James Cameron has roughly 73 Avatar sequels to knock out, but that doesn’t mean he doesn’t have some spare time to chat about other cinematic developments. Well, he probably doesn’t have spare time, but the dude’s richer than god and gave us The Terminator, so he can sort his own schedule out.
Cameron fielded questions on Facebook Live as part of promo for his 3D update of Terminator 2: Judgment Day. Among the subjects addressed was Ridley Scott’s Alien: Covenant. Cameron, who made his distinctive mark on the franchise with 1986’s Aliens, offered up raise Scott’s style while not exactly giving a warm review of the film’s substance. Spoiler-y talk ahoy! (h/t to /Film for the transcription)
I thought that Alien: Covenant was a great ride. It was beautiful. I love Ridley’s films and I love his filmmaking, I love the beauty of the photography, I love the visceral sense that you’re there, that you’re present. It’s not a film that I would have made. I don’t like films where you invest in a character and they get destroyed at the end. I would not have made that film. I can’t comment on where Ridley is going with it but I think he is obviously trying to create a greater universe around it and more backstory with the Engineers and so on. I’ll show up for the next one, absolutely.
Alien: Covenant may not be the sort of movie the Titanic filmmaker could envision making, but he did give a glimmer of hope to a film he could. Speaking with IGN, Cameron discussed the prospect of the Terminator franchise adding another film and the eerie relevance the sci-fi film series
“A lot of the things that were science fiction in Terminator are now around us,” he explained. “You know, from predator drones and actual discussions on the ethics of having a robot have its own kill decision possibilities. Things like that. It’s actually happening. So, okay, maybe there is room for a film that examines these themes. It just has to be retooled for an audiences’ expectations now.”
Terminator 2: 3D arrives in theaters on August 25.
