James Cameron Explains Why ‘Terminator 7’ Is Hard to Write
James Cameron is busy building the future of cinema with his Avatar sequels, but he hasn’t completely left the world of the Terminator behind. The director admitted he has been working on ideas for a new Terminator film. The challenge, he says, is that the story no longer feels like pure science fiction.
Cameron recently appeared on CNN’s The Amanpour Hour, where he joined host Christiane Amanpour to discuss Ghosts of Hiroshima, his project about survivors of the atomic bombings in Japan.
During the conversation, he was asked about how fiction and reality connect, which led him to reveal why writing a new Terminator script has become so difficult.
According to Cameron, today’s technology makes it hard to separate imagination from real life.
He explained, “I’m at a point right now where I have a hard time writing science fiction. I’m tasked with writing a new Terminator story. I’ve been unable to get started on that very far because I don’t know what to say that won’t be overtaken by real events. We are living in a science fiction age right now, and the only way out is through, by using our intelligence, by using our curiosity, by using our command of technology.”
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The Playlist first reported Cameron’s comments, noting that this is not the first time he has spoken about the franchise’s future.
Back in late 2022, while promoting Avatar: The Way of Water, he said a Terminator reboot was being discussed. He also admitted that bringing back Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton for Terminator: Dark Fate was, in hindsight, a mistake.
Since then, both Schwarzenegger and Hamilton have stepped away from the series. In 2023, Schwarzenegger said he would not return, pointing to poor writing in the recent films. A year later, Hamilton shared that she was done as well, saying she felt the story had run its course and questioned why the franchise needed to be restarted.
Still, Cameron has not ruled out the idea of new films. In September 2024, he confirmed he was developing fresh concepts that would keep the franchise’s themes alive but move away from the old imagery audiences know so well.
Cameron’s honesty shows how science fiction has caught up with real life. Technology has advanced so quickly that even one of the greatest sci-fi storytellers struggles to imagine what comes next. Maybe that’s why a new Terminator feels so tricky, it’s not about the future anymore, it’s about now.
What do you think? Should Cameron try to push forward with a new Terminator movie, or has the story already been told? Share your thoughts in the comments.
