James Cameron’s 1984 sci-fi thriller Terminator introduced the world to the dominance of AI, as Arnold Schwarzenegger’s cybernetic assassin T-1000 went on a mission to hunt down Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor. The movie later became one of his greatest hits during his initial years. Establishing the director as one of Hollywood’s most celebrated voices, Terminator earned a $78.3M gross against its estimated $6.4M budget.
However, looking back at his movie James Cameron doesn’t appear as happy as he should be with its success. During a recent interview with Variety, Cameron admitted that he wouldn’t make a similar Terminator movie today because of the way violence was glorified in the 1984 film. Considering the result of violence and guns in today’s world, the filmmaker claimed to change his views on how weapons are showcased in films.
James Cameron Regrets Making Terminator in Recent Times
Recalling his 1984 Terminator movie starring Arnold Schwarzenegger as the assassin robot, James Cameron admitted regretting his decision to make the film. Sitting for an interview with Variety, the filmmaker claimed that despite the incredible success of his movie and its impact on cinema at large, he still finds certain elements of violence glorified in the film, regretful.
According to James Cameron‘s conversation with the outlet, when he was making the film, he was unfamiliar with firearms. Considering that the movie was set in America, the filmmaker simply worked on the authenticity of what he portrayed, like procuring a gun from anywhere. However, little did he know, that the glorification of violence and guns in cinema would later impact society in a heinous way.
“I knew nothing about guns. And then I thought, ‘This is America, I can just go buy them! I look back on some films that I’ve made, and I don’t know if I would want to make that film now.”
James Cameron’s celebration of violence and brutality in Terminator didn’t just end with the sequel Terminator 2: Judgement Day. His depiction of weaponry appeared further in Aliens, the sequel to Ridley Scott’s Alien. However, eventually, through his later filmography, Cameron’s shift in perspective could be witnessed, as he mentioned during the interview, that he wouldn’t want to make any further violent movies in today’s day and age.
Cameron Promised to Never Make a Terminator-Like Movie
Truly regretting his initial work of art that glorified violence and guns, James Cameron admitted during his interview with Variety that he wouldn’t repeat his mistakes ever again. Throwing light upon the impact of guns on society which leads to tragedies, Cameron claimed that all the real-world atrocities eventually changed his perspective. Now, the filmmaker appears unwilling to fetishize guns in his movies.
“I don’t know if I would want to fetishize the gun, like I did on a couple of ‘Terminator’ movies 30-plus years ago, in our current world. What’s happening with guns in our society turns my stomach.”
Therefore shifting from violent movies or even the films that portray or use firearms, James Cameron began focusing on the likes of Avatar. His billion-dollar sci-fi franchise emphasizes the beauty of Pandora as a juxtaposition against the industrialized colonization efforts of the RDA. This is how Cameron’s evolving perspective can be witnessed through his works and characters.
However, Terminator remains a cult classic film that became the epitome of how a low-budget movie can have the power to influence and reshape the future of cinema. Although Cameron’s confession about his regret adds a different sort of perspective on the influence of cinema, it still appears interesting to see how one particular work of art could be viewed in two different ways.
Terminator films are available on Prime Video.
