, ▁and ▁was ▁recognized ▁as ▁an ▁hon ore e ▁for ▁the ▁IF P / West ▁program ▁Project : ▁In vol ve . ▁ ▁Early ▁life ▁Ch u ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Pal o ▁Al to , ▁California ▁and ▁grew ▁up ▁in ▁nearby ▁Los ▁Alt os . ▁He ▁is ▁the ▁young est ▁of ▁five ▁children . ▁His ▁mother , ▁Ruth ▁Ch u ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Taiwan ▁and ▁his ▁father , ▁Lawrence ▁Ch u ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁S ich uan . ▁Lawrence ▁Ch u ▁is ▁a ▁well - known ▁chef , ▁and ▁his ▁parents ▁own ▁Che f ▁Ch u ' s , ▁a ▁popular ▁restaurant ▁in ▁Los ▁Alt os . ▁He ▁attended ▁P ine wood ▁School ▁from ▁kind erg arten ▁through ▁ 1 2 th ▁grade . ▁ ▁Ch u ▁graduated ▁from ▁US C ▁School ▁of ▁Cin ematic ▁Arts ▁in ▁ 2 0 0 3 . ▁ ▁Career ▁ ▁After ▁making ▁his ▁student ▁short , ▁When ▁the ▁K ids ▁Are ▁A way , ▁Ch u ▁was ▁signed ▁to ▁William ▁Morris ▁Agency ▁and ▁attached ▁to ▁several ▁high - profile ▁projects . ▁Ch u ▁was ▁h ired ▁by ▁Sony ▁Pictures ▁to ▁direct ▁their ▁feature ▁By e ▁By e ▁Bird ie ▁but ▁Sony ▁never ▁green ▁lit ▁the ▁film ▁due ▁to ▁budget ▁concerns . ▁Sony ▁recently ▁got ▁back ▁into ▁business ▁with ▁Ch u ▁to ▁direct ▁their ▁updated ▁version ▁of ▁The ▁Great ▁G ats by , ▁which ▁did ▁not ▁pan ▁out ▁but , ▁after ▁being ▁purchased ▁by ▁Warner ▁B ros . ▁Pictures ▁with ▁B az ▁Lu hr mann ▁attached , ▁developed