James Cameron filmography

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]

A photograph of Cameron speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarding ceremony of producer Gale Anne Hurd in 2012
Cameron speaking at the Hollywood Walk of Fame awarding ceremony of producer Gale Anne Hurd in 2012
A photograph of Cameron (right) with Aliens producer Gale Anne Hurd (left) in 1986
Cameron (right) with his then wife and Aliens producer Gale Anne Hurd (left) in 1986[10]
A photograph of Cameron receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009
Cameron receiving a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame in 2009

In 1997, Cameron directed, wrote, and produced the epic romantic disaster film Titanic which grossed over $1.8 billion[11][a] at the worldwide box-office and became the highest grossing of all time.[b] 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.[c][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

Key
Denotes films that have not yet been released
YearTitleCredited asNotesRef(s)
DirectorWriterProducerEditor
1978XenogenesisYesYesYesNoShort film
Co-directed and co-written with Randall Frakes
Also Visual effects producer
[1]
1982Piranha II: The SpawningYesYes[d]NoNoCo-written with Charles H. Eglee and Ovidio G. Assonitis (uncredited)[24]
1984The TerminatorYesYesNoNoCo-written with Gale Anne Hurd[25]
1985Rambo: First Blood Part IINoYesNoNoCo-written with Sylvester Stallone[26]
1986AliensYesYesNoNo[27]
1989The AbyssYesYesNoNo[28]
1991Terminator 2: Judgment DayYesYesYesNoCo-written with William Wisher Jr.[29]
1994True LiesYesYesYesUncredited[30]
1995Strange DaysNoYesYesUncreditedCo-written with Jay Cocks[31]
1997TitanicYesYesYesYesAlso director of photography: Titanic deep dive[32]
2002SolarisNoNoYesNo[33]
2009AvatarYesYesYesYes[34]
2019Alita: Battle AngelNoYesYesNoCo-written with Laeta Kalogridis[35]
Terminator: Dark FateNoStoryYesNoStory co-written with Charles Eglee, Josh Friedman, David Goyer and Justin Rhodes[36]
2022Avatar: The Way of WaterYesYesYesYesCo-written with Rick Jaffa and Amanda Silver[37][38]
2025Avatar 3YesYesYesYesPost-production[37]
2029Avatar 4YesYesYesYesFilming[37]

Executive producer

Documentary features

YearTitleCredited asNotesRef(s)
DirectorProducerHimself
2003Ghosts of the AbyssYesYesYesAlso Reality Camera System designer[42][43]
Volcanoes of the Deep SeaNoExecutiveNoIMAX only[44]
2004The Cutting Edge: The Magic of Movie EditingNoNoYes[45]
2005Aliens of the DeepYesYesYesCo-directed with Steven Quale
Also cinematographer
[46][47][48]
2006Explorers: From the Titanic to the MoonNoNoYes[49]
2012Side by SideNoNoYes[50]
2014Deepsea Challenge 3DNoExecutiveYes[51]
2016Score: A Film Music DocumentaryNoNoYes[52]
2018The Game ChangersNoExecutiveNo[53]
2020Akashinga: The Brave OnesNoExecutiveNo[54]
2021The SixNoExecutiveYes[55]

Other credits

YearTitleRoleRef.
1979Rock 'n' Roll High SchoolProduction assistant (Uncredited)[56]
1980Happy Birthday, GeminiSet dresser assistant[57]
Battle Beyond the StarsPhotographer, art director and miniatures designer[58]
1981Escape from New YorkSpecial visual effects photographer and matte artist[59]
Galaxy of TerrorSecond unit director and production designer[60]
1982AndroidDesign consultant[61]
2022Avatar: The High GroundBased on a screenplay by James Cameron[62]

Television

Cameron speaking at the 2010 TED Conference

Television series

Year(s)TitleRoleNotesRef(s)
1998Mad About YouHimselfEpisode: "The Finale"[63]
2000–2002Dark AngelExecutive producer
Episode: "Pilot" (writer)
Episode: "Freak Nation" (director and writer)
[64]
2005–2006EntourageHimself4 episodes[65]
2023True LiesExecutive producer
Characters
[66]

Documentary films

Year(s)TitleDirectorProducerHimselfNotesRef(s)
2002Expedition: BismarckYesYesNoCo-director with Gary Johnstone[67]
2005Last Mysteries of the TitanicYesYesNo[68][69]
Tony Robinson's Titanic AdventureNoNoYes[70][71]
2006The Exodus DecodedNoExecutiveNo[72]
2007The Lost Tomb of JesusNoExecutiveNo[73]
2010Avatar: Creating the World of PandoraNoNoYes[74]
2012Titanic: The Final Word with James CameronNoNoYes[75]
James Cameron: Voyage to the Bottom of the EarthNoNoYes[76]
2013A New Age of Exploration: National Geographic at 125NoNoYes[75][77]
2017Titanic: 20 Years Later with James CameronNoNoYes[78]
2023Titanic: 25 Years Later with James CameronNoExecutiveYes[79]

Documentary series

Year(s)TitleExecutive
Producer
HostRef(s)
2014Years of Living DangerouslyYesNo[80]
2018James Cameron's Story of Science FictionYesYes[81]
2021Secrets of the WhalesYesNo[82]
2023Secrets of the ElephantsYesNo
2024Secrets of the OctopusYesNo

See also

Notes

References

External links