Joseph Chou

Born and raised in Korea, Chou grew up smack in the middle of a family that ate, slept, and breathed entertainment. No kidding, it was like showbiz bootcamp at the dinner table. Early on, he thought he’d be calling the shots as a director. But somewhere along the way, he realized he was way more into the deals, the hustle, the nitty-gritty of putting projects together, not just yelling “action.” So, he set his sights on producing. He got his big break at Warner Brothers Home Entertainment, right when they were cooking up The Animatrix in 2003. That thing blew up—like, anime fans everywhere lost their minds. Off the back of that, Warner Brothers basically handed Chou the keys to a division focused on Japanese anime. Not a bad gig, honestly. Eventually, he left Warner Brothers, but if you thought he was slowing down, nope. He started collaborating with some real heavy hitters—Shinji Aramaki, who’s a legend in his own right, and John Woo, who needs no introduction if you’ve ever seen a slow-motion dove. Chou’s fingerprints are all over some wild projects, including Halo Legends in 2010, the cult-favorite The King of Fighters in 2009, and even the iconic Shin Seiki Evangelion in 1995. The guy’s got a track record that most producers would kill for, always bouncing between East and West, keeping things fresh. Honestly, he just gets what makes a project pop.