James Cameron's reputation as one of Hollywood's most relentless filmmakers is well-earned. From pioneering new technology to spending years on the Avatar sequels, he's never been one to take it easy. But according to Michael Biehn, that intense drive was there from the very beginning—even before Cameron became a household name.
Biehn, who starred as Kyle Reese in the 1984 classic The Terminator, recently sat down with Collider to discuss his new film Onslaught. During the conversation, he opened up about the grueling final days of shooting The Terminator—and the surprising discovery that Cameron was already hard at work on his next sci-fi masterpiece just 48 hours later.
“We were shooting The Terminator for 11 weeks, nights,” Biehn recalled. “Friday, as soon as the sun comes up, it’s over, right? So I go home. I’m exhausted. I’m totally exhausted. Jim and Gale probably put in twice as many hours per 24 hours than I did. They were probably working 16, 18-hour days. I was only working 12, 13-hour days.”
Two days after wrapping, Biehn got a call from producer Gale Anne Hurd, inviting him over to see a rough cut of the famous Tech Noir sequence. Still running on fumes, Biehn drove to Cameron's office—only to find the director completely absorbed in something else.
“I went into his office, and he’s just writing with intensity, really hardcore writing. I came within two or three feet of him, and he didn’t even notice me. Then all of a sudden he looked up and went, ‘Oh, hey, Michael. Good to see you.’ This is 48 hours after we wrapped,” Biehn said.
Curious what could possibly be so urgent, Biehn asked Cameron what he was working on. The answer? “I’m doing this Aliens treatment.” Cameron was already writing the sequel to Ridley Scott's Alien—just two days after finishing The Terminator. “He’s just a remarkable, remarkable guy,” Biehn added.
Of course, Aliens would reunite Biehn with Cameron, though not initially. James Remar was originally cast as Corporal Dwayne Hicks before Biehn stepped in during production. The two would collaborate again on The Abyss, and Biehn remains full of praise for Cameron, placing him alongside Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese as one of his favorite directors.
What makes this story even more impressive is how casually Cameron seemed to transition from one iconic film to the next. It's no wonder he's considered one of the greats—his ability to jump straight from a grueling shoot into writing another classic is nothing short of legendary.
For more on Biehn's thoughts about Onslaught and its similarities to Aliens, check out our full interview. And if you're a fan of Cameron's work, you might also be interested in the massive new Aliens Queen statue coming in 2027.
Onslaught hits theaters on September 4.
