When is James Cameron filming his next movie?

Wait, are you my long-lost twin, you little Beaver? I’m with you 100% on everything said about him. Honestly, maybe even Piranha 2 isn't a total disaster... watched it ages ago, think it's got some decent trash charm. (that short Xenogenesis bit was just garbage though, probably his worst work yet) But hey, I'll go even further. 🙂 He's not just one of those rare directors without a single flop; he basically mastered specific subgenres. True Lies is the ultimate action-comedy blend. Aliens / T2 is the perfect mix of action and drama. He might never hit my absolute top tier of all-time favorites, but the guy is insanely consistent with quality and doesn't just blindly follow genre tropes or formulas.

Never read Alit, and honestly don't think I will until I see the movie. I'm interested, sure, but once Avatar comes around, everything else just fades out. I waited over a decade for that, and I bet he was waiting even longer to finally shoot it. As far as I'm concerned, let him make this one and he can just retire in peace. 😁

quietdriver3 said:No... that’s not what happened here. This has nothing to do with Yang or myself... though I am slightly concerned that Xavi might have misread my intentions (now that I'm reading this thread after eight hours of sleep). I don't actually *gasp* hate Cameron. In fact, I find his megalomania quite enjoyable. I grew up watching his work; asking me to hate him would be like being forced to despise my own left hand simply because it isn't as dexterous as my right. 😁 Oh, and yes, I am one of those 1% who doesn't hate Titanic. 😳 Truthfully, Cameron is one of the few filmmakers who, in my estimation, hasn't made a bad movie—if we aren't counting his debut, which was surely just growing pains. Therefore, there is no need for me to clash with Yang over this topic, since as far as I can recall, he likes it too...

It is the truth: Cameron is the greatest living director in my eyes, even if I am perhaps exaggerating. He is a true pioneer of cinematic baroque. Of course, when I speak of Cameron, I am not referring solely to him, but to the entire crew that works on his films. I suspect his success stems less from individual genius and more from the sheer quality of that collective teamwork. As a mere hint toward that theory, consider the Director's cut Abyss; it is an absolute disaster. It feels almost as if some other director stepped in to tinker with it.

Dennis Carter said:James Cameron and Sigourney Weaver teaming up again for Avatar.
Smart move...

so...? 😕

slyrider16 said:Man, you might be my long-lost twin, quietdriver3. I mean, I pretty much agree with everything you said about him. And honestly, maybe Piranha 2 isn't even that bad... I saw it a long time ago, and I think it has its certain trashy charms. (that short Xenogenesis bit of his was, unfortunately, kind of a letdown, maybe even his worst.) But, I guess I’d go even further with the praise. 🙂 Not only is he one of those rare directors who doesn't really have a bad movie, but he also made the absolute best films within specific subgenres. True Lies—it's probably the best mix of action and comedy out there. Aliens / T2—definitely the best blend of action and drama. He probably won't ever make something that breaks into my personal top tier of all-time favorites, but man, he's just so consistent when it comes to quality, and he doesn't just blindly follow genre tropes or formulas throughout his career.

Yup, I'm with you on all of that. If genre movies have to exist, I'd much rather they be directed by Cameron. He’s one of those few guys who takes a standard formula and actually pushes it a little further. It's a shame his successors don't really know how to handle that legacy of his.

slyrider16 said:I think I've been waiting over ten years for that, and I'm sure he's been waiting even longer to finally film it.

I don't know, lately I've been getting a bit nervous about those movies people wait their whole lives for. 😁 Everything just ends up feeling too overhyped in the end. But, well, I guess I hope that's not what happens here.

Richard Howard2 said:It's true, I guess Cameron is the greatest living director to me, even if I might be overstating it a bit. He’s like a true pioneer of cinematic baroque. Of course, when I say Cameron, I don't just mean him, but the whole crew that works on his films. I have this feeling that maybe it isn't so much about him being that good, but more about the result of all that teamwork. Just as a little hint toward that theory, the Director's cut Abyss is a total disaster. It’s almost like some other director went in and messed with it.

Yeah, but I think his team produces that kind of quality because of his relentless, almost dictatorial way of working. You really have to know how to delegate things properly, I suppose. 😉

I don't know, lately I just get the creeps thinking about these movies everyone's been waiting for their whole lives. Everything ends up being way too hyped. But, hey, hopefully this won't be one of those cases.

