Three Terminator movies are being planned out and Linda Hamilton will make her return as Sarah Connor.
James Cameron (Avatar), a director and writer on the first two Terminator films, revealed the news and more details about the future of the franchise in a “a private event celebrating the storied franchise” with The Hollywood Reporter in attendance.
Cameron created the story for this first film as Tim Miller (Deadpool) sits in the director’s chair. The new movie is “a direct sequel” to Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which was the last film with Cameron’s involvement and the last where Hamilton was seen as her character. Three more Terminator movies followed after 1991’s Terminator 2 in 2003, 2009 and 2015.
The new movies may form their own stories and stand individually or feature one story told over the course of the trilogy. A writers room has been set up for the films by Cameron and Miller that consists of Charles H. Eglee (Hemlock Grove), Josh Friedman (Emerald City), David S. Goyer (Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice) and Justin Rhodes (Grassroots).
Cameron said that the new movie will feature a fresh crop of characters — including a young adult female lead — alongside the returning characters from Arnold Schwarzengger and Linda Hamilton.
“We’re starting a search for an 18-something woman to be the new centerpiece of the new story,” Cameron said. “We still fold time. We will have characters from the future and the present. There will be mostly new characters, but we’ll have Arnold and Linda’s characters to anchor it.”
Cameron believes that the current action movie landscape featuring older actors is too male-heavy and there are no older women out there kicking ass.
“There are 50-year-old, 60-year-old guys out there killing bad guys, but there isn’t an example of that for women,” Cameron said.
Hamilton, who will be 61 on Sep. 26, will make waves with her role, according to Cameron.
“As meaningful as she was to gender and action stars everywhere back then, it’s going to make a huge statement to have that seasoned warrior that she’s become return,” Cameron said.
There is no official release date for the new Terminator film at this time, but Schwarzenegger recently said filming will begin in March.