James Cameron has let slip he’s developing a new ‘Terminator’ project.
He offered no details on the mystery project.
A wide-ranging interview saw him cover other topics.
James Cameron is not a man to mince words. He’s been outspoken on a variety of topics and continues to be a no-BS talker when he’s interviewed.
And though it seemed he would be busy with ‘Avatar’ projects for the foreseeable future, he’s someone who has always had time to figure out other ideas, even if he ends up handing them off to other filmmakers.
bt7NtLBOeKrxtuDRYgz7m4
The Hollywood Reporter recently sat down with him to discuss one of his new projects, a docuseries called ‘OceanXplorers’ that channels one of his other big passions: diving deep into the sea.
Yet it was his comments about something potentially new in the ‘Terminator’ world that drew the most excitement…
3281
What did James Cameron say about a new ‘Terminator’ project?
Arnold Schwarzenegger as the Terminator in ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day.’
When asked about the upcoming ‘Terminator Zero’ animated project landing on Netflix on August 29th, he admitted that he had nothing to do with it but hoped that it would be a success.
Still, more intriguingly, he dropped word of his own development in that sphere.
“I’m working on my own ‘Terminator’ stuff right now. It’s got nothing to do with that. Like with ‘The Sarah Connor Chronicles’, they occasionally touched on things I had been playing with completely independently. It’s totally classified. I don’t want to have to send out a potentially dangerous robotic agent if you were to talk about it, even retroactively.”
Intriguing! Despite his obvious need for secrecy, there’s much to anticipate about a ‘Terminator’ that includes real involvement from Cameron. The movies and shows that followed his groundbreaking 1984 original and its even more impressive sequel, ‘Terminator 2: Judgment Day’ have been hit and miss (mostly, let’s be honest, miss, even 2019’s ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, which boasted Cameron as a producer), but if he’s excited by something in the ‘Terminator’ world, we’re not going to bet against someone who has made some of the most successful movies in history.
(L to R) Director James Cameron and Jamie Lee Curtis at D23 2024. Photo: Disney.
One of the better answers Cameron gives in the interview is when he’s asked about comments Roland Emmerich made at this year’s San Diego Comic-Con about leaving the ‘Fantastic Voyage’ remake because Cameron (who wrote a draft and was a producer on the still-unmade movie) was, to quote Emmerich, “Overbearing”.
Here’s what Cameron said:
“I’ve never said anything negative about Roland. But anyway: Yes, I’m overbearing. Damn right. When it’s a project where I’ve contributed to the writing, I might actually have an opinion on it. I actually don’t even remember talking to Roland Emmerich about ‘Fantastic’. I remember the other directors that we worked with for months on end trying to develop that project. If I talked to Roland, it was for two minutes. I have a pretty good memory and I don’t remember that at all.”
There was one other subject that caused a hot-button response. Asked about complaints with regards to the look of the new 4K transfers of ‘Aliens’ and ‘True Lies’.
This is what he said:
“When people start reviewing your grain structure, they need to move out of mom’s basement and meet somebody. Right? I’m serious. I mean, are you f****** kidding me? I’ve got a great team that does the transfers. I do all the color and density work. I look at every shot, every frame, and then the final transfer is done by a guy who has been with me [for years]. All the ‘Avatar’ films are done that way. Everything is done that way. Get a life, people, seriously.”
Oh, James Cameron… never change.
(L to R) Director James Cameron, Zoe Saldaña and Sam Worthington at D23 2024 presenting ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’. Photo: Disney.
We’ve had further movie sequels of varying quality and diminishing returns (even 2019’s ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’, which roped Cameron back in as producer, couldn’t crack the quality/box office appeal factor with anything like the success of the first two efforts).
Indeed, one of the more respected ‘Terminator’ treatments has been on TV, where ‘Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles’ ploughed its own furrow for a couple of seasons, with Lena Headey playing Sarah.
JOHZp5wLzMi3e9AqkNatd5
But despite the seeming “Terminator Curse”, that hasn’t stopped other companies from taking a shot, and the latest is Netflix, which has animated series ‘Terminator Zero’ due in a couple of months.
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier (Mizuno) sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee (Holland) who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity.
As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.
Dawson is Kokoro, an advanced AI and Japan’s answer to Skynet, if brought online, Kokoro will be endowed with the same power as Skynet. Kokoro must calculate for itself: is humanity the plague Skynet believes? Or are human beings worth saving?
Dowd plays The Prophet. In the future, the Prophet is the philosophical guide for the human resistance, a light shepherding survivors in the darkness of the unknown future ahead.