Man, truth is, expectations are total bitches (bitches? 😁) Dammit. But whatever, we'll just hope for the best. I'm honestly wondering if it's better to just stop reading anything or watching stuff about the movie before seeing it. Hard to pull off that kind of celibacy though...

Otherwise, I agree on the delegation thing. There’s stuff in Cameron's movies that shows up in others, done by the same crew, but here it just feels... better. How or why, I can't really say. Probably just because he has some rigid master plan in his head that he sticks to like glue. At least the producers don't mess with him; he does whatever he wants.
Clearly, his vibe just clicks with ours (Beaver, Richard Howard2, my tiny self) and we love it. Meanwhile, some people trash Titanic. Amateurs. Pfft. 😁

slyrider16 said:It’s pretty obvious his sensibility just clicked with ours (Beaver, Richard Howard2, and my little self), so we all think it's great. Then you have people trashing Titanic. Total amateurs, honestly. sigh. 😁

Looking at our profiles, the three of us are basically the same age, so, I guess, there's no way you could have grown up in the 80s without thinking Cameron is a legend. 😁

As for all the whining about Titanic, I feel like it's just some sort of rebellion from the younger generations... maybe that's how you'd interpret it. Most of the professional critics were more or less in agreement that the movie was good.

Besides that, it's probably the most "him" movie he's ever made. You can tell just how much passion and love went into it. And what matters most is that you can't help but respect his balls when you see how the whole thing was produced. The delays, the massive budget overruns, the runtime being considered totally unprofitable back then. But the guy just pushed through it all. He stood behind this project like nobody else. I mean, can you imagine the kind of pressure that must have been? But man, it paid off. I remember reading all the Hollywood gossip and little snippets of info about the project, stuff about scammers involving some sunken ship or whatever. It was stressful. I kept thinking, "man, what are we in for." 😁 And then when it finally came out... wow. We felt like that generation waiting for Star Wars decades earlier. 😬

slyrider16 said:Yeah, true, expectations are a total bitch. A real bitch. But what can you do? You just hope for the best. I've been wondering if it's better to just read nothing and stay away from everything related to a movie before seeing it. But I don't know, staying that disciplined seems hard.

Actually, it would probably be best if he just stayed quiet and kept filming. Without all those "oh, this has never been seen before" clichés. That's how George Lucas used to give interviews back in '97, saying things like, "we're 30 years ahead of everyone else."
And it turned out he just became a dinosaur.

quietdriver3 said:Looking at our profiles, we're all basically the same age... so there's no way you grew up in the 80s without hating on Cameron... 😁

Facts. Though, honestly, I hadn't even seen one of his movies in theaters before *The Abyss*. They wouldn't let me go see *Aliens* when it was out, claiming it was "too scary for such a little kid." So I finally caught *The Abyss*, and man, it was incredible. Back then, I didn't have a clue who directed it, and frankly, I didn't care... Two years later I saw *Terminator 2* and thought it was pure genius—again, zero clue who the director was. Then eventually I watched *Aliens* on VHS and just lost my mind. It wasn't until later (read it somewhere, I think) that I realized those three films—which were easily some of my all-time favorites—were all by the same guy. Wow. It’s pretty much a given that his work is what actually got me hooked on movies, following the industry, shooting my own amateur stuff, and all that...

I remember that same Hollywood article about Titanic you're talking about... I just kept picturing two teams of treasure hunters messing with each other and brawling underwater right around the wreck... 😁

People hating on Titanic is just some Gen Z rebellion or whatever... that's how I see it. All the actual pros pretty much agree the movie is solid...

When a movie is this technically flawless, how can you not love it? Look, if someone can't handle a little melodrama, that's on them, because the tension in that final hour is unreal. It’s not like I didn't dig the romance either—the whole thing just clicked for me. I remember being surprised by how much humor was actually in there; I guess Titanic is probably Cameron's second funniest film after True Lies. Honestly, it feels like most of the backlash only happened retroactively once the movie swept up all those Academy Awards... and people trash a flick the second they hear DiCaprio is in it, which is just lame. Personally, actors are just pawns to me. I'm never deciding whether to watch something based on the cast. With directors, though, that's a different story. If anyone else had directed Zodiac, I might've skipped it entirely... 😉

We were basically like that generation that got to see Star Wars twenty years too early... 😬

Facts. History just keeps repeating itself. Those movies don't do much for other people, but they're huge for us. Personally, though, Star Wars is just... meh. Nothing special to me. Honestly, even the new trilogy feels just as mid as the original one...

