The Terminator franchise is seemingly on its last legs, and the only thing that could save it is the return of James Cameron to the director's chair. While 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate earned the best reviews from critics since Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the anemic box office take clearly showed what the various studios who keep trying to resurrect Terminator don't want to face: audiences just don't seem to care anymore. Cameron returned as a producer. Arnold Schwarzenegger again played a T-800. Linda Hamilton even came back as Sarah Connor, but still, ticket sales were scarce.
There's little doubt that Dark Fate won't get any kind of follow-up, as there's really no motivation to make one. Even co-star Mackenzie Davis publicly acknowledged the lack of demand for a Dark Fate sequel. It now becomes the third failed attempt in just over a decade to try and reboot the Terminator franchise, and lead into a "new trilogy." All three times though, the reboot didn't even become a duology.
Despite that, there's nothing modern Hollywood loves than an established brand name, tarnished or not. It might take a few years, but another Terminator movie will be made. When that happens, it's time for its creator to step up and show everyone how it's done. James Cameron shouldn't produce, or write, or consult. He should direct.
While many film directors have a fan following, few ever reach the heights of worldwide fame enjoyed by James Cameron. His resume boasts some of the most successful and popular films of all time, to the point where what finally knocked Titanic off its long-term perch as the highest-grossing movie ever was Cameron's own Avatar. Cameron is a notorious perfectionist, and while some say that makes him hard to work for on set, one can't argue with the results. The fact is, none of the follow-ups to Terminator 2 have even come close to matching Cameron's first two Terminator films. Cameron returning as a producer for Dark Fate drew a lot of attention, but at the end of the day, and with no disrespect intended to director Tim Miller, it wasn't a James Cameron film.
Considering Miller's tales of creative clashes with Cameron during Dark Fate's production, it seems like the Terminator franchise's creator is still protective of the property. Of course, Cameron is unlikely to direct anything until he finally finishes up his four sequels to Avatar, which will probably take several more years to complete. After Dark Fate bombing though, there's no reason to rush another Terminator movie out. A studio should give Cameron all the space and time he needs, as long as he agrees to direct (and possibly write) Terminator 7. Nobody knows this world better than him, and the series has suffered endlessly since his planned Terminator 3 didn't happen. Terminator movies without Cameron at the helm have failed, and it's time for the master to step back in.
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