As for Olyphant? He has the title role, in a version that sounds like the original movie’s killing machine: The Terminator is still out there. It still can’t be bargained with. It can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear. And it absolutely will not stop, ever, until you’re dead (though we’re promised a fresh take on the iconic character).
Leading the creative team on the new show is Mattson Tomlin, who worked on 2022’s ‘The Batman’ with Matt Reeves and is co-writing the sequel with him.
Here’s Tomlin on ‘Terminator Zero’:
“Anyone who knows my writing knows I believe in taking big swings and going for the heart. I’m honored that Netflix and Skydance have given me the opportunity to approach Terminator in a way that breaks conventions, subverts expectations, and has real guts.”
When will ‘Terminator Zero’ be on our screens?
Netflix previously announced that the new show will hit its screens on the well-chosen date of “Judgement Day” from the movies –– which means August 29th if you’re not keeping track.
Appearing in-person were Zack and Deborah Snyder, Craig Robinson, Nick Kroll and Nathan Lane
Netflix announced several new animated movies and TV shows
Timothy Olyphant will voice the Terminator in ‘Terminator Zero’ and Hayley Atwell will voice Lara Croft in ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’
On Thursday June 6th, in Hollywood, Netflix held their Next on Netflix Animation Preview where they presented many of their upcoming animated movies and TV shows.
Moviefone had the pleasure of attending the event, with other members of the press, and even had a chance to speak one on one with Zach Snyder about his work on ‘Twilight of the Gods’.
Host Christopher Sean at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
The event began with a sizzle reel of Netflix’s upcoming animated projects, which you can watch above. Below is a list of projects presented at the event.
Adult series from action with ‘Arcane’, ‘Twilight of the Gods’ and ‘Terminator Zero’, to comedy with ‘Exploding Kittens’ and the final season of ‘Big Mouth’.
Following the success of all-audience hits like ‘The Sea Beast’ and ‘Leo’, come new films including ‘The Imaginary’, ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, ‘Spellbound’, ‘That Christmas’, ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’, ‘The Twits’, ‘K-Pop: Demon Hunters’, ‘Plankton: The Movie’, ‘Pookoo’; and series like ‘Motel Transylvania’ and ‘Jurassic World: Chaos Theory’.
Preschool shows featuring little ones’ favorite friends with ‘CoComelon’, ‘CoComelon Lane’, and ‘Gabby’s Dollhouse’, which collectively amassed more than 650M views last year.
The presentation saw the debut of images and footage from many of Netflix’s upcoming animated projects. Among the first look images presented were photos from Zack Snyder’s ‘Twilight of the Gods’, the SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, the new Wallace and Gromit movie ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ and from ‘Love Actually’ filmmaker Richard Curtis, ‘That Christmas’.
‘That Christmas’. Photo: Netflix.
The event also included several cast and project announcements including Natalie Portman and Emilia Clarke joining ‘Twits’, Simu Liu joining Craig Robinson in ‘In Your Dreams,’ Timothy Olyphant voicing the Terminator in ‘Terminator Zero’ and Hayley Atwell playing the lead character in ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’. Other announcements included another SpongeBob SquarePants spinoff ‘Plankton: The Movie’, as well as a TV series based on the ‘Hotel Transylvania’ franchise called ‘Motel Transylvania’.
We also screened footage from the series ‘Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft’, ‘Terminator Zero’, and ‘Twilight of the Gods’, as well as a teaser for a ‘Minecraft’ series, and concept art from upcoming ‘Ghostbusters’ and ‘Stranger Things’ animated shows. Footage from ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’, ‘In Your Dreams’, ‘That Christmas’, ‘The Twits’, and ‘Wallace & Gromit: Vengeance Most Fowl’ was also shown.
‘Big Mouth’s Final Season
Nick Kroll at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Comedian and actor Nick Kroll was on hand to discuss the 8th and final season of his popular adult comedy ‘Big Mouth’, and introduced a table read montage video from the series.
