Jon M. Chu And Shawn Levy Reflect On Overcoming Pressure With Wicked And Deadpool & Wolverine: 'I Freaked Out When...'
Jon M. Chu and Shawn Levy, two of Hollywood's top directors, discuss the challenges they faced while working on their biggest projects to date, Wicked and Deadpool & Wolverine.
Jon M. Chu and Shawn Levy are at the top of their careers after directing two of the biggest films of their lives, Wicked and Deadpool & Wolverine. However, while both movies broke expectations, the directors have an interesting take on the pressure they faced during production.
In a recent conversation, the two directors reflected on their paths to success, their unique cinematic styles, and the lessons they’ve learned from their experiences.
Jon M. Chu’s love for movies started at a young age. Inspired by behind-the-scenes footage of Hook, he dreamt of being a director, excited by the idea of playing and creating all day. But it wasn’t an easy road to success. "My student film somehow got to Spielberg. We set up a script with DreamWorks. My first pitch was with Steven," Chu recalled.
Despite this early recognition, it took five years before he made his first movie. He shared, "I freaked out when I couldn’t get a movie made. For years, I asked, ‘Do I even deserve to be here?’"
Shawn Levy also had his doubts when he began his career, particularly after starting as the director of The Secret World of Alex Mack. Reflecting on those early days, he said, “I remember thinking, ‘It’s happening,’ and thinking, ‘All my dreams are coming true.’ Then you realize there’s no straight lines in these careers. It’s ebbs and flows that take you to surprising places.”
Both directors are no strangers to pressure. With Wicked, Jon M. Chu faced the challenge of adapting a beloved Broadway musical into a movie. He shared that finding the right leads was key to the project’s success: "If you didn’t find them, you don’t make the movie."
Despite his initial focus on casting unknowns, Chu eventually realized that only professional actors could handle the complexity of the show’s demanding songs.
Shawn Levy, on the other hand, faced a different kind of pressure with Deadpool & Wolverine. “People assumed the pressure would be huge since it was my first Marvel movie,” Levy said. "But it wasn’t. We worked for months to come up with Deadpool 3 and we failed.”
However, everything changed when Hugh Jackman called with the idea to join the film. Levy’s epiphany came when he realized the movie would be about a friendship-redemption-road trip.
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