What is the Ghosts of Hiroshima? Why James Cameron wants this as his next non-Avatar project, explained

Ghosts of Hiroshima is a potential project from Avatar director James Cameron. It is adapted from Charles Pellegrino’s nonfiction book of the same name, which documents the firsthand experiences of survivors of the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

The confirmation came in June 2025 during an in-depth conversation with Deadline, in which Cameron discussed his long-standing commitment to adapting Charles Pellegrino’s book, Ghosts of Hiroshima.

Cameron shared that he wants this to be his next non-Avatar project because it feels particularly timely, as audiences today need to be reminded of the real, human cost of nuclear weapons. He noted that Hiroshima and Nagasaki are the sole historical examples of atomic bombs being deployed directly against civilian populations.

''Because I just think it’s so important right now for people to remember what these weapons do. This is the only case where they’ve been used against a human target," he said.

Cameron described the project as the result of decades of research and personal reflection, and as a promise he made to survivors of the Hiroshima and Nagasaki bombings. While explaining his motivation, he said:

“I want to do for what happened at Hiroshima and Nagasaki what Steven Spielberg did with the Holocaust and D-Day with Saving Private Ryan. He showed it the way it happened.”

Even though Cameron is still deep into making more Avatar movies, he mentioned that Ghosts of Hiroshima will come next when time opens up. This project marks his biggest step away from the franchise so far.

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What will Ghosts of Hiroshima focus on?

Ghosts of Hiroshima may be shaped by personal testimony rather than tactical or strategic narratives. The film draws on Charles Pellegrino’s interviews with survivors, including Tsutomu Yamaguchi, who experienced both atomic bombings. Through these firsthand accounts, the story centers on ordinary lives disrupted by extraordinary events.

“He is probably the most improbable statistic in history, having survived two nuclear bomb explosions at close range,” Cameron told Deadline when asked about Tsutomu Yamaguchi.

Cameron has emphasized that the film will avoid political debate or moral judgment about the use of nuclear weapons, focusing exclusively on the human consequences.

“I don’t want to get into the politics of, should it have been dropped, should they have done it, and all the bad things Japan did to warrant it, or any of that kind of moralizing and politicizing,” Cameron said. “I just want to deal in a sense with what happened.”

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Creative approach for Ghosts of Hiroshima

Though large-scale devastation requires visual effects, Cameron noted the movie won’t center on spectacle. The focus remains on individual lives and their connections before and beyond the attacks.

''Within the bomb events, there was some beauty about the human experience, about us all sharing the same planet. We’re all sharing the same human experience," he said.

Cameron acknowledged the film but noted that Ghosts of Hiroshima addresses a different aspect of the subject, focusing on the aftermath rather than the creation of nuclear weapons.

“This is true horror, because it happened,” Cameron said.

He also acknowledged that the film may not align with the commercial expectations typically associated with his work.

“This may be a movie that I make that makes the least of any movie I’ve ever made,” Cameron said. “I’m not going to be sparing.”

At present, Cameron has not begun writing the screenplay, explaining that his process involves extensive research before drafting. No casting announcements, production schedule, or release date have been confirmed.

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Also read: "I’ll tell you what we were gonna do" - James Cameron promises to hold a press conference if Avatar 4 & 5 do not get made.

Edited by Shreya Das