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James Cameron

James Cameron

Producer, writer, director, actor and editor, also cinematographer · Born August 16, 1954 (72) · Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada

3 Oscars · 2 Primetime Emmys · 2 Golden Globes · 6 other major award bodies

James Francis Cameron (born August 16, 1954) is a Canadian filmmaker. He is a major figure in the post-New Hollywood era and often uses novel technologies with a classical filmmaking style. Cameron first gained recognition for writing and directing The Terminator (1984), and found further success with Aliens (1986), The Abyss (1989), Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991), and True Lies (1994), as well as Avatar (2009) and its sequels. He directed, wrote, co-produced, and co-edited Titanic (1997), winning Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Film Editing. He is a recipient of various other industry accolades, and three of his films have been selected for preservation in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress. Cameron co-founded the production companies Lightstorm Entertainment, Digital Domain, and Earthship Productions. In addition to filmmaking, he is a National Geographic explorer-in-residence. He has produced many documentaries on deep-ocean exploration, including Ghosts of the Abyss (2003) and Aliens of the Deep (2005). Cameron has also contributed to underwater filming and remote vehicle technologies and helped create the digital 3D Fusion Camera System. In 2012, Cameron became the first person to solo descend the Mariana Trench, the deepest part of the Earth's ocean, in the Deepsea Challenger submersible. Cameron's films have grossed over $8 billion worldwide, making him the second-highest-grossing film director. Three of Cameron's films are among the top four highest-grossing films of all time; Avatar (2009), Avatar: The Way of Water (2022) and Titanic (1997) are the highest, third-highest and fourth-highest-grossing films of all time, respectively. Cameron directed the first film to gross over $1 billion, the first two films to gross over $2 billion, and is the only director to have had three films grossing over $2 billion. In 2010, Time named Cameron one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Cameron is also an environmentalist and runs several sustainability businesses. Description above from the Wikipedia article James Cameron, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.

Read more

Biography from TMDB.

Born
August 16, 1954 (72)
From
Kapuskasing, Ontario, Canada
Works as
Producer, writer, director, actor and editor, also cinematographer
Titles
64 on MovieCove · 95 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 155 days to Oct 26Down 31% in 30 days

What are James Cameron's films like?

Across their 56 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Ideas and Self.

Genres

Documentary26 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 83rd percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Documentary movies
Action12 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 89th percentile, at or above their average across these genres
: browse their Action movies
Drama2 titlesTypical Midcredits score: 74th percentile
: browse their Drama movies

Their MovieCove films by primary genre. The badge is the typical Midcredits score of the genre's films, the median percentile; an up arrow marks a genre at or above their average across these genres.

Themes

share of theme weight
Ideas
27%
Self
17%
Bonds
16%
Survival
15%
Society
14%
Morality
7%
Power
4%
Art12 titles, browse their movies with this themeSurvival13 titles, browse their movies with this themeFamily bonds9 titles, browse their movies with this themeLegacy10 titles, browse their movies with this themeNature8 titles, browse their movies with this themeTruth6 titles, browse their movies with this themePurpose7 titles, browse their movies with this themeCommunity8 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 45 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Serious: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their serious movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

A split, not a type: Light 22 · Serious 12 · Dark 11

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

A split, not a type: Grounded 26 · Stylized 11 · Heightened 8

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

A split, not a type: Gentle 16 · Charged 12 · Intense 17

Steady: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their steady movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

Steady 27 · Shifting 13 · Whiplash 5

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 42 · Some laughs 2 · Funny 1

Even-paced: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their even-paced movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 25 · Even-paced 12 · Relentless 8

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 11 · Engaged 28 · Full focus 6

Resolved: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their resolved movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 40 · Open-ended 3 · Ambiguous 2

Roles they play

1 analyzed role

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Contemplative
34
Tense
23
Warm
17
Hopeful
20
Thrilling
16
Other
36

How their films linger

Hopeful33 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking23 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteRousing14 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet10 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteFeel-good9 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteWistful8 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end · 3 with a twist

  • Happy14
  • Bittersweet27
  • Ambiguous10
  • Cyclical4
  • Other1

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch James Cameron's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 49 of their 64 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service, most on Disney+ (20).

