James Cameron Is Working on a New ‘Terminator’

James Cameron has revealed he’s developing another Terminator film, but Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t be appearing in it this time.

James Cameron confirmed Arnold Schwarzenegger won’t be involved in future Terminator films. He feels it’s time for new characters and that Schwarzenegger’s role as the T-800 had a satisfying conclusion with ‘Terminator: Dark Fate.’ Cameron believes the ‘Terminator’ franchise needs to explore the concept of time travel and artificial intelligence in new and unexpected ways, moving beyond what audiences have already seen.

Dark Fate is the newest installment in the Terminator series. Though Tim Miller, director of Deadpool, helmed the film, James Cameron returned as a producer and co-writer. It’s a direct sequel to Cameron’s original Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day, effectively disregarding the storylines of the subsequent films – Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines, Terminator: Salvation, and Terminator: Genisys – which Cameron wasn’t involved in.

In Dark Fate, Arnold Schwarzenegger returned as an aging Terminator. The film explained this by showing that the human tissue covering his robotic skeleton aged naturally over time. This Terminator, known as Carl, killed a young John Connor shortly after the events of Terminator 2, but found himself without a mission or a way to travel back to the future. As a result, he created a human life for himself, joined a family, and even began to experience feelings like sadness and remorse for his past violence.

The role of Carl offered a fun and engaging opportunity for an older action star, but Dark Fate didn’t perform well at the box office, earning only $261 million globally despite an estimated $200 million budget. Given that Schwarzenegger is now 78, bringing back a Terminator in his early 70s in Dark Fate felt like a stretch, and it might be difficult to do so again. (Director James Cameron is also 71.)

Cameron recently shared with The Hollywood Reporter that he plans to fully dedicate himself to the next Terminator film after the initial buzz around Avatar dies down. He explained his biggest challenge is ensuring the story feels like true science fiction, staying ahead of current events. He jokingly wondered if anyone would even notice a computer takeover, given the state of the world.

Cameron’s Avatar: Fire and Ash premieres in theaters this weekend.

The Best Movies of 2025

20. Caught Stealing

Darren Aronofsky’s Caught Stealing was a delightful surprise among the year’s films. Released late in August – a typical dumping ground for bad movies – it’s a really entertaining and gritty thriller with a fantastic, old-school New York City atmosphere. The story feels similar to After Hours, and it’s full of unexpected turns. What stood out most was how nostalgic it felt – whether it was seeing Shea Stadium, the old Kim’s Video, or simply the fact that a major studio made a smart, adult-focused drama like Caught Stealing.

19. Eephus

The title Eephus perfectly captures the feel of this gentle, seemingly straightforward film. Much like the eephus pitch itself, the movie subtly draws you in, and just when you think you’ve figured it out, it surprises you with a new twist. (The other names for that pitch – like blooper ball or gravity curve – would also fit the movie well.)

Eephus centers around the last game played by two small-town amateur baseball teams before their field is demolished. Over the course of nine innings, co-writer and director Carson Lund delves into the connections between teammates and opponents, using this ultimately unimportant game to examine why baseball’s traditions and routines are so meaningful to so many people.

18. It Was Just an Accident

Fans of films featuring troubled men who kidnap people they blame for terrible wrongs have seen a recent dip in quality between Bugonia and the new release, It Was Just an Accident. If another similar film comes out, it could signal a full-blown trend. In It Was Just an Accident, director Jafar Panahi tells the story of a former Iranian prisoner, Vahid Mobasseri, who unexpectedly encounters a man he believes tortured him during his unjust imprisonment, Ebrahim Azizi. He only recognizes the man’s voice and the sound of his prosthetic leg, as he never actually saw his torturer. Uncertain what to do, he gathers other torture victims to help him confirm the man’s identity and decide how to proceed. The film is both heartbreaking and surprisingly humorous. What makes It Was Just an Accident especially impactful is that Panahi himself has been imprisoned multiple times, and was recently sentenced to another year in prison by the Iranian government – this time for making this very film.

17. Bugonia

Yorgos Lanthimos is known for his darkly funny and unsettling films, and his latest, Bugonia, continues that tradition. It’s a twisted update to the 2003 South Korean film Save the Green Planet!, reflecting our current obsession with conspiracy theories. The movie centers around a reclusive and increasingly disturbed man, Teddy (played with chilling effectiveness by Jesse Plemons), who kidnaps a powerful pharmaceutical CEO, Michelle (Emma Stone, in her fourth collaboration with Lanthimos). Teddy believes Michelle is involved in an alien plot to destroy the world and demands a confession. While the situation is absurd, the film expertly balances humor with genuine fear and tension, creating a strangely accurate reflection of the anxieties of modern life.

16. The Perfect Neighbor

This shocking Netflix documentary uses police bodycam footage to tell the story of a tragic act of violence in Florida. It shows how ongoing conflicts between a woman and her neighbors tragically escalated into a killing. The Perfect Neighbor details the disturbing events leading up to the crime and its devastating consequences, prompting viewers to consider whether the legal system sometimes protects those who are at fault instead of the victims. Though it’s a true crime documentary, many are calling it the most frightening film of 2025.

