Hiro Murai is one of the most exciting TV directors working today. Now he’s launching his own production to support and discover other visionary artists like himself. Today, Murai announced Chum Films, which will focus on “developing and producing original films and television series, supporting the vision of new filmmakers and creators,” per Deadline. Carver Karaszewski, whose previous production credits include Scenes From A Marriage and I’m A Virgo, has been named President of Development, while Murai’s frequent collaborator Claudia Shin will serve as SVP Film & Television.
Murai will produce his next two projects under the Chum banner. In November, he announced his feature-length directorial debut, Bushido, which A24 and Ari Aster will co-produce. That project is said to be a “a high-stakes action film set against the backdrop of feudal Japan.” He’s also currently working on Widow’s Bay, a 10-episode horror-comedy series about a “mysteriously cursed New England island” for Apple TV+. Matthew Rhys is set to star.
It must have been a while since Murai had a day off; he’s spent the past few years developing a good chunk of the modern pop culture landscape. He started as a music video director, working behind the camera for artists like Usher, Lupe Fiasco, The Shins, St. Vincent, and Earl Sweatshirt in the 2000s and early 2010s. In 2013, he kicked off an incredibly fruitful collaboration with Childish Gambino (a.k.a. Donald Glover) through his Clapping For The Wrong Reasons short film, a companion piece for the rapper’s album Because The Internet. Murai went on to direct multiple videos for Glover (including “This Is America”) as well as multiple episodes of Atlanta, which earned him four Emmy nominations. He won one in 2023 for his work on The Bear, and has also helmed episodes of Barry, Mr. And Mrs. Smith, Legion, Station Eleven, and more.
