place,” Chu reflected, adding that every time he returns home, he feels a responsibility to give back to the community that helped shape him.
This lifelong connection to technology has made him remarkably open-minded about AI’s potential in filmmaking. Chu finds AI “fascinating” for its ability to collect and organize information—and he’s even been experimenting with it personally to better understand what it can (and can’t) do. But here’s where it gets controversial: while Chu embraces AI as a valuable creative tool, he believes the soul of cinema still lies in human intuition. In his words, the freedom to improvise on set—to let magical moments unfold—is something a machine simply can’t replicate.
That belief played a pivotal role during Wicked’s production. Chu explained that if the movie had rigidly followed its storyboards, without allowing room for organic discovery, audiences would have missed out on unforgettable moments—like Cynthia Erivo’s now-iconic wink as Elphaba, right after donning her witch’s cape. The spontaneous gesture wasn’t planned; it wasn’t even in the script. It just happened. “If we’d written that wink in advance,” Chu said, “it would have felt forced. But because she did it in the moment, it became timeless.”
And that’s the heart of it: the irreplaceable spark of an unplanned human expression. “Since she did it in the moment,” Chu added, “it becomes an image that lasts forever. That’s what makes cinema—and art—so beautiful.”
So, here’s a question worth debating: can AI ever understand the spark of a human instinct, the quiet perfection of a spontaneous moment? Or is that something only real artists, driven by feeling rather than code, can ever achieve?
