James Cameron "almost" directed Wicked 15 years ago, but he "couldn't find the song"

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James Cameron "almost" directed Wicked 15 years ago, but he "couldn't find the song" News By Lauren Milici published 28 November 2025

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(Image credit: Universal)

James Cameron says he almost directed Wicked some 15 years ago – though he's not the only director who threw his hat in the ring.

"I almost made Wicked," Cameron revealed on The Town with Matthew Belloni. "I really love the story. The Wizard of Oz is one of my favorites. This is going back 15 years. I couldn't find the song."

Up until its massively successful release in 2024, Universal had been trying to make a Wicked movie since the 1990s. And because this well before the stage musical came to be, it would've been a straight adaptation of the book Wicked: The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West – without any music at all. At one point, Robert Zemeckis was attached to direct, followed by Broadway director Stephen Daldry, before eventually landing in Jon M. Chu's lap circa 2021.

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• After a massive opening weekend for Wicked: For Good, Universal teases the possibility of more sequels: "We have a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe"
• Wicked: For Good director says the sequel will not show Dorothy's face: "[This] is still Elphaba and Glinda's journey"
• Elphaba faces the Wizard of Oz and reunites (and duets) with Glinda in final Wicked: For Good trailer

The film, starring Cynthia Erivo as Elphaba and Ariana Grande as Glinda, was a massive worldwide success, earning $750 at the global box office. The sequel, which adapts the second half of the musical, is on track to surpass that number, earning a whopping $223 million in its opening weekend against a budget of $150 million.

While the previous Wicked movie focused on Elphaba and Glinda's unlikely friendship, the events of the new film bring us right into that fateful scene in The Wizard of Oz where Dorothy dumps that bucket of water on the Wicked Witch of the West (and yes, we do see it in the film).

Wicked: For Good is in theaters now. For more, check out our Wicked: For Good ending explained, or check out our list of movie release dates.

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Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. Lauren MiliciSocial Links NavigationSenior Entertainment Writer

Lauren Milici is a Senior Entertainment Writer for GamesRadar+ based in New York City. She previously reported on breaking news for The Independent's Indy100 and created TV and film listicles for Ranker. Her work has been published in Fandom, Nerdist, Paste Magazine, Vulture, PopSugar, Fangoria, and more.

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Logout Read more After a massive opening weekend for Wicked: For Good, Universal teases the possibility of more sequels: "We have a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe"    Wicked: For Good director says the sequel will not show Dorothy's face: "[This] is still Elphaba and Glinda's journey"    Elphaba faces the Wizard of Oz and reunites (and duets) with Glinda in final Wicked: For Good trailer    Wicked: For Good release date, cast, story, and everything else you need to know about Wicked Part 2    Wicked: For Good ending explained: What happens to Elphaba and Glinda, how the Wizard of Oz affects the story, and more    The 9 biggest changes Wicked: For Good makes to the Broadway show    Latest in Musicals Quentin Tarantino begins his best movies of the 21st Century list with a nuclear hot take: "I don't think Scorsese has made a film this exciting [this century]"    After a massive opening weekend for Wicked: For Good, Universal teases the possibility of more sequels: "We have a responsibility to figure out how we can continue in this universe"    Wicked: For Good earns a lukewarm Rotten Tomatoes score that's almost 20% lower than the first movie's    When is Wicked: For Good on streaming? Speculation on the potential Peacock release date    The 9 biggest changes Wicked: For Good makes to the Broadway show    Wicked: For Good ending explained: What happens to Elphaba and Glinda, how the Wizard of Oz affects the story, and more    Latest in News James Cameron "almost" directed Wicked 15 years ago, but he "couldn't find the song"    Team Cherry teases Silksong DLC and the return of a character revealed 7 years ago: "We've noticed that people would like an expansion" like Hollow Knight's Pantheon    Silksong devs "maybe" aren't going to The Game Awards and think they're "safe" from a GOTY win because of Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, which is "exceptional and broadly palatable"    This nautical take on the boomer shooter is filled with 90s cartoon absurdity, and it's already one of my favourite games of the year after only playing an hour    Silent Hill f owes its popularity to fan art, theories, memes, and more, say leads: "Games that do get talked about even months after release are the ones that are fun to theorize about"    Old copy of Fortnite from before it went free-to-play sells for $42,500, and while you might think that's weird, remember that the person who bought it probably won't play it anyway    GAME REVIEWSMOVIE REVIEWSTV REVIEWS

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