The Terminator franchise has had a long and convoluted journey to its five screen outings. A smash hit when the futuristic Arnold Schwarzenegger flick was first released in cinemas in 1984, the cyborg’s latest effort was underwhelming, to say the least, with Termintator: Genisys drawing an underwhelming response from critics and the public.


The eponymous robot needs rescuing and the man to do it is James Cameron – the writer and director who conceived him in the first place. The filmmaker is reportedly planning a new instalment in the franchise when he regains the rights to his creation in 2019. [Cameron originally sold them for $1 to producer Gale Anne Hurd under the agreement that he could not be fired as director.]

According to Deadline, the copyright reversion will take place 35 years after the original film’s 1984 release, upon which Cameron – who also directed Titanic and Avatar – plans to release a reboot and conclusion to the story he started. He has not been involved with the franchise since writing and directing a sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day, in 1991.

And just as exciting is the company he’s keeping: Tim Miller – who worked with Ryan Reynolds to turn Deadpool into 2016’s surprise smash hit – is believed to be on board to direct the latest Terminator project.

Those are all the details we have for now with the new project’s various creatives believed to be plotting out exactly what form any new instalment will take.

For fans of the franchise, it’s welcome news as 2015’s Terminator: Genisys was deemed a major disappointment despite Schwarzenegger’s return as the titular character. Plans for a sequel were swiftly put on ice and – until now – the billion-dollar franchise had looked to be floundering.


But if there’s one man to turn around its fortunes, it’s James Cameron. Watch this space…