“We started ‘Big Mouth’ eight years ago. Season Eight will be coming out early next year. It’s our final season of the show. I think about where when we started, ‘BoJack Horseman’ had come out and we were in the next little round of animation at a time when Netflix itself was just beginning to do original programming. We had unbelievable freedom to create exactly the show we wanted to make. Netflix really gave us the freedom to do that. Eight seasons later, we will be the longest running series in Netflix history for an adult series. I’m incredibly proud of that and I’m proud of how we’ve made the show. I’m proud of the partnership we’ve had with Netflix, and it’s just been an unbelievable joy creating this show with Mark Levin, Jennifer Flackett and Andrew Goldberg, our unbelievable cast, our unbelievable writers, and are unbelievable storyboard artists, editors, everyone involved in the engineering of it, the producers, and our partners at Titmouse. This has been an incredible labor of love.”
dAuOMmj8dik08sn1D8LUR6
Craig Robinson’s Dual Roles
Craig Robinson at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Actor, comedian, and singer Craig Robinson took the stage to discuss two upcoming films he will appear in. First, he introduced a scene from ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’.
“Hey, everybody! I’m here today because SpongeBob is back — and so are his friends. ‘Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie’ is coming exclusively to Netflix in August, and I’m so pumped to be in it”
FUj3sdbUrFNSqWN1gLw4R7
Craig Robinson at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Robinson then discussed his other Netflix movie, ‘In Your Dreams’ before introducing a video of actor Simu Liu talking about his involvement in the project and presenting a clip from the film.
“As awesome as it was to finally reach a place in my career where I got to voice a Squirrel Dad, it pales in comparison to my next role. I think it proves I’m at the top of my game: A stuffed giraffe. I was told by the filmmakers that I was their first and only choice. They said, “Craig, you were born to play this part.” His name’s Tony Baloney, because he’s stuffed with processed meat. Oh, and he can shoot laser farts. That’s awesome. Daniel Day Lewis had ‘Lincoln’, I got Baloney Tony. I’m already working on my Oscar speech.”
Nathan Lane at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Before introducing an animation test from the film ‘Pookoo’, acclaimed actor Nathan Lane discussed his upcoming animated movie ‘Spellbound’.
“’Spellbound’ is about Ellian, the tenacious young daughter of the rulers of Lumbria. She has a secret; a mysterious spell has turned her parents into monsters! Ellian loves her parents. That’s why she summons the mysterious Oracles of the Sun and Moon. I play the Oracle of the Moon and Tituss Burgess plays the Oracle of the Sun and we come to help her break the spell. The cast also includes some other great actors: Rachel Zegler, Nicole Kidman, Javier Bardem, John Lithgow, and Jenifer Lewis. It also has music by Academy Award winning composer Alan Menken. The film is directed by Vicky Jensen, who also directed a little movie you may have heard of called ‘Shrek.’ ‘Spellbound’ is a big adventure for the whole family, filled with incredible new characters you’ll love. I’m excited to share that the movie, which will release globally on Netflix on November 22, 2024.”
Director Zack Snyder and producer Deborah Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
Director Zack Snyder (‘Rebel Moon – Part One: A Child of Fire’) and his wife, producer Deborah Snyder presented footage and images from their new animated series ‘Twilight of the Gods’.
Zack Snyder said this about the series:
“’Twilight of the Gods’ was a show that we’ve been working on for quite some time, years in the making. I’ve always been obsessed with Norse mythology. I think it’s an amazing place. I love mythology in general, and so the idea of being able to dig into this rich tapestry of heroes and gods was an incredible opportunity for both of us. This show is really a story. It’s a story about love and revenge, and it just takes us across this massive and beautiful landscape in pursuit of, well, you’ll have to see.”
Deborah Snyder added this:
“As Zack said, it’s been about just over four years in the making, developing these scripts and then having an in-house team of about 48 artists who developed all the characters and the worlds. In animation, nothing is for free. Every prop and everything, as you know, must be created. We were so lucky to be able to work with this group of very global artists.”
Director Zack Snyder at Next on Netflix Animation Preview. Photo: Netflix.
After the presentation, Moviefone had the pleasure of speaking briefly with Zack Snyder one on one about his new animated project.
Moviefone: To begin with, what drew you to adapting Norse mythology for this animated series?
Zack Snyder: Well, we’ve been talking about doing an animated project with Netflix. That had been a conversation that was going on. We had that conversation and are doing an ‘Army of the Dead’ animated series, so that was kind of happening at the same time. This happened because I think (Director) Jay (Oliva) and I were talking about how we both love Norse mythology; wouldn’t it be cool to do something in that world. We started talking to Netflix about it and they said, “Yeah, do that!” So that started us on the journey of developing it.
MF: Finally, I think fans have been waiting for you to adapt this specific mythology for a long time. Did it seem like a no-brainer for you too?
ZS: I think it was easy in us being excited every day. I wasn’t like, “I got to do that Norse mythology thing.” We were utterly and completely off the chain with (the animation) too, so that was cool.
