James Cameron is a Canadian director, screenwriter, and producer who has had an extensive career in film and television. Cameron's debut was the 1978 science fiction short Xenogenesis, which he directed, wrote and produced.[1][2] In his early career, he did various technical jobs such as special visual effects producer, set dresser assistant, matte artist, and photographer. His feature directorial debut was the 1982 release Piranha II: The Spawning.[2][3] The next film he directed was the science fiction action thriller The Terminator (1984) which starred Arnold Schwarzenegger as the titular cyborg assassin, and was Cameron's breakthrough feature.[4][5][6] In 1986, he directed and wrote the science fiction action sequel Aliens starring Sigourney Weaver.[7] He followed this by directing another science fiction film The Abyss (1989). In 1991, Cameron directed the sequel to The Terminator, Terminator 2: Judgment Day (with Schwarzenegger reprising his role),[8] and also executive produced the action crime film Point Break. Three years later he directed a third Schwarzenegger-starring action film True Lies (1994).[9]
In 1997, Cameron directed, wrote, and produced the epic romantic disaster film Titanic which grossed over $1.8 billion[11][lower-alpha 1] at the worldwide box-office and became the highest grossing of all time.[lower-alpha 2] He received the Academy Award for Best Director, the Academy Award for Best Film Editing, and shared the Academy Award for Best Picture with the other producers. It had a total of 14 Oscar nominations (tying the record set by the 1950 drama All About Eve) and won 11 (tying the record set by the 1959 epic historical drama Ben-Hur).[16] Cameron also won the Golden Globe Award for Best Director and shared the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture – Drama with the other producers.[17] He followed this by directing, and producing two underwater documentaries: Ghosts of the Abyss (2003), and Aliens of the Deep (2005). He returned to directing features in 2009 with the 3D science fiction film Avatar. It grossed over $2.9 billion at the worldwide box-office and became the highest grossing of all time surpassing Titanic.[lower-alpha 3][15][20] Avatar was nominated for nine Academy Awards and won three in technical categories.[21] Cameron also earned a second Golden Globe Award for Best Director, and Best Motion Picture – Drama.[22] He followed this by executive producing two 3D films, Sanctum (2011) and Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away (2012), as well as the documentary Deepsea Challenge 3D (2014).
Cameron made his television debut in 1998 playing himself in the sitcom Mad About You. Two years later he executive produced the science fiction television series Dark Angel (2000) starring Jessica Alba. In 2005, he appeared in two documentaries about the sinking of the RMS Titanic: Last Mysteries of the Titanic, and Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure. He also made appearances as himself on the comedy-drama television series Entourage that same year. Cameron followed this by executive producing two biblical documentaries, The Exodus Decoded (2006) and Lost Tomb of Jesus (2007). He executive produced and appeared in a third Titanic related documentary, Titanic: Final Word with James Cameron, in 2012. Two years later, Cameron executive produced the climate change documentary television series Years of Living Dangerously (2014) which received the Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series.[23]
Film
Feature films
† | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | Ref(s) | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Writer | Producer | Editor | ||||
1978 | Xenogenesis | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Short film Co-directed and co-written with Randall Frakes Also Visual effects producer |
[1] |
1982 | Piranha II: The Spawning | Yes | Yes[lower-alpha 4] | No | No | Co-written with Charles H. Eglee and Ovidio G. Assonitis (uncredited) | [24] |
1984 | The Terminator | Yes | Yes | No | No | Co-written with Gale Anne Hurd | [25] |
1985 | Rambo: First Blood Part II | No | Yes | No | No | Co-written with Sylvester Stallone | [26] |
1986 | Aliens | Yes | Yes | No | No | [27] | |
1989 | The Abyss | Yes | Yes | No | No | [28] | |
1991 | Terminator 2: Judgment Day | Yes | Yes | Yes | No | Co-written with William Wisher Jr. | [29] |
1994 | True Lies | Yes | Yes | Yes | Uncredited | [30] | |
1995 | Strange Days | No | Yes | Yes | Uncredited | Co-written with Jay Cocks | [31] |
1997 | Titanic | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also director of photography: Titanic deep dive | [32] |
2002 | Solaris | No | No | Yes | No | [33] | |
2009 | Avatar | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | [34] | |
