Movies
’80s Legend Shane Black Directing ‘Death Note’
The last time I jumped out of my chair was when Mark Romanek was announced to be directing the pilot for “Locke & Key”. This morning I nearly fell on the floor when it was announced that Shane Black – writer of ’80s classics Lethal Weapon, Lethal Weapon 2 and Monster Squad, along with The Last Boy Scout and Last Action Hero, director of the hilarious Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, and star of Predator – will be helming a U.S. remake of the Japanese classic Death Note. Black will oversee a script that’s being written by Anthony Bagarozzi and Charles Mondry. The story centers on a college student who accidentally finds a misplaced “death note,” infusing him with the power to kill merely by writing anyone’s name on the page while picturing the person in his mind. You’ll find more details inside.
Written by Tsugumi Ohba and illustrated by Takeshi Obata, Death Note was originally published in Japan and later collected in 12 trade paperbacks that have sold more than 38 million copies worldwide. The protagonist, Light, is a bright student who stumbles across a mystical notebook that has the power to kill any person whose name he writes in it. Light decides to launch a secret crusade to rid the streets of criminals. Soon, the student-turned-vigilante finds himself pursued by a famous FBI criminal profiler known only by the alias L.
Death Note is wildly popular in Japan and has been turned into live action and animated films, an animated TV series, novels and vidgames. The trio of live action films were distributed by Warner Bros Japan. Warner Bros acquired the remake rights from Shueisha and previously got a script draft from Charley and Vlas Parlapanides.
After kicking off with a limited theatrical run in May, James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day is returning to the big screen in 4K, RealD 3D and premium formats next month.
To mark the 35th anniversary, Terminator 2: Judgment Day will open in U.S. theaters August 28 through September 2, 2026, along with a range of late August/early September premiere dates worldwide to commemorate T2’s “Judgment Day” on August 29 via STUDIOCANAL, Fathom Entertainment and Rialto Pictures.
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick star in the four-time Oscar Winner that sees a reprogrammed T-800 sent back in time to protect 10-year-old John Connor from the shape-shifting T-1000. Together with his mother Sarah, the cybernetic organism fights to stop Skynet from triggering a nuclear apocalypse.
The re-release comes with a new anniversary trailer, below.
WORLDWIDE RELEASE DATES CALENDAR – TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY 35th ANNIVERSARY
- August 27, 2026: Germany, LATAM, Czech Republic
- August 28, 2026: United States, Italy, Poland
- AUGUST 29, 2026: JUDGMENT DAY
- September 2, 2026: France
- September 3, 2026: Australia, New Zealand, The Netherlands, Sweden, Hungary
- September 4, 2026: United Kingdom
James Cameron comments, “T2 was made for theatres, and our lovingly-prepared 3D version, coming back to the big screen, is the absolute best way to see the film. I believe it’s safe to do spoilers after 35 years, so SPOILER ALERT: the good guys win against the AI superintelligence! And maybe that’s a message of hope we all could use this summer.”
Anna Marsh CEO of STUDIOCANAL, Chief Content Officer of CANAL+ expands, “We are incredibly proud to mark the 35th anniversary of James Cameron’s masterpiece Terminator 2: Judgment Day in partnership with the passionate teams at Fathom Entertainment and Rialto Pictures in the US. This collaboration has been thrilling, and we cannot wait for audiences to mark Judgment Day in theatres all over the world this August. The continued restoration and discovery of classic and revolutionary cinema is the cornerstone of our strategy and it’s particularly gratifying to see the scale of this celebratory re-release come to fruition.”
Ray Nutt, Chief Executive Officer for Fathom Entertainment adds, “Terminator 2: Judgment Day was a cultural phenomenon in the U.S. upon release and 35 years later, remains a timeless, non-stop thrill ride that audiences – new and old – will love to see. With non-stop action, iconic performances from Arnold Scwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, spectacular sound and visual effects, and even a massive hit song by Guns N’ Roses (“You Could Be Mine”), the re-release of T2 is a must-see theatrical event perfect for 3D and other premium formats.”
Tickets in the United States for Terminator 2: Judgment Day 35th Anniversary will be available online on July 17 and at participating theatre box offices (theatre locations are subject to change). For more information, and to be among the first notified when tickets go on sale, please visit Fathom Entertainment.
Cameron is currently developing a seventh Terminator film.