'Terminator: Dark Fate' is fast white-knuckle ride: James Cameron

Filmmaker James Cameron says the upcoming installment of the "Terminator" franchise, "Dark Fate", is more grim and gritty than its predecessors, and they are hoping to get an R-rating for it.

The 64-year-old director is making a return to the fan-favourite series that he created with the 1984 blockbuster, "The Terminator".

The new film, directed by Tim Miller of "Deadpool" fame, will retcon the events of last three installments -- "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003), "Terminator Salvation" (2009) and "Terminator Genisys" (2015).

Cameron, who has produced "Dark Fate" and also contributed to the story, considers the film to be a direct sequel of 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgement Day", Femalefirst reported.

"I think, tonally, what makes this a direct sequel to 'T1' and 'T2' is as much about the tone as it is about the narrative: It's R rated, it's grim, it's gritty, it's fast, it's intense, it's very linear," the filmmaker said.

"The whole story takes place in 36 hours. It's not ..