2019 | Alita: Battle Angel | No | Yes | Yes | No | Co-written with Laeta Kalogridis | [35] |
Terminator: Dark Fate | No | Story | Yes | No | Story co-written with Charles Eglee, Josh Friedman, David Goyer and Justin Rhodes | [36] | |
2022 | Avatar: The Way of Water | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-written with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver | [37][38] |
2025† | Avatar 3 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Post-production | [37] |
2029† | Avatar 4 | Yes | Yes | Yes | Yes | Filming | [37] |
Executive producer
- Point Break[39] (1991)
- Sanctum[40] (2011)
- Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away[41] (2012)
Documentary features
Year | Title | Credited as | Notes | Ref(s) | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Director | Producer | Himself | ||||
2003 | Ghosts of the Abyss | Yes | Yes | Yes | Also Reality Camera System designer | [42][43] |
Volcanoes of the Deep Sea | No | Executive | No | IMAX only | [44] | |
2004 | The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing | No | No | Yes | [45] | |
2005 | Aliens of the Deep | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-directed with Steven Quale Also cinematographer |
[46][47][48] |
2006 | Explorers: From the Titanic to the Moon | No | No | Yes | [49] | |
2012 | Side by Side | No | No | Yes | [50] | |
2014 | Deepsea Challenge 3D | No | Executive | Yes | [51] | |
2016 | Score: A Film Music Documentary | No | No | Yes | [52] | |
2018 | The Game Changers | No | Executive | No | [53] | |
2020 | Akashinga: The Brave Ones | No | Executive | No | [54] | |
2021 | The Six | No | Executive | Yes | [55] | |
Other credits
Year | Title | Role | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|
1979 | Rock 'n' Roll High School | Production assistant (Uncredited) | [56] |
1980 | Happy Birthday, Gemini | Set dresser assistant | [57] |
Battle Beyond the Stars | Photographer, art director and miniatures designer | [58] | |
1981 | Escape from New York | Special visual effects photographer and matte artist | [59] |
Galaxy of Terror | Second unit director and production designer | [60] | |
1982 | Android | Design consultant | [61] |
2022 | Avatar: The High Ground | Based on a screenplay by James Cameron | [62] |
Television
Television series
Year(s) | Title | Role | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
1998 | Mad About You | Himself | Episode: "The Finale" | [63] |
2000–2002 | Dark Angel | — | Executive producer Episode: "Pilot" (writer) Episode: "Freak Nation" (director and writer) |
[64] |
2005–2006 | Entourage | Himself | 4 episodes | [65] |
2023 | True Lies | — | Executive producer Characters |
[66] |
Documentary films
Year(s) | Title | Director | Producer | Himself | Notes | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2002 | Expedition: Bismarck | Yes | Yes | No | Co-director with Gary Johnstone | [67] |
2005 | Last Mysteries of the Titanic | Yes | Yes | No | [68][69] | |
Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure | No | No | Yes | [70][71] | ||
2006 | The Exodus Decoded | No | Executive | No | [72] | |
2007 | The Lost Tomb of Jesus | No | Executive | No | [73] | |
2010 | Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora | No | No | Yes | [74] | |
2012 | Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron | No | No | Yes | [75] | |
James Cameron: Voyage to the Bottom of the Earth | No | No | Yes | [76] | ||
2013 | A New Age of Exploration: National Geographic at 125 | No | No | Yes | [75][77] | |
2017 | Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron | No | No | Yes | [78] | |
2023 | Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron | No | Executive | Yes | [79] | |
Documentary series
Year(s) | Title | Executive Producer |
Host | Ref(s) |
---|---|---|---|---|
2014 | Years of Living Dangerously | Yes | No | [80] |
2018 | James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction | Yes | Yes | [81] |
2021 | Secrets of the Whales | Yes | No | [82] |
See also
Notes
- ↑ A worldwide 3D rerelease of the film in 2012 increased this total to over $2.2 billion.[12][13][14]
- ↑ This record was held until 2010 when it was surpassed by the 3D science fiction film Avatar also directed by Cameron.[15]
- ↑ The film was surpassed by Avengers: Endgame in 2019. Avatar became highest grossing again in 2021 after a Chinese rerelease.[18][19]
- ↑ Credited as "H.A. Hamilton" with Charles H. Eglee
References
- 1 2 Clarke, James (May 14, 2014). The Cinema of James Cameron: Bodies in Heroic Motion. Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press. p. 7. ISBN 978-0231169776.
- 1 2 "2008 entries to National Film Registry Announced". Library of Congress. December 30, 2008. Archived from the original on August 10, 2014. Retrieved December 21, 2014.
