James Cameron Confirms He Nearly Directed 'Wicked,' Hails 'Wizard of Oz' as His Favorite Film Actorsvaultpro

Before taking audiences back to Pandora, James Cameron almost transported audiences to Oz. James Cameron is one of the most prolific filmmakers in the world, having directed some of the most iconic (and successful) movies of all time, ranging from Titanic to his Avatar franchise. He also has a history of projects he was attached to but dropped out of, like early attempts at both X-Men and Spider-Man. It appears another “what if” for Cameron is the recent musical hit Wicked.

During an appearance on The Town with Mattew Belloni, Cameron revealed his love of Wicked, The Wizard of Oz, and that he almost directed the musical film adaptation. “I almost made Wicked back when. I really love the story. I mean The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorite movies.” Cameron told Belloni. Cameron reveals it was about 15 years ago, about 2010 and shortly after the release of Avatar, but in his words he “could not find the song.” When asked if he had a musical in him, Cameron seemed unsure but did say, “My favorite movie [The Wizard of Oz] is a musical.

James Cameron’s History with ‘Wicked’ & ‘Wizard of Oz’

Ariana Grande as Galinda “Glinda” Upland and Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba Thropp in Wicked

Universal Pictures

It certainly isn’t a shock that The Wizard of Oz is James Cameron’s favorite movie. Much of The Wizard of Oz influence can be seen in something like Avatar, from the obvious “you’re not in Kansas” line to the fact that both movies revolve around characters awakening in fantastical worlds beyond imagination. It would have been interesting to see what Cameron’s version of Wicked would have looked like, as aside from Aliens and True Lies, he has largely played in original stories he created or sequels to his own films.

The road to get Wicked to the big screen was a long one. Cameron’s account of fifteen years ago predates Universal Pictures’ first public discussions of a Wicked film, which emerged in 2011. Directors like J.J. Abrams, Rob Marshall, and James Mangold were considered before Stephen Daldry signed on to direct in 2016, aiming for a 2019 release date. However, the film would be delayed multiple times and Daldry would eventually drop out in 2020 before being replaced by Jon M. Chu in February 2021, who would complete Wicked and Wicked: For Good.

Cameron’s discussions with Universal Pictures about Wicked would have taken place after Avatar became the highest grossing movie of all time, and in-between the 13-year gap for Avatar: The Way of Water. Cameron had spent nearly a decade developing Avatar: The Way of Water, from designing the sea creatures of Pandora to figuring out how they would shoot motion capture underwater. Had Cameron tackled Wicked, there might have been an even bigger delay to the Avatar sequels. Now, ironically, Avatar: Fire and Ash and Wicked: For Good are being released in the same year and both are expected to be among the highest grossing titles of 2025.