terminator franchise

James Cameron Is Overseeing a Resurrection of the Terminator Franchise

American Cinematheque 30th Anniversary Screening Of
Photo: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images

Despite the fact that there have been five Terminator movies, there hasn’t really been a good one since Terminator 2: Judgment Day in 1991. According to Deadline, James Cameron is looking to hand-hold a new — and allegedly final — installment of his landmark franchise into existence, and he is reportedly in early talks with Deadpool director Tim Miller to helm it. Cameron had no involvement with the Terminator movies Rise of the Machines, Salvation, or Genisys, and he didn’t contribute to the Fox TV series The Sarah Connor Chronicles, either. The director sold the rights to the brand before the first movie even came out and it has changed hands various times since then, but as Deadline reports, those rights revert back to Cameron in 2019. In the meantime, producer David Ellison is funding an exploratory effort through his Skydance banner, which includes reaching out to science-fiction authors for help fleshing out a story. When Cameron directs a movie, he writes it too, but it sounds like he’s assuming more of a guardian-angel role this time around. If a new Terminator does rise, it would be incredibly satisfying to see an actually good movie close out the franchise, but considering how things go in Hollywood now, a successful new Terminator likely wouldn’t be the last one by a long shot.

The Terminator Franchise Will Rise Again