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for James Cameron's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

95 credits, 64 with a MovieCove page; 85 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Avatar 5 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2031)

    Director · Characters · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • Avatar 4 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2029)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Story

  • Billie Eilish: Hit Me Hard and Soft(2026)

    Director · Editor · Producer · as Self (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Secrets of the Bees(2026)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all shows

  • Avatar: Fire and Ash(2025)

    Director · Characters · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Fire and Water: Making the Avatar Films(2025)

    Show 2 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self - Director, Writer, Producer, Creator, Editor

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all shows

  • Predator: Badlands(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Frankenstein(2025)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all films

  • Secrets of the Penguins(2025)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all shows

  • There Is Another Way (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2025)

    Executive Producer

  • OceanXplorers(2024)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer · as Voice

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all shows

  • Secrets of the Octopus(2024)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Spot (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2023)

    Thanks

  • Secrets of the Elephants(2023)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all shows

  • True Lies(2023)

    Show 13 episodes · Executive Producer · Original Film Writer

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Titanic: 25 Years Later with James Cameron(2023)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Avatar: The Way of Water(2022)

    Director · Characters · Editor · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Super/Natural (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Secrets of the Whales(2021)

    Show 4 episodes · Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 94th percentile of all shows

  • The Six (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Executive Producer · as Self

  • Akashinga: The Brave Ones (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Executive Producer

  • Terminator: Dark Fate(2019)

    Characters · Producer · Story

    Midcredits score: 42nd percentile of all films

  • The Game Changers(2018)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all films

  • Alita: Battle Angel(2019)

    Producer · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • James Cameron's Story of Science Fiction(2018)

    Show 6 episodes · Creator · as Self - Host

    Midcredits score: 79th percentile of all shows

  • The Shape of Water(2017)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Titanic: 20 Years Later with James Cameron(2017)

    Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 80th percentile of all films

  • Atlantis Rising(2017)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 50th percentile of all films

  • Cirque du Soleil: Toruk - The First Flight (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Co-Director · Co-Producer

  • Beyond Glory(2015)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Terminator Genisys(2015)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 44th percentile of all films

  • Deepsea Challenge(2014)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • Years of Living Dangerously (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    Show 17 episodes · Executive Producer

  • Gravity(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • All Is Lost(2013)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 78th percentile of all films

  • Cirque du Soleil: Worlds Away(2012)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • James Cameron & Buzz Aldrin: Explorers - Von der Titanic bis zum Mond (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    Actor

  • Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron(2012)

    Executive Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 90th percentile of all films

  • Plaga Zombie: Zona Mutante: Revolución Tóxica(2011)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 48th percentile of all films

  • Sanctum(2011)

    Executive Producer · Presenter

    Midcredits score: 37th percentile of all films

  • Solartaxi: Around the World with the Sun (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Actor

  • Nunca más asistas a este tipo de fiestas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    Thanks

  • Avatar(2009)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 95th percentile of all films

  • Terminator Salvation(2009)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 53rd percentile of all films

  • Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    Characters

  • Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series(2009)

    Show 6 episodes · Characters

    Midcredits score: 7th percentile of all shows

  • Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus: Best of Both Worlds Concert(2008)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 21st percentile of all films

  • Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles(2008)

    Show 31 episodes · Characters

    Midcredits score: 77th percentile of all shows

  • The Lost Tomb Of Jesus (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Executive Producer

  • The Exodus Decoded(2006)

    Executive Producer · Production Director · as Narrator

    Midcredits score: 73rd percentile of all films

  • The Colbert Report (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2005)

    Show 1 episode · Actor

  • Last Mysteries of the Titanic(2005)

    Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Crash(2004)

    Production Assistant

    Midcredits score: 88th percentile of all films

  • Aliens of the Deep(2005)

    Director · Cinematographer · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 57th percentile of all films

  • Entourage(2004)

