james cameron almost brought Wicked On the big screen, long before the musical eventually made its cinematic debut. The filmmaker revealed that he was in talks to direct this adaptation about 15 years ago, describing it as one of the ambitious “event films” that attracted him creatively.

But I am saying City with Matt Belloni podcast, Cameron discussed the evolving studio culture and his love of large-scale storytelling. “The kind of movies I like to watch, let’s say Dune or even Wicked,” he said, noting how blockbuster filmmaking is influencing his creative instincts.

Cameron shared that early discussions with Universal Pictures focused on an adaptation WickedThe film was originally a novel by Gregory Maguire in 1995 before being made into an acclaimed Broadway musical. “I almost took Wickedness back then,” he said. “I really like the story – I mean, the Wizard of Oz Is one of my favorite movies. This is going back 15 years.”

However, despite his enthusiasm, Cameron ultimately walked away from the project. The reason was unexpectedly creative: he “couldn’t find the song”, suggesting that the emotional language of the musical did not suit him as a director. When asked if he would ever direct a musical, Cameron replied, “I don’t know,” keeping the possibility open – though without any firm commitment.

Reflecting on why the story appealed to him, Cameron reiterated his lifelong love of the genre: “Well, my favorite movie is a musical – the Wizard of Oz,

Wicked It eventually became a Broadway phenomenon, created by Stephen Schwartz and Winnie Holzman, starring Idina Menzel and Kristin Chenoweth in the lead roles.

Recently, the franchise made its long-awaited cinematic arrival under the leadership of director Jon M. Chu, starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande. Wicked: for goodWhich had a strong start at the box office.