Cameron Returns To Terminator, Gets Theme Park, Pushes Cinema Technology

Busy day tomorrow, with an early start. This means I’m going to be keeping this installment of Rushes pretty darn short, and most of the stories will be deferred, redirected into tomorrow’s installment.

I’ve decided to run with just three stories tonight, all of them linked by a common thread. See if you can work out what it is.

Clue: it’s what I essentially already pointed out in the headline, or with the GIANT PICTURE OF JAMES CAMERON TO THE RIGHT.

James Cameron has apparently joined in with some of the Terminator 5 “brainstorming sessions”, having been lured back into the fold by his old friend Arnold Schwarzenegger. Cameron is definitely not on board as director, however, and his involvement actually appears to be rather unofficial – but what a godfather to have, especially when working on this franchise.

The film was going to be directed by Justin Lin but his commitment to Fast and Furious 6 means he’s had to step down. He’s still contributing ideas, however. Is anybody else imagining Lin and Cameron drinking coffee, eating pastries and working up a big “What If?” whiteboard together?

While the plan is for the Terminator film to get going quickly, it may not pan out that way and then, should the picture face sufficient delay, there’s a very real possibility that Lin will return to it after his Fast and Furious hexquel. [Deadline]

One reason that Cameron absolutely, positively won’t get sucked into Terminator 5 so deeply that he ends up holding the megaphone, is that he’s busy with his Avatar follow ups.

Whereas the first Avatar became the standard bearer for digital 3D, Cameron is looking to push cinema technology again, and in a new way with the sequels. He’s explained it a few times now, but his plan is still to shoot the pictures at higher frame rates – 48 or 60, rather than the standard 24.

Cameron says that he would “personally favour” a 60fps shoot for the films, “but other people may choose 48 for other reasons.” Financial reasons, of course, as opposed to Cameron’s own aesthetic and technical interests.

The Hobbit films are currently being shot at 48fps, which has already made them milestone movies in technical terms. If Cameron gets his way and leaps up to a 60fps system for Avatar 2 and 3, this will mean that, for a cinema’s projector to be able to cope with all of the big movies over the next few years, it will have to be able to handle 24, 48 and 60fps playback.

This isn’t too tricky, and in most cases it would simply be down to providing the right firmware to the projector. Cameron nailed it when he said:

My feeling is if it is a software upgrade, do both [48 and 60]. It doesn’t change anything at the projector; you don’t have to change the lamp house or the lenses. If you are uploading software you can upload it for 48 and 60 and let the filmmakers decide.