    Show 4 episodes · as James Cameron

    Midcredits score: 93rd percentile of all shows

  • Volcanoes of the Deep Sea(2003)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 70th percentile of all films

  • Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines(2003)

    Characters

    Midcredits score: 52nd percentile of all films

  • No Feat But What We Make: 'Terminator 2' and the Rise of Digital Effects (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Actor

  • Ghosts of the Abyss(2003)

    Director · Producer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 74th percentile of all films

  • Expedition: Bismarck (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2002)

    Director · as Self

  • Solaris(2002)

    Producer

    Midcredits score: 51st percentile of all films

  • Dark Angel (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2000)

    Show 42 episodes · Director · Creator · Executive Producer · Writer

  • Duets(2000)

    as Karaoke singer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 41st percentile of all films

  • The Muse(1999)

    as James Cameron

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • Titanic(1997)

    Director · Editor · Producer · Writer · as Steerage Dancer (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Traveller(1997)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 45th percentile of all films

  • Terminator: Battle Across Time (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1996)

    Director

  • Strange Days(1995)

    Additional Editing · Producer · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 87th percentile of all films

  • Apollo 13(1995)

    Visual Effects Design Consultant

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • Your Studio and You (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1995)

    as James Cameron

  • True Lies(1994)

    Director · Producer · Screenplay · as Helicopter pilot (voice) (uncredited)

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Cronos(1992)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 71st percentile of all films

  • Mad About You(1992)

    Show 1 episode · as James Cameron

    Midcredits score: 38th percentile of all shows

  • The Making of 'Terminator 2: Judgment Day' (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1991)

    Thanks · as Self

  • Point Break(1991)

    Executive Producer

    Midcredits score: 89th percentile of all films

  • Terminator 2: Judgment Day(1991)

    Director · Characters · Producer · Writer

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Blue Steel(1990)

    Thanks

    Midcredits score: 33rd percentile of all films

  • The Abyss(1989)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 92nd percentile of all films

  • Martini Ranch: Reach (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1988)

    Director · Writer

  • Aliens(1986)

    Director · Screenplay · Story

    Midcredits score: 99th percentile of all films

  • Rambo: First Blood Part II(1985)

    Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 62nd percentile of all films

  • The Terminator(1984)

    Director · Writer

    Midcredits score: 98th percentile of all films

  • Android (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1982)

    Visual Effects Design Consultant

  • Piranha II: The Spawning(1982)

    Director · Screenplay

    Midcredits score: 2nd percentile of all films

  • Galaxy of Terror(1981)

    Production Design · Second Unit

    Midcredits score: 14th percentile of all films

  • Escape from New York(1981)

    Matte Painter · Visual Effects Art Director

    Midcredits score: 86th percentile of all films

  • Battle Beyond the Stars(1980)

    Art Direction · Visual Effects

    Midcredits score: 28th percentile of all films

  • Xenogenesis (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(1978)

    Director · Production Design · Writer

  • Fantastic Voyage (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Ghosts of Hiroshima (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Producer · Writer

  • Liu ren-Tai tan ni ke hao shang de zhong guo xing cun zhe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Producer

  • Painter (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Executive Producer

  • Secrets of the Bears (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 3 episodes · Executive Producer · Producer

  • Secrets of the Deep (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Show 3 episodes · Producer

  • The Devils (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

A full career of 94 titles, 85 of them dated from 1978 to 2026.

Biggest box office

Avatar (2009)

$2.9B worldwide

Highest rated

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Midcredits 99th

Most popular right now

Avatar: Fire and Ash (2025)

Film career

  • 1995Screen debut· Your Studio and You

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting13 of 94: 9 only acting, 4 with another role · typical Midcredits score69thDirecting23 of 94: 2 only directing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score92ndWriting28 of 94: 7 only writing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score87thProducing49 of 94: 28 only producing, 21 with another role · typical Midcredits score86thCinematography1 of 94: 0 only cinematography, 1 with another roleEditing7 of 94: 0 only editing, 7 with another role · typical Midcredits score93rdOther crew25 of 94: 20 only other crew, 5 with another role · typical Midcredits score78th

94 titles, 28 with more than one role — producing and writing overlap on 14 of them.

