The Devils | James Cameron

[BluBonnet]

It looks like James Cameron has a new project. In a Facebook post, he announced:

LOS ANGELES, CA (June 2, 2025) - James Cameron announces that his company, Lightstorm, has purchased Joe Abercrombie's latest book, The Devils, and that Abercrombie will co-write the script with Cameron. Abercrombie is an acclaimed novelist and screenwriter, and author of the bestselling First Law books which have been published in over thirty languages. The Devils was published May 6 and was an instant number 1 Sunday Times bestseller in the UK. It also just entered the NYT bestseller list at number 5.

Cameron says "How do I describe The Devils? A sharply witty horror adventure? An epic battle between good and evil except most of the time you can't tell which is which? A twisted, stylish, alt-universe middle-ages romp, where your best hope of survival is the monsters themselves? This is Joe Abercrombie in absolute peak form, opening up a whole new world and an ensemble of delicious new characters. The twists and turns come at a rollercoaster pace, and with Joe's signature acerbic wit and style. The Devils showcases Joe's jaundiced view of human nature, in all its dark, selfish glory, as told through some decidedly un-human characters. But of course, Joe always teases with the flickers of redemption that make it all worthwhile -- and ultimately quite heartwrenching."

He goes on to say "I've loved Joe's writing for years, cherishing each new read, throughout the epic cycle of the First Law books, especially Best Served Cold (LOVE IT!) and the Age of Madness trilogy. But the freshness of the world and the characters in The Devils finally got me off my butt to buy one of his books and partner with him to bring it to the screen. I'm looking forward to the writing process with him, though I'm certain this adaptation will practically write itself because Joe writes very visually, almost in scenes, and with a very cinematic structure. I can't wait to dig into this as I wind down on Avatar: Fire and Ash. It will be a joyful new challenge for me to bring these indelible characters to life."

Abercrombie adds "James Cameron has been thrilling audiences, including me, by putting the impossible on film for over four decades. No one can balance mind-blowing action and spectacle with gut-wrenching personal stakes and story the way he does. I can't think of anyone better to bring this weird and wonderful monster of a book to the screen."

[BluBonnet]

More info on the book can be found here

[BloodshotUSA]

Is he actually directing or producing only?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

Is he actually directing or producing only?

As the story says, he has only said that he will co-write the script with Abercrombie… but it would be pretty odd if he co-wrote the script for a movie that he doesn’t intend to direct.

So I would guess he will probably eventually announce he’s directing as well, but it isn’t official yet.

Either way, he’s going to be very closely involved…

[ImBlu_DaBaDee]

Originally Posted by BloodshotUSA

Is he actually directing or producing only?

He’ll have an executive producer credit when it eventually comes out in 2037

[Foggy]

What will come out first, this or the uncut Ken Russell’s The Devils?

[BluBonnet]

Originally Posted by Foggy

What will come out first, this or the uncut Ken Russell’s The Devils?

I know which one will have more CGI (and probably 3D)

[DKLou]

At least it’s something NOT Avatar related.

[Wernski]

My first thought was, "wow, if James Cameron is remaking Ken Russell's The Devils, Warner will have to release the original uncut!"

Oh well.

[lupinskitten]

I haven't read the book, but it sounds good from the summary I read.

[BluBonnet]

I strongly suspect he's starting to obsess over his own mortality

[lesco]

I can't see that he would direct it, given that it's a title that doesn't start with "T' or "A".
Unless he calls it "Angels - Not!"

[Kylo_Ren]

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for Alita 2...

[wonderer99]

Camerons name attached to something doesn't hold the same weight it did 30 years ago sadly.

[sanriel]

Originally Posted by wonderer99

Camerons name attached to something doesn't hold the same weight it did 30 years ago sadly.

Sad but true. Money maybe, but not the same weight. And in this case, it's his choice.

[levcore]

Originally Posted by wonderer99

Camerons name attached to something doesn't hold the same weight it did 30 years ago sadly.

Probably fair to say a lot of things have changed in the last 30 years.

[DKLou]

Originally Posted by Kylo_Ren

Meanwhile, I am still waiting for Alita 2...

A lot of us are. I really don’t think it’s happening.

[BluBonnet]

Why James Cameron Has To Adapt Wild Fantasy Novel The Devils

James Cameron doesn’t need more work on his plate. The filmmaker is firmly ensconced in the world of Avatar right now, still in the midst of cooking up several planned sequels – including the impending third chapter, Avatar: Fire And Ash – all while mulling the idea of an animated anthology, and plotting an adaptation of nuclear-war-themed historical drama Ghosts Of Hiroshima too. So, when another story forces its way onto Cameron’s schedule, you know it has to be a good one. Enter The Devils, a freshly-published fantasy novel by Joe Abercrombie that became an instant New York Times bestseller, and had its rights promptly snapped up by Cameron – who plans to adapt it himself.

The reason why he simply had to do it? “It’s nuts. The whole thing is off its ****,” Cameron tells Empire. He’s not wrong – it’s a story that takes in monks, immortal knights, werewolves, elves, pirates, vampires, and necromancers, all caught up in a plot to bring a thief to Troy in a fantastical alternate-reality medieval Europe. “I was literally reading parts of the book out loud to my wife Suzy,” Cameron recalls. “And it dawned on me: ‘I like this book so much, I should just buy it.’”

For the filmmaker, The Devils will mark a tonal shift from what he’s trying to achieve with the Avatar saga, and his other intended projects. “It doesn’t have the kind of conscience that Avatar does, but I don’t know if that’s a bad thing. [Hiroshima] is a movie you do because you have to. The Devils is a movie you do for fun,” he says. Time to let it rip.

[hallospaceboy]

I haven't read this book but I like the sound of it. And anything that gets Cameron off of Pandora after a couple decades toiling away on it is alright with me. I really would like to see him do something else finally.

[Socko]

Originally Posted by wonderer99

Camerons name attached to something doesn't hold the same weight it did 30 years ago sadly.

30 years ago his name didn't hold much weight either

The Abyss, unfortunately, flopped and it was written en directed by him.
Strange Days, unfortunately, flopped and it was written and produced by him.
Solaris (2002) flopped and it was produced by him.