Honestly, he’d be better off just keeping his mouth shut and filming. No more of those "this has never been seen before" clichés. It was the same deal with George Lucas back in '97, claiming we were "30 years ahead of everyone else"... then he just turned into a total dinosaur.

That's true though. That would be the dream. I'd actually be way happier if they didn't hype up every single production detail and the movie just dropped in theaters—you watch it, and that's the first time you even hear about it. You only form expectations once you're actually sitting there watching the screen. Obviously, that's impossible in the real world, but hey, a guy can dream. I can't say I don't share your fears regarding that comparison, either... I mean, Cameron hasn't filmed anything for 10-12 years and he's getting up there in age. But man, when that Avatar script treatment first hit, it created such a *damn* good image in my head. (Stopped reading halfway through so I wouldn't ruin the movie for myself. Haven't even touched that file in ten years)

James Cameron isn't necessarily one of my all-time favorite directors, but he’s definitely one of my favorites... if that makes sense. Look, Aliens, Terminator, Terminator 2, and True Lies were staples of my childhood. I’d say Terminator is one of those movies that really defined my younger years. It’s this cold, direct sci-fi that doesn't get bogged down in the heavy emotions you see in the sequel, which honestly makes it his best work in my eyes. Not that Terminator 2 is a bad movie by any means—it definitely has its perks, especially with more action, which is always a win. And Aliens? That’s a pillar of the genre. Along with the first one, it’s probably one of the most visceral sci-fi/horror flicks ever made. I have to admit, True Lies is a bit of a blur in my memory, but I remember it being a blast to watch.
Among all the Cameron fans out there, Titanic gets trashed constantly. Personally, I think it’s his weakest film, but I wouldn't call it a bad piece of filmmaking. It was just a massive departure from his usual style. When that blockbuster hit the video stores, I was in elementary school. I remember most of the girls had copies, some even originals, and they’d lose their minds just hearing the name Leonardo DiCaprio. The guys, just to be rebellious, would ritualistically stab his pictures in magazines with pencils—magazines mostly brought in by the girls. I wasn't really part of either camp. Don't get me wrong, saying I didn't belong to either group doesn't mean I wasn't a man (😬), it just means I was never a DiCaprio hater nor a fan of Titanic just because people thought it was too sappy. If I hated anything, it was being part of a "group" or labeling myself. That kind of tribalism always rubbed me the wrong way... it always felt awkward. So, for me, Titanic remains a solid movie. I actually sat through it three times, and I still don't get why people hate Titanic so much, though I didn't think it earned those 11 gold 🙂Oscar statuettes🙂. The Academy Award has always been a mystery to me...

Anyway, thumbs up for his upcoming Avatar, which should be a continuation of his sci-fi streak. Hopefully, he sticks to it. 🙂

P.S. haven't seen The Abyss yet... 😢

slyrider16 said:Heh, true. Though, honestly, I hadn't actually seen one of his movies in a theater before seeing The Abyss. Back then, they wouldn't let me go see Aliens because it was supposedly "too scary for such a little kid." Then I saw The Abyss, and man, it was fantastic. I didn't have a clue who the director was, nor did I really care at the time. Two years later, I caught Terminator 2, which was just genius—again, not even knowing who directed it. Around that same period, I finally watched Aliens on VHS and was just... wow. It was only later, I think I read it somewhere, that I realized those three films—which were easily some of my all-time favorites back then—were all by the same guy.

I remember the first time I watched Terminator 2. I remember sitting there in my chair after the credits rolled, almost robotically grabbing the VHS remote and hitting STOP => REW => PLAY just to watch the whole thing from start to finish without breathing. 😁 I don't think I've ever watched a movie like that again, no matter how good it turned out to be.

Anyway, I agree with everything else too.

Let's just hope he brings that same energy to Avatar. I feel like it's been a really long time since I've seen a decent Hollywood spectacle.

It’s not merely a matter of my own personal taste! 😲

😁 😁 😁

I followed the exact same pattern: an obsession, watching them countless times, that deep sense of nostalgia for those films, an imagination running wild in every direction...