By decade

1970s1 · crew1980s10 · crew1990s14 · 5 acting · 11 crew2000s21 · 5 acting · 17 crew2010s20 · 2 acting · 18 crew2020s19 · 1 acting · 19 crew

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored.

Awards

3 Oscars, 2 Primetime Emmys, 2 Golden Globes and 6 other major awards from 35 major nominations, 1998–2023.

WinNomination
  1. 2023
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • +2 other major bodies · 3 nominations
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Editing
  2. 2021
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  3. 2014
    • Primetime Emmy, won · Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Series
  4. 2011
    • Producers Guild Award, won
  5. 2010
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Directing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Achievement in Film Editing
    • Oscar, nominated · Best Motion Picture of the Year
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Director
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • +5 other major bodies · 1 win and 4 nominations
      • Venice award, won · Most Creative 3D Film Stereoscopic Film of the Year
      • Directors Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Original Screenplay
      • Producers Guild Award, nominated · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, nominated · Best Director
  6. 2004
    • Producers Guild Award, won
  7. 2003
    • Primetime Emmy, nominated · Outstanding Directing for Non-Fiction Programming
  8. 1998
    • Oscar, won · Best Director
    • Oscar, won · Best Film Editing
    • Oscar, won · Best Picture
    • Golden Globe, won · Best Director - Motion Picture
    • Golden Globe, nominated · Best Screenplay - Motion Picture
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Editing
    • BAFTA Award, nominated · Best Film
    • BAFTA Award, nominated
    • +4 other major bodies · 3 wins and 1 nomination
      • Directors Guild Award, won · Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Motion Pictures
      • Writers Guild Award, nominated · Best Screenplay Written Directly for the Screen
      • Producers Guild Award, won · Outstanding Producer of Theatrical Motion Pictures
      • Critics Choice Award, won · Best Director

Major bodies only: the Oscars, Primetime Emmys, Golden Globes, BAFTAs and Screen Actors Guild Awards are named; Cannes, Venice, the Berlinale, Sundance, the directors', writers' and producers' guilds, the Grammys, Critics Choice and the Independent Spirit Awards count as other major bodies. Festival and regional prizes are not counted. Source: IMDb.

How do James Cameron's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 76th percentile, the median of all 51; across their 45 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 85th percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

85thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Approval · how many liked their films

84thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Reach · how many have seen their films

80thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 45

Midcredits score across 64 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up35
  • 50th to 74th14
  • 25th to 49th10
  • Below 25th5

Shape of the crowd

27 of their 64 titles are Crowd Pleasers.

  • Universally Loved16
  • Universally Panned1
  • Divisive1
  • Cult Classic1
  • Crowd Pleaser27
  • Broadly Agreed1
  • Mixed17

Most divisive · actor, producer

The Exodus Decoded (2006)

80th percentile spread · 17% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · director, writer, producer

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Midcredits 99th · 93% liked

Reviewers score the dialogue 44/100 and the plot and story 46/100 in their films, across 37 reviewed titles. The element that speaks to their work as a writer.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is James Cameron's work okay for kids?

Across up to 17 MovieCove titles with content scores, violence & gore, profanity and frightening / intense run heavier than most films.

Their medianMedian of all filmsMiddle 80% of their titles
Violence & Gore17 titles54–83 · median 72 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 44
Sex & Nudity17 titles22–68 · median 36 · moderatenear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 32
Profanity17 titles43–76 · median 59 · moderateheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 36
Alcohol & Drugs17 titles20–44 · median 31 · mildnear the median of all filmsMedian of all films: 33
Frightening / Intense17 titles56–84 · median 62 · intenseheavier than most filmsMedian of all films: 39

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted. The band's colour is the severity of their median, named beside it.

Who does James Cameron work with?

People who share at least 2 of James Cameron's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Sigourney Weaver shares the most, 8.

Directors

Writers

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers

Mixed roles