AceShowbiz - James Cameron almost directed the movie musical Wicked years before the recent adaptations. The acclaimed director, known for his work on Titanic and the Avatar films, shared this revelation on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, discussing the importance of movies feeling like "an event".

Cameron expressed his admiration for The Wizard of Oz, stating it's one of his favorite movies, and that he "almost made Wicked back when". He even met with Universal Pictures to discuss the project about 15 years ago. However, he ultimately decided not to pursue it because he "couldn't find the song". Despite this, James Cameron remains open to the possibility of making a movie musical in the future.

The story of Wicked has been in development for many years, with numerous attempts at adaptations following the publication of Gregory Maguire's novel in 1995 and the Broadway musical's debut in 2003. Several notable stars, including Whoopi Goldberg, Salma Hayek, and Lady Gaga, were attached to various projects over the years. J.J. Abrams, Ryan Murphy, James Mangold, and Rob Marshall were also reportedly considered to direct Wicked at some point.

The recent Wicked adaptations, directed by Jon M. Chu, have proven to be enormous box office successes, with the first installment grossing $756 million worldwide and the second installment's opening weekend box office reaching $226 million globally. James Cameron's take on Wicked would have likely been very different, given his experience in creating ambitious blockbusters and fictional worlds like Pandora in the Avatar movies.

Although James Cameron is currently busy with upcoming Avatar movies and other projects, including writing a script for a seventh Terminator film and adapting Last Train from Hiroshima, he still has an interest in making a movie musical. His unique vision and expertise would undoubtedly bring a distinct perspective to the genre, making his potential future projects highly anticipated.