What Cameron has done and is still doing with the Avatar movies is something that you don't really witness often to say the least, and with $5.2 billion in ticket sales it's hard to say he would've done a better choice focusing on something else. The Avatar story isn't anywhere near its end, with two more sequels planned for 2029 and 2031 after this December's third chapter, but James Cameron is also working on other projects behind-the-scenes. Here's what you need to know.
Ghosts of Hiroshima
This will most likely be the director's first feature after Fire and Ash. Cameron acquired Charles Pellegrino’s book Ghosts of Hiroshima and committed to make it his next movie when Avatar production allows. He described the project as deeply challenging, focused on empathy, and something he needs to approach with care. Coverage this summer reiterated that he intends to adapt it next, with the book published in August 2025 and early excerpts shared ahead of release.
Recent pieces add that he wants to immerse audiences in the event with 3D photography while keeping the story grounded in survivors’ experiences. He has also highlighted Tsutomu Yamaguchi’s survival across both bombings as part of the book’s scope.
The wild card: a new Terminator film
Cameron says he has been tasked with writing a new Terminator story. He also says he has struggled to start, since real-world AI and geopolitics keep outpacing the ideas he might dramatize.
“I don’t know what to say that won’t be overtaken by real events.”
In August he again warned about the risk of a “Terminator-style” outcome if AI and weapons merge, which hints at the themes he would emphasize if the script moves forward. There is no start date or casting. The project appears to be at concept stage.
Producer projects to watch
Alita: Battle Angel
Cameron continues to back a potential Alita sequel with Robert Rodriguez. The project is still in development without a firm timeline, and everyone involved points to Avatar obligations as the main blocker.
Avatar world beyond the films
Cameron has discussed expanding Avatar into other formats, which could demand producer time even while he directs something else. This is not locked to a release date but it is part of his near-term focus.
Bottom line
After Fire and Ash arrives on December 19, 2025, Cameron’s next directing target is Ghosts of Hiroshima. A new Terminator script exists as an idea on his desk, and he has been candid about the difficulty of writing it in an AI-saturated news cycle. Producer duties on Alita and further Avatar world-building remain in the background with no start dates.