- ↑ Clarke, James (May 14, 2014). The Cinema of James Cameron: Bodies in Heroic Motion. Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press. p. 100. ISBN 978-0231169776.
- ↑ "James Cameron". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 23, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Sickel, Robert (December 8, 2010). American Film in the Digital Age. Santa Barbara, California: Praeger. p. 115. ISBN 978-0275998622.
- ↑ Clarke, James (May 14, 2014). The Cinema of James Cameron: Bodies in Heroic Motion. Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press. p. 2. ISBN 978-0231169776.
- ↑ Goodman, Walter (July 18, 1986). "Aliens (1986)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on November 29, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ↑ Turan, Kenneth (July 3, 1991). "Movie Review: He Said He'd Be Back...: Arnold and 'Terminator 2' Return With a Vengeance". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on December 15, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ↑ James, Caryn (July 17, 1994). "True Lies (1994)". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 22, 2014.
- ↑ Singh, Anita (March 1, 2010). "Linda Hamilton: life with James Cameron was 'terrible on every level'". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on February 24, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "The Billion Dollar film club". The Daily Telegraph. August 1, 2011. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Titanic (1997)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on March 21, 2012. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Titanic 3D (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Titanic 3D (2012)". Box Office Mojo. Amazon.com. Archived from the original on November 9, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- 1 2 "Avatar overtakes Titanic as top-grossing film ever". BBC News. January 27, 2010. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Gray, Tim (March 22, 1998). "'Titanic' tally ties Oscar record". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 6, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Sterngold, James (January 19, 1998). "'Titanic' Wins Top Golden Globe Award". The New York Times. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Avengers: Endgame overtakes Avatar as top box office movie of all time". BBC News. July 22, 2019. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ↑ Davis, Rebecca (March 21, 2021). "China Box Office: 'Avatar' Leads With a Further $14 Million". Variety. Retrieved March 25, 2021.
- ↑ "Avatar (2009)". Box Office Mojo. Archived from the original on January 18, 2010. Retrieved 18 October 2017.
- ↑ Duke, Alan (March 9, 2010). "'Hurt Locker' is best picture, wins six Oscars". CNN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Duke, Alan (January 18, 2010). "'Avatar' wins two Golden Globes". CNN. Archived from the original on December 22, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Years of Living Dangerously". Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Archived from the original on January 1, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Piranha II: The Spawning (1982) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved October 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Review: 'The Terminator'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. December 31, 1983. Archived from the original on March 22, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Rambo First Blood Part II (1985) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Aliens (1986) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "The Abyss (1989) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) – Production credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ "True Lies (1994) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 25, 2014. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ "Strange Days (1995) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on November 5, 2014. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Titanic (1997) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ Pierce, Nev (February 24, 2003). "Solaris (2003)". BBC. Archived from the original on November 28, 2012. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ↑ "Avatar (2009) – Production credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ McNary, Dave (February 7, 2017). "Jennifer Connelly Joins James Cameron's 'Alita: Battle Angel'". Variety. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
- ↑ Yamato, Jen. "'Terminator: Dark Fate' spoiler: That John Connor twist was James Cameron's idea". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- 1 2 3 Chitwood, Adam (February 7, 2019). "Exclusive: 'Avatar' Sequels Begin Filming Live-Action Sequences This Spring in New Zealand". Collider. Retrieved November 6, 2019.
- ↑ "Avatar: The Way of Water world premiere takes place in London". BBC News. 7 December 2022. Retrieved 10 December 2022.
- ↑ "Point Break (1991)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
- ↑ Bradshaw, Peter (February 3, 2011). "James Cameron's Sanctum – review". The Guardian. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "James Cameron Teaming With Cirque Du Soleil For Live 'Avatar' Tour". Deadline Hollywood. May 29, 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Ghosts of the Abyss – Acting Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "'Volcanoes of the Deep Sea' World Premiere set for California Science Center's IMAX® Theater on September 9, 2003". California Science Center. July 17, 2003. Archived from the original on July 20, 2010. Retrieved October 25, 2014.
- ↑ Foundas, Scott (October 14, 2004). "Review: 'The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie Editing'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ↑ "Aliens of the Deep (2005) – Acting Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Aliens of the Deep (2005) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2015. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Clarke, James (May 14, 2014). The Cinema of James Cameron: Bodies in Heroic Motion. Chichester, New York: Columbia University Press. p. 161. ISBN 978-0231169776.
