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

The director is making a return to the fan-favourite series that he kickstarted with the 1984 blockbuster, The Terminator. The new film, directed by Tim Miller of Deadpool fame, will retcon the events of the last three instalments — Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003), Terminator Salvation (2009) and Terminator Genisys (2015).

James Cameron, who has produced Dark Fate and also contributed to the story, considers the film to be a direct sequel to 1991's Terminator 2: Judgement Day. "I think what makes this a direct sequel to both the films, 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," says the filmmaker.

"The whole story takes place in 36 hours. It's not this kind of grandiose, complex story. It's just very focused on the characters. It's very now, it's very present and it's just a fast white-knuckle ride," he adds.

Cameron says while the film will continue the stories of both Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and John Connor, it will also feature a "very different" version of the T-800 robot,  portrayed in the franchise by veteran action star, Arnold Schwarzenegger.

"We'll be continuing with Sarah's story, John's story, and the T-800 returns — a different T-800 with a very different role to play than what we've seen before," he says. 

Terminator: Dark Fate will be released in the US on November 1.