Jon Chu On ‘Jem And The Holograms’: “This Morning Isn’t The Best Kind Of Day”

“Soooo, this is a bit awkward,” director Jon Chu says in his opening keynote remarks Saturday at Film Independent Forum. He and Jason Blum set out to make a live action movie adaptation of 30-year-old classic animated TV show Jem And The Holograms. They made it “with little resources, all in L.A.,” he said.

“It looks like our $5 million movie … is going to make about $1.2 million this weekend.” (As of Sunday morning, an estimated $1.32 million.) “So this morning isn’t the best kind of day.” Even so, he said, “I do have to tell you from the bottom of my heart and wounded soul, that I am so lucky, and we all are. Because we have the best jobs in the world. We get to tell stories.” This is his story, as of this weekend.