Thescreescore – James Cameron, the visionary behind cinematic titans like Titanic and Avatar, has revealed a surprising near-miss in his directorial journey: Wicked. In a recent conversation on The Town with Matthew Belloni podcast, Cameron disclosed that he was in talks with Universal Pictures about helming a Wicked adaptation roughly 15 years ago, long before Jon M. Chu took the reins.
The revelation adds another layer to the long and winding road Wicked took to the big screen. While Cameron expressed his deep affection for the source material, particularly drawing parallels to his love for The Wizard of Oz, he ultimately passed on the project. The reason? He "couldn’t find the song," suggesting a struggle to connect with the musical elements of the story.
Interestingly, Cameron remains open to directing a musical in the future, highlighting The Wizard of Oz as his all-time favorite film. This hints at a latent passion for the genre, even as he continues to dominate the science fiction landscape with his Avatar saga.
Related Post
The path to bringing Wicked to theaters was fraught with challenges. Following Gregory Maguire’s novel in 1995 and the Broadway debut in 2003, numerous adaptations were attempted, with a revolving door of talent attached. Names like Whoopi Goldberg, Salma Hayek, Nicole Kidman, Lady Gaga, and directors such as J.J. Abrams, Ryan Murphy, and James Mangold were all reportedly in the mix at various points.
Ultimately, Jon M. Chu’s vision prevailed, and Wicked and Wicked: For Good have become box office juggernauts. The first film raked in $756 million worldwide, while the sequel’s opening weekend soared to $226 million globally.
A Cameron-directed Wicked would undoubtedly have been a vastly different spectacle. Known for his ambitious blockbusters and world-building prowess, as seen in Avatar‘s Pandora, Cameron’s approach would have contrasted sharply with Chu’s, who brought his experience from In the Heights to the project.
While Cameron’s Wicked remains a tantalizing "what if," the director’s plate is currently full. He’s deeply involved in the upcoming Avatar sequels and is reportedly developing a seventh Terminator film and adapting Last Train from Hiroshima, a poignant tale of a survivor of both atomic bombings.
Leave a Comment