James Cameron Says He’s Still Working On A New Terminator Project, But Also Reveals One Reason It’s Been ‘Difficult’

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The Terminator movies haven’t been very successful lately. While 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate received better reviews than previous installments like Salvation and Genisys, it still didn’t make enough money to justify continuing the planned story arc. Since then, the future of the series has been uncertain. Despite this, James Cameron, who originally created Terminator with Gale Ann Hurd, is working on a new project, but he’s described the process as challenging.

Cameron is currently promoting Avatar: Fire and Ash, a highly anticipated film set to release in 2025. While speaking with io9, he discussed the future of the Terminator franchise and shared an update when asked about it.

Once the marketing for this current project wraps up – in about a month – I’ll finally have time to focus on writing and planning my next projects. I already have a lot of ideas for a new Terminator movie – I’ve got pages of notes, as I always do when I start a script – and I’m excited to really dive into writing it.

More on Terminator

Linda Hamilton recently shared her candid thoughts on ‘Terminator: Dark Fate,’ suggesting the script could have been stronger. She also offered a surprising perspective on her iconic character, Sarah Connor.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Pick For The Worst Terminator Movie Is So On Brand

While James Cameron’s first feature film was Piranha II: The Spawning, he considers The Terminator to be his real directorial debut, making the franchise personally important to him. He returned to direct Terminator 2: Judgement Day in 1991. After Genisys didn’t perform well, Cameron regained the rights to the series and became a producer on Dark Fate, working with director Tim Miller. Although fans would love to see him direct another Terminator film, it’s good news that he’s writing the script for the next installment.

Despite his success, James Cameron admits it’s not easy to create a new Terminator story. He explained that since the original Terminator came out, technology has advanced so much that it’s actually harder to build a compelling science fiction plot within that world. He went on to say:

Things are challenging, and I need to share this: science fiction is no longer just fantasy – it’s become our reality. We’re facing problems that used to only exist in books and movies, and it’s happening now. I don’t think anyone can accurately predict the future, not even what will happen in the next year or two. But I’m trying to prepare myself as best I can by thinking a little further ahead.

The first two Terminator films are still considered the strongest in the series, so I believe James Cameron can make this new Terminator project a great story. His increased involvement with another Terminator movie or show could be exactly what the franchise needs to succeed. The big question now is: when will Cameron start writing the script?

It’s difficult to predict what he’ll focus on next, considering how much he’s already committed to. Besides Avatar 4 and 5, which are written and ready to film, he plans to turn Charles R. Pellegrino’s books The Last Train from Hiroshima and Ghosts of Hiroshima into a single movie. He’s also currently writing the screenplay for a film based on Joe Abercrombie’s The Devils.

We might have to wait a bit to see what James Cameron does with the Terminator series next. But if you have Netflix, I suggest checking out the 2024 anime Terminator Zero – it’s a good addition to the sci-fi world. Otherwise, you can see Avatar: Fire and Ash in theaters starting December 19th.

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2025-12-03 04:38