Rebel Wilson Explains Why She Would Only Direct Musicals Ahead of Her Debut with ‘The Deb’

Rebel Wilson recently opened up about her decision to direct only musicals while discussing her directorial debut, The Deb. In an interview with PEOPLE, the Pitch Perfect star shared her passion for the genre and why it’s the only type of project she would take on as a director.

“Basically, it could only have been a musical,” Wilson, 44, explained. “The amount of work and passion and love you have to put in, I think for me it could only be a musical.” Wilson went on to share a humorous story from her childhood that sparked her love for musicals.

“Our dogs were the stars of my family, and one of our dogs auditioned for a musical called 42nd Street. The dog made it to the call-backs but, during the audition, it was supposed to run to the actress on command—only, it defecated onstage, and we didn’t get the job.”

Despite that mishap, Wilson’s love for musicals only grew. She recalled seeing a musical at age 14, which cemented her affection for the genre. “Ever since then, I’ve just loved musicals,” she said. “So, I thought in order to take me out of the acting game for a while and to direct, it had to be a musical.”

Wilson also revealed that she wanted her directorial debut to be deeply personal and connected to her roots. “I thought it had to be Australian because it’s very authentic to me and my background. So hence, The Deb,” she explained.

Proud of how her film has turned out, Wilson shared her excitement for The Deb, which premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) on September 14. Looking ahead, Wilson is set to direct another musical, Verona’s Romeo & Juliet, slated for release in 2025, further cementing her passion for the genre and her evolving career as a director.