- ↑ Buchanan, Jason (2015). "Explorers: From the Titanic to the Moon (2006)". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. Archived from the original on January 15, 2015. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Fleming, Mike Jr. (August 20, 2012). "Hot Clip: Keanu Reeves, James Cameron Discuss Babies And 3D In 'Side By Side'". Deadline Hollywood. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved August 27, 2014.
- ↑ Foundas, Scott (August 1, 2014). "Film Review: 'Deepsea Challenge'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ Linden, Sheri (October 9, 2016). "'Score': Film Review". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved July 26, 2023.
- ↑ Lodge, Guy (March 8, 2018). "Film Review: 'The Game Changers'". Variety. Retrieved March 26, 2018.
- ↑ Ramos, Dino-Ray (April 15, 2020). "'Akashinga: The Brave Ones' Trailer: James Cameron's Docu Sheds Light On All-Female Anti-Poaching Unit In Zimbabwe". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved October 12, 2020.
- ↑ Frater, Patrick. "'True Story of China's Titanic Survivors, Executive Produced by James Cameron, Heads to Cinemas". Variety. Retrieved March 24, 2021.
- ↑ Cameron, James (November 2011). James Cameron: Interviews. Google Books: University Press of Mississippi. p. xxvi. ISBN 9781617031335. Retrieved July 3, 2019.
- ↑ "Happy Birthday, Gemini (1980) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Battle Beyond the Stars (1980) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Escape from New York (1981) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 27, 2014.
- ↑ "Galaxy of Terror (1981) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 14, 2014.
- ↑ "Android (1982) – Production Credits". Movies & TV Dept. The New York Times. 2014. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Avatar: The High Ground Volume 3 HC". Retrieved January 12, 2023.
- ↑ Errico, Marcus (April 3, 1998). "'Mad About You' Recruits Ellen". E!. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Dark Angel Cast and Details". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 13, 2010. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Entourage: The 20 Best Cameos". Empire. Bauer Media Group. Archived from the original on October 27, 2011. Retrieved September 24, 2014.
- ↑ Otterson, Joe (13 May 2022). "'True Lies' Series Adaptation Ordered at CBS". Variety. Retrieved December 14, 2022.
- ↑ Fleming, Michael (October 12, 2006). "Sea beckons to Cameron". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on January 12, 2015. Retrieved November 5, 2014.
- ↑ "Last Mysteries of the Titanic". The New York Times. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Last Mysteries of the Titanic". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on October 17, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ "Tate brings BBC2 some Christmas cheer". The Guardian. December 21, 2005. Archived from the original on December 28, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "Tony Robinson's Titanic Adventure". British Film Institute. Archived from the original on October 10, 2012. Retrieved February 10, 2009.
- ↑ Gillies, Judith (August 20, 2006). "Unearthing Clues to the Exodus". The Washington Post. Nash Holdings LLC. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015. Retrieved September 17, 2014.
- ↑ "Discovery Channel's the Lost Tomb of Jesus Reveals New Scientific Evidence Supporting Possible Find of Jesus Family Tomb". Discovery Channel. February 23, 2007. Archived from the original on January 23, 2014. Retrieved September 7, 2014.
- ↑ Avatar: Creating the World of Pandora, retrieved 2023-05-14
- 1 2 "James Cameron". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on December 27, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Roush, Matt (April 27, 2012). "Weekend TV Roundup: A Thick Satire, Good Wife Finale, a Marvel-ous EPIX Weekend, More". TV Guide. CBS Interactive. Archived from the original on November 12, 2013. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ "National Geographic Celebrates 125 Years Of Exploring The World In Images (Photos)". The Huffington Post. AOL. January 12, 2013. Archived from the original on October 13, 2014. Retrieved December 20, 2014.
- ↑ Kinane, Ruth (November 26, 2017). "9 things we learned from Titanic: 20 Years Later With James Cameron". Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ↑ Garber, Megan (February 23, 2023). "Why Rewatching Titanic Is Different Now". The Atlantic. Retrieved September 23, 2023.
- ↑ Lowry, Brian (April 10, 2014). "TV Review: 'Years of Living Dangerously'". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on July 31, 2014. Retrieved August 7, 2014.
- ↑ "James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction". AMC. Retrieved June 30, 2018.
- ↑ Carey, Matthew (March 18, 2021). "SXSW: James Cameron Explores Ocean Giants In 'Daunting' NatGeo Docuseries 'Secrets Of The Whales'". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved March 28, 2021.