Jon M. Chu in New York City on Oct. 29, 2024; Dr. Seuss’ Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. Photo:
Taylor Hill/Getty; Random House Books for Young Readers
The movie is slated for an IMAX release on March 17, 2028
Jon M. Chu is trying something new!
The Wicked director, 45, has boarded a big-screen adaptation of the beloved Dr. Seussclassic Oh, the Places You’ll Go!, he confirmed via his Instagram Stories on Tuesday, Jan. 28. It will mark the filmmaker’s first ever animated movie.
Chu tagged several of those involved in the Warner Bros. Pictures Animation project as he shared an article from Deadline about the upcoming film, including co-director Jill Culton(Abominable), J.J. Abrams and EGOT-winning songwriters Benj Pasek and Justin Paul.
“Oh what a team for my first animated movie,” Chu wrote. “Coming ’28.”
Random House Books for Young Readers
Per Deadline, Abrams, 58, is producing the film under his Bad Robot banner, alongside Gregg Taylor and Dr. Seuss Enterprises.
Pasek, 39, and Paul, 40, will write the songs for Oh, the Places You’ll Go!. The screenplay will be adapted from Seuss’ 1990 book by Peter Rabbitscribe Rob Lieber, who was also responsible for the script for the upcoming Karate Kid: Legends.
Oh, the Places You’ll Go! was the final book Seuss published before the prolific children’s-book author (real name Theodor Seuss Geisel) died on Sept. 24, 1991, at age 87.
Several of Seuss’ stories have been made into feature films over the years, including The Cat in the Hat (1957), How the Grinch Stole Christmas!(1957) and The Lorax (1971).
Chu, meanwhile, has no shortage of current and upcoming film projects, including a screen adaptation of Britney Spears’ 2023 memoir The Woman in Me.
He is also fresh off the success of Wicked, which recently scored 10 Academy Award nominations including Best Picture, Best Actress (Cynthia Erivo) and Best Supporting Actress (Ariana Grande).
Additionally, the musical fantasy flick took home the cinematic and box office achievement honor at the Golden Globe Awards earlier this month. In his acceptance speech, Chu — who was joined onstage by Erivo, 38, and Grande, 31, plus Michelle Yeoh, Jeff Goldblum and Marc Platt — honored everyone who helped make the adaptation so successful.
“We stand on your shoulders,” he said, speaking of the original Broadway musical, which debuted in 2003. “My parents came to this country and loved Wizard of Oz. They’d tell us about the yellow brick road and the place over the rainbow, where all dreams come true if you dare to dream it.”
“So I’m up here looking at you, living the dream and looking at this beautiful, beautiful cast. It’s more beautiful than I ever thought it could be,” Chu added.