I doubt Avatar will flop. Cameron hasn't missed with his sci-fi stuff yet, so why would he start now? Like I said, all his sci-fi movies have some level of massive support behind them—even The Abyss, which I haven't actually sat down to watch... Cameron is just one of those directors who truly gets the genre. Their work speaks for itself, and we've all seen how our guy handles things. It’s stupid to get carried away with expectations, though. We've all seen how nothing hurts more than being let down by your own hype, but you'd expect that... Avatar... It won't be a flop. It might be a masterpiece, maybe it'll be great, maybe just decent, or even his worst... but it's hard to imagine Cameron actually making a bad movie. Making a dud just isn't in his DNA. It's simply not possible for him... 🙂

P.S. I'm one of those people who actually watched it too... Terminator 2... Countless times. That's just the kind of power this movie has... 😍

quietdriver3 said:I still remember the first time I saw Terminator 2. Once the credits rolled, I just sat there in my chair—kind of spaced out—grabbed the VHS remote, hit STOP => REW => PLAY, and watched the whole thing again from the top. Just couldn't catch my breath. 😁

I felt the exact same way with both the first one and the sequel—except instead of rewinding, I just sat there staring at the TV for half an hour, totally stunned by the "wow" factor. Absolute masterpieces. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Jose Chase2 said:Same thing happened to me with both the first and second one. I just sat there staring at the screen without even touching the remote, just soaking up that "wow" factor for half an hour. Absolute masterpieces... 🙏🙏🙏🙏

Looking at the big picture... the first one is better. Already said that. But the second one is genius, no debate there, at least if you ask me. 🙂

Jerry Martin19 said:looking at the big picture—the first one takes it. I’ve said that before. But the sequel? It's pure genius. There's really no debate there, at least not in my book. 🙂

I honestly view those two films as one single entity—they're just inseparable to me.

slyrider16 said:It’s pretty clear his sensibilities aligned perfectly with ours—the Beaver, Richard Howard2, and my little self—so we’re all fans. Meanwhile, some people just want to trash Titanic. Amateurs. *sigh*. 😁

I mean, come on, Titanic has a love story, and we can't have that!

Jerry Martin19 said:I mean, I kind of doubt that Avatar is going to let us down. Cameron hasn't really missed the mark when it comes to his sci-fi stuff, so I guess it’s hard to imagine he’ll start now. Like I was saying before, all his sci-fi films seem to have this solid foundation behind them—even The Abyss, which I actually haven't sat down to watch yet. He just seems like one of those directors who truly gets the genre, you know? Their work speaks for itself, and we've all seen how our guy Cameron handles things. It feels a little silly to get too carried away with expectations, though. I suppose we've all seen how massive disappointments usually come from nothing more than our own hype, but it's still pretty reasonable to assume that... So, I was thinking about Avatar... just that whole thing. It’s funny how much people talk about it, you know? I guess I've been sitting here wondering if it actually holds up the way everyone says it does. Maybe it's just the scale of it all, or maybe it's something else entirely. I don't know. It's hard to pin down. Just one of those movies that stays in the back of your mind, I suppose. It’s not going to be a flop. I mean, maybe it turns out to be a masterpiece, or maybe just really great, or maybe just okay... honestly, it could even end up being his worst one yet. But it’s hard to say it'll actually be bad. Making a bad movie just isn't really in Cameron's DNA, I guess. It's almost like he doesn't even have the capacity for it. It's just not in his hands. 🙂

I mean, the numbers are definitely on his side. But I don't know... there's something about the way Cameron hasn't really maintained that steady momentum over the last decade that kind of worries me. It’s just an observation, I guess. Looking at the stats—just off the top of my head—it seems like directors who take these massive breaks before jumping back in tend to stumble quite often. Maybe it's just me, though. 😳

Jose Chase2 said:I had that exact same experience with both the first and second movies—I just sat there, staring at the screen without even thinking about rewinding, totally blown away for like half an hour. Absolute masterpieces. 🙏🙏🙏🙏

...man, I think I actually felt that same rush back when I was hanging out at the Borac Club—now I finally get why I'm so obsessed with talking about 😁David Fincher
.

quietdriver3 said:Sure, the numbers back him up. But honestly? It worries me that Cameron hasn't really found a consistent rhythm over the last decade. Even with those stats—if my gut is right—directors who take long breaks tend to stumble when they try to come back. 😳

Or maybe it's just us that changed? Look at the era we grew up in versus now, and suddenly Terminator 2 hits different. It’s like giving a kid the keys to an ice cream factory—that's how it felt back then. Now, imagine walking into a theater to see Terminator 2 for the very first time.

Amanda Lopez50 said:...man, I actually went through something similar back when I was following the Los Angeles Lakers—now I totally get why my thread about Fincher hits different😁

me with the Game 🙏🙏

I honestly don't know how people managed to miss the pure genius of that movie 😢