15. Reflection in a Dead Diamond

With its lavish, over-the-top style and classic spy vibes, ‘Diamonds are Forever’ meets Italian horror in this visually stunning film. Directors Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet pack the movie with striking images, following an aging hero (Fabio Testi) as he struggles with his mental state. One villain can even hypnotize people into thinking they’re in a movie, and the film itself is so enamored with retro exploitation cinema that it casts a similar spell on the audience, creating a captivating and unforgettable experience.

14. Mickey 17

Bong Joon-ho loves to cast famous actors known for heroic roles, place them in strange, futuristic stories, and then challenge those heroic images. After portraying Captain America as a villain, he’s now tackled Batman star Robert Pattinson in his new film, Mickey 17.

Pattinson plays Mickey, a man with multiple copies of himself. Through a questionable technology, Mickey works as a disposable operative, completing dangerous missions vital for space colonization. Whenever he dies on a mission, a new body is created. He’s currently on his 17th version when a glitch occurs, resulting in an 18th Mickey also being active.

While Mickey 17 might not be as consistently strong as Bong’s acclaimed Parasite, that could be intentional. A film featuring 18 nearly identical characters, each with slight personality differences, might naturally have some shifts in mood and tone.

13. Friendship

The play Friendship was a truly unique theatrical experience in 2025, eliciting a remarkable amount of audible reaction from the audience – sighs, gasps, and even shouts of disbelief – for a comedy. These reactions were earned; the story centers on Tim Robinson’s increasingly awkward and humiliating experiences after a promising friendship with his effortlessly cool neighbor, Paul Rudd, falls apart during a terrible get-together. Robinson’s cluelessness is a constant source of laughter, but Rudd’s cool demeanor is even funnier. The script, written by director Andrew DeYoung, relentlessly explores male insecurities in a way that might actually cause some viewers to cringe so hard they pull a muscle.

12. Black Bag

I didn’t expect Black Bag to be such a steamy, twisty mystery in the style of Agatha Christie, but surprisingly, I loved it. The film stars Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a married couple who both happen to be spies. Their happiness is threatened when Fassbender is tasked with investigating his wife, suspecting she might be working against them. Beyond the great supporting cast – including Regé-Jean Page, Marisa Abela, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan – the film’s biggest strength is its unpredictability. You genuinely don’t know what’s going to happen next, which makes it a really engaging and fun watch.

11. Superman

Many serious comic book fans would never compare a DC movie to Richard Donner’s Superman, but James Gunn’s Superman actually surpasses it in some ways. Nicholas Hoult delivers a fantastic performance as Lex Luthor – he’s both incredibly self-centered and easily offended. The supporting cast is also excellent, featuring Edi Gathegi as the aptly named Mr. Terrific and Krypto, Superman’s mischievous and scene-stealing super-dog.

This new film also presents a wonderfully relatable and charming Superman, played by David Corenswet, making him easy to root for. It’s a fun, thrilling, and romantic movie, with a touch of social commentary. Importantly, it sets a high bar for future DC films, which is exciting because it’s intended to be the first in a whole series of new superhero movies.

10. Train Dreams

Each year, there should be an award for the best Netflix film that truly deserves to be seen in a theater. The first winner is the beautiful and thoughtful film, Train Dreams. (I actually watched it on Netflix, though!) It’s a slow-burning, gorgeous, and heartbreaking story that follows Robert Grainier (played brilliantly by Joel Edgerton), a solitary logger, over several decades. Director Clint Bentley uses Grainier’s life to show how the Pacific Northwest changed over time, as he travels, works, meets people, and starts a family with a woman named Gladys (Felicity Jones). Train Dreams isn’t a movie for multitasking or watching in a bright room. To truly appreciate it, you need to turn off the lights, put away your phone, and let yourself be fully immersed in another time and place.

9. Predator: Badlands

The latest Predator film feels like a Terminator 2 remake – though it doesn’t quite reach that same level of grandeur. This time, the Predator isn’t a mysterious, unstoppable villain, but a surprisingly relatable hero. A young, exiled Predator is sent to a dangerous planet to prove himself by defeating an incredibly powerful monster – one that shares some similarities with the T-1000.

Along the way, he teams up with several funny companions, including Elle Fanning as a relentlessly optimistic android. Despite this comedic turn, the film still delivers the intense action and brutality fans expect from the Predator franchise. This is director Dan Trachtenberg’s strongest Predator film yet, boasting impressive visuals, exciting action sequences, cool gadgets, and a thoughtful story about family and honor.

8. Weapons

If Zach Cregger asks you to come down to his basement, seriously, just leave! He clearly loves creating creepy, unsettling environments, and his new movie, Weapons, is no exception. Beneath the quiet surface of a Pennsylvania town lies a truly terrifying basement, which becomes central to a baffling mystery. Seventeen children vanish from a single elementary school class, and the investigation unfolds through the eyes of the teacher (Julia Garner), a father of one of the missing kids (Josh Brolin), a troubled police officer (Alden Ehrenreich), and others. Weapons jumps between different characters’ perspectives, creating a tone that’s both deeply disturbing and surprisingly funny – like a darkly comedic Pulp Fiction you didn’t know you were waiting for.

