James Cameron is dealing with a major case of writer’s block right now, and the issues holding him up aren’t likely to be solved anytime soon. The filmmaker appeared on CNN this weekend for a discussion of nuclear weapons with anchor Christiane Amanpour. He talked what drove him to write about nuclear Armageddon back in 1984, what has changed in the decades since, and what has not. Cameron revealed that the current real-life threat of nuclear war has hampered his efforts to write new entries in the Terminator franchise, including the complete series reboot he has discussed in recent years.
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“I’m at a point right now where I have a hard time writing science fiction,” Cameron admitted during the discussion. “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 get 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 — but also by really understanding the stark probabilities that we face.”
The Terminator film series has been on hold since 2019, when Terminator: Dark Fate disappointed fans as well as the cast. Both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton said that they weren’t interested in reprising their roles again after that, and in December of 2022, Cameron first mentioned the idea of a reboot. During an appearance on the SmartLess podcast at the time, Cameron mentioned that a Terminator reboot would likely focus more on artificial intelligence and less on other technology like nuclear weapons and robotics.
Cameron reiterated these points in September of 2024, when he told Empire that he was actively working on a Terminator reboot. He said the plan was to start the franchise over with the basic story nearly unchanged, but the “distinct iconography” of the franchise completely overhauled. Cameron was confident at the time, saying, “It’s more than a plan, that’s what we’re doing. That’s all I’ll say for right now.”
Cameron’s comments on CNN this weekend seem to contradict that confidence, to fans’ dismay. As it is, the filmmaker is busy with plenty of other projects, so rebooting one of his most famous works seems like a tall order. Hopefully Cameron can power through the writer’s block and find a new angle on the Terminator. In the meantime, the original movie is streaming now on HBO Max.
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