James Cameron will never miss one director’s every movie: “Even a not-so-great one”
He isn’t a critical darling or an arthouse favourite, but you can’t deny that James Cameron is one of the most impressive directors in movie history. Of the seven movies to gross over $2billion at the box office, three of them belong to him. He is the second-highest-grossing director of all time, behind only Steven Spielberg, and pretty much all of his movies have entered the pop culture sphere in some meaningful way. Well, except for Piranha II: The Spawning.
Early in his career, Cameron was inspired by the greats of the day. A viewing of Star Wars as a young man changed his life forever, prompting him to quit his pedestrian job and follow a career in the movies. Before he directed his first feature film, he worked as a special effects operator on John Carpenter’s Escape From New York. As it turns out, one of the stalwarts that helped bring him early success still holds a special place in his heart.
During an interview with Vulture, the veteran filmmaker was asked about the Alien franchise, to which he contributed with 1986’s Aliens. This was a sequel to the original, groundbreaking film, which was, of course, directed by the great Ridley Scott. “Ridley did the first film, and he inspired an entire generation of filmmakers and science-fiction fans with that one movie,” Cameron said, adding, “There have been so many films that stylistically have derived from it, including my own Aliens.”
This is very high praise indeed, and it turns out he wasn’t done there. “Let me just add to that—and don’t cut this part off, please,” the Titanic director insisted, “I will stand in line for any Ridley Scott movie, even a not-so-great one, because he is such an artist, he’s such a filmmaker. I always learn from him.”
Aliens was a major moment in Cameron’s career. He had broken through two years earlier with The Terminator, but this all-guns-blazing approach to the sequel made way, way more money, and proved that he could not only start a franchise but continue one, too. Cameron was also allowed to put his own spin on the universe. Scott’s effort had been a slow, horror-coded affair, while his successor decided to go in a full-on action direction. Not everyone was a fan of this approach, including Scott himself, but those box office figures don’t lie.
At the time of writing, Sir Ridley is approaching his 88th birthday. Most directors would begin to wind things down at this stage of their career, but, if any, he’s ramping things up. Since 2017, the year he turned 80, Scott has released six feature films, with a seventh scheduled for release in 2026. Critical reception has ranged from extremely positive—The Last Duel, All the Money in the World—to decidedly subpar with the likes of Napoleon and House of Gucci. There is a consensus amongst some film fans that the legendary Brit should pack it in before he embarrasses himself, but the overwhelming feeling is one of awe at the man’s dedication and longevity.
The Dog Stars, Scott’s next film, has a stacked cast, including Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, and Margaret Qualley. Only time will tell if it will be a hit, but one thing we know for sure is that, come rain or shine, James Cameron will be there to see it.
