James Cameron Is Thinking About Relaunching The Terminator Franchise

The Terminator has been relaunched what feels like T-1000 times. But that's not stopping discussions from happening for another installment, according to director James Cameron. He hasn't helmed an entry since Terminator 2: Judgment Day, though he did produce as well as develop the story for Terminator: Dark Fate.

Speaking on the Smartless podcast (via The Playlist), Cameron conversed about themes and messaging in his movies. "Well, the Avatar films are about the environment; I’m not dealing with AI," he said. "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."

Terminator: Dark Fate was actually planned as the start of a trilogy. But that was put on hold after lackluster box office results for the film. That's actually the second time in a row the series has landed in molten steel after a rough start. Terminator: Genisys also was supposed to see two sequels originally. That obviously didn't pan out.

Keep in mind, as well, that Cameron has his hands full with the Avatar franchise. Avatar: The Way of Water just brought in over $435 million globally this past weekend. Avatar 3 is currently slated to premiere December 2024, with fourth and fifth installments coming afterward depending on box office totals.

While a new Terminator film seems a ways off (if it happens at all), there is a new game on the way for the sci-fi series. Tentatively titled Terminator Survival Project, the game takes place between Judgment Day and the creation of John Connor's resistance.