7. Avatar: Fire and Ash

I think Avatar: Fire and Ash is the best of the three Avatar movies so far. The visuals continue to get better with each film, thanks to advancements in 3D and high-frame rate technology. But more than that, Fire and Ash really delivers on the emotional investment built up over nearly twenty years – you can see the weight of time on the faces of characters like Jake Sully, Miles Quaritch, and Neytiri. Or maybe it’s just that, as a father, I’m easily moved by stories about dads trying to protect their kids in a difficult world. Whatever it is, I’m excited for Avatar 4 and can’t wait to see it.

6. The Naked Gun

This movie was exactly what I needed! The 2025 release of The Naked Gun delivers 85 minutes of constant laughter. It’s packed with visual jokes, silly wordplay, outrageous humor, and clever references to pop culture – a fantastic refresh of the original franchise, arguably one of the best updates of the 2020s. Liam Neeson stars as Frank Drebin Jr., the son of Leslie Nielsen’s iconic character, and he’s just as hilariously clumsy. Neeson’s Drebin is a tough detective investigating a villainous businessman (played with enthusiasm by Danny Huston) while constantly narrating his thoughts – including a particularly outrageous observation about his love interest, Pamela Anderson, and her appearance. This new Naked Gun proves that spoof comedies – and comedies made for theaters – still have a lot to offer.

5. Predators

The demand for easily-made, recognizable content has led to a surge of documentaries that revisit popular culture moments from the past. These films typically explore why something was popular and what societal issues it touched upon – recently, we’ve seen documentaries about figures like Pee-wee Herman, Jerry Springer, and MoviePass. While these aren’t necessarily bad, the documentary Predators stands out because of the director’s personal connection to the subject matter and its thoughtful approach. It examines the Dateline NBC segment “To Catch a Predator,” which, despite being sensational, seemed to serve a public good by preventing child exploitation. However, turning this into entertainment had unintended consequences that neither the show nor its audience fully considered.

Instead of a broad overview, director David Osit focuses on specific cases, interviewing those involved – the decoys, an expert on the show’s methods, and even YouTubers who have imitated it. Osit largely stays off-camera, posing questions gently and thoughtfully. This contrasts sharply with Chris Hansen’s often aggressive and confrontational style. You can hear the seriousness and internal conflict in Osit’s voice as he speaks with his interviewees, revealing that he himself watched the show frequently when it originally aired. In a time when empathy seems scarce, films like Predators are particularly important, offering a much-needed opportunity for reflection and understanding.

4. Marty Supreme

If you found the Safdie brothers’ Uncut Gems a little too relaxed, Marty Supreme is the movie for you. This film follows Marty Mauser (Timothée Chalamet, continuing to impress in every role), a supremely confident and skilled table tennis player and hustler who believes he’s destined for greatness. However, his arrogance constantly lands him in trouble, creating a relentlessly fast-paced story – it feels like an endless running game where one mistake means disaster. Darkly funny, featuring a fantastic cast including Gwyneth Paltrow and Kevin O’Leary (Mr. Wonderful from Shark Tank), and packed with intense suspense, Marty Supreme is so captivating you’ll find yourself hoping it becomes a huge box office hit.

3. No Other Choice

Park Chan-wook’s No Other Choice is a genuinely entertaining film – both hilarious and thrilling. It feels like something Alfred Hitchcock would have loved, perhaps even more than Star Trek: Section 31. But beyond the surface-level enjoyment, the movie is cleverly made, filled with visual jokes and repeating themes. Images of plants and trees subtly connect to the story of a dedicated paper mill worker (played powerfully by Lee Byung-hun) who loses his job and struggles to find new work. While the story comes from a Donald Westlake novel, focusing the protagonist’s job on paper feels especially relevant today. In an era where technology threatens many jobs, a paper maker perfectly represents the fight to survive as older industries fade away.

2. Sinners

Is Sinners the year’s best vampire film? Or is it a deeply thoughtful exploration of America, music, cultural appropriation, and the stories we create around artistic genius? The answer is both. Ryan Coogler’s Sinners is also genuinely frightening, surprisingly sensual, and often quite humorous. It’s an ambitious film, and comes remarkably close to being a masterpiece.

1. One Battle After Another

“One Battle After Another” stands out in today’s Hollywood, where movies based on existing properties are common. It’s a remarkably ambitious and costly film—rumored to have cost over $150 million—with a clear vision from director Paul Thomas Anderson and underlying political themes. The movie defies easy categorization, seamlessly blending elements of a suspenseful thriller, a quirky adventure, and a socially conscious drama – a combination studios used to excel at. At its heart, it’s a touching story about a father trying to shield his teenage daughter from his past and a world in chaos. It’s funny, visually stunning, unusual, unsettling, and thrilling – essentially, a new masterpiece from Paul Thomas Anderson.

2025-12-17 19:31