Hollywood Reporter
Justin Chon — the actor and filmmaker behind films Blue Bayou and Gook — and Scooter Braun’s SB Projects are developing a feature about the life and career of e-commerce giant and Zappos CEO Tony Hsieh.
Chon and SB Projects have optioned the upcoming biography Wonder Boy: Tony Hsieh, Zappos and the Myth of Happiness in Silicon Valley (out via Henry Holt & Company on April 25) by The Wall Street Journal‘s Angel Au-Yeung and Forbes Magazine’s David Jeans.
Hsieh revolutionized e-commerce with Zappos, the online shoe retailer that offered customers free shipping and returns and put an extreme emphasis on customer service, a then-rare approach to online shopping. Internally, Zappos’ corporate culture was unique even among tech companies, and in 2013, Hsieh made headlines when he announced that the company would eliminate all titles.
he adaptation, according to the project’s description, will follow the life of Hsieh “an American internet entrepreneur and venture capitalist who grew up in Northern California, attended Harvard University and went on to become the CEO of Zappos, moving the world headquarters to Las Vegas where he restored much of the historic downtown and became famous in the tech world for his ‘happiness’ work culture before his tragic death in a mysterious house fire in 2020. He was 46 years old.”
(Hsieh’s died due to injuries suffered in a house fire. At the time, a report released by the New London, Connecticut fire and police investigators said, “It is possible that carelessness or even an intentional act by Hsieh could have started this fire.”)
Along with Chon, Braun, James Shin, and Scott Manson will produce on behalf of SB Projects, which recently released the latest season of FX comedy Dave and is behind the upcoming reggaeton-inspired Netflix feature Neon. Au-Yeung and Jeans will executive produce.
Chon, repped by APA and McKuin Frankel, directed and executive produced the AppleTV+ drama Pachinko and is currently directing the pilot and executive producing the Jason Momoa led AppleTV+ series Chief of War.
The book rights deal was made on behalf of the Ross Yoon Agency by Hotchkiss Daily & Associates.