The Terminator film series has been in crisis for quite some time. Franchise creator James Cameron now wants to bring the sci-fi universe back on track with a new plan.
With the first two Terminator films, director James Cameron created two immortal sci-fi action classics. However, the series now includes a total of six films, and this quality seal does not exactly apply to all of them. The last two Terminator films in particular, Genisys and Dark Fate, have been a failure for many fans and have increasingly disappointed at the box office. The sixth Terminator film, with a budget of 185 million dollars, only grossed 261 million dollars.
After the recent release of an animated Terminator series on Netflix, Cameron now apparently wants to take the reins back into his own hands. He revealed a new master plan for the future of the science fiction series that sounds like a radical realignment.
James Cameron wants to leave the Terminator past behind for a fresh future
In an interview with the British film magazine Empire, the director explained that he wants to abandon the familiar elements of the Terminator series, such as Arnold Schwarzenegger as T-800 or Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor.
However, he does not want to lose sight of the successful elements of the sci-fi universe, which, in his opinion, would make a good Terminator movie:
There are essentially powerless main characters who are fighting for their lives, who receive no support from existing power structures and have to bypass them, but somehow have to maintain a moral compass. And that’s where AI comes in. These principles are good principles for storytelling today, aren’t they?
That’s why I have no doubt that subsequent Terminator films will not only be possible, but also awesome. But that’s the moment when you throw all the specific iconography overboard.
Watch the trailer for Terminator Zero on Netflix here:
Cameron did not want to reveal a concrete plan for the future of the sci-fi series in the Empire interview. According to him, however, he is already working on more than just one plan. It remains to be seen what exactly this means.
Right now, the director is still busy with the Avatar films anyway. The next sequel, Avatar 3: Fire and Ash, is scheduled to be released in theaters on December 17, 2025.
