If there’s a list of successful filmmakers in Hollywood, James Cameron’s name has to be on it. From Titanic to Avatar, Cameron has made some of the best movies in the film industry. One such franchise that he began but couldn’t continue was The Terminator. The acclaimed director directed only the first two Arnold Schwarzenegger-led movies and then left.
However, the director had a mix of regret and relief when it came to the success of the third film in The Terminator franchise that he had to depart, not totally willingly. Also, he has some sharp words to say about the way the series keeps getting resurrected.
James Cameron Expresses Regret About The Terminator Franchise
During an interview with Wired, James Cameron talked about The Terminator franchise and the repercussions of leaving it behind without completing his trilogy. It can’t be denied that over the years, the franchise hasn’t been able to match up to the standards set by Cameron. One movie after the other has disappointed fans of the franchise. The director said:
“I kind of turned my back on the Terminator world when there was early talk about a third film. I’d evolved beyond it. I don’t regret that, but I have to live with the consequence, which is that I keep seeing it resurrected.”
During a 2003 interview with Black Film, Arnold Schwarzenegger talked about Cameron’s feelings on the third movie of the franchise. He said that one part of the director wanted the movie to fail and the other half wanted to see it succeed. Schwarzenegger hints that the director wanted to come back but couldn’t because of studio constraints:
“He has a part of him that wants the movie to succeed and a part of him that wants it to fail. He has mixed emotions because he started it and I think this one time-wise, it didn’t work out and he didn’t want to be part of it under those constraints that it has to be a summer movie 2003 and he has to do it. He doesn’t operate that way. I totally appreciate that.”
However, the director hasn’t totally abandoned the franchise. He was a producer on Terminator: Dark Fate. But what would a Terminator film look like with James Cameron again?
James Cameron Discusses The Terminator Film He Would Make
James Cameron’s return to direct a film in The Terminator franchise would be a dream come true for many. After all, the filmmaker started the series and his coming back to make a film will finally resurrect the franchise for good. Also, it would probably break the box office. On the Smartless podcast he said that if he made another film, he would focus more on AI.
Read More: Arnold Schwarzenegger Didn’t Like His Iconic Line in $521M James Cameron Movie
As per the director:
“If I were to do another Terminator film and maybe try and to launch that franchise again, which is in discussion, but nothing has been decided, I would make it much more about the AI side of it than bad robots gone crazy.”
While the filmmaker can return to The Terminator franchise in the future, right now, he is busy with the Avatar franchise. The first film grossed $2.9 billion while the second earned $2.3 billion. A third is currently under production with more planned. As such, it looks like Terminator fans will have to wait for James Cameron to pay attention to his long-lost film series.
The Terminator 1 and 2 are available on HBO Max.
Source: Wired and Black film
