William Wisher Jr., the screenwriter whose partnership with a childhood friend named James Cameron helped shape “The Terminator” and its landmark sequel, has died at his home. He was 71.
Wisher’s death on July 14 was first reported by journalist David Poland and confirmed by the writer’s brother, John. In a statement, Wisher’s family said he believed stories carry the power to connect people across generations, and asked to be remembered for his kindness, humor and imagination alongside the work that made him known. Cause of death has not been disclosed.
Wisher and Cameron grew up together in Brea, California, bonding as teenagers over shared science-fiction obsessions and homemade films, including a 1978 short called “Xenogenesis” that Wisher starred in. When Cameron began developing “The Terminator” in the early 1980s, he brought Wisher in to help build out the world around Sarah Connor and the police-station sequences, transcribing his friend’s dialogue over the phone since Wisher lived outside Los Angeles. The film became a sleeper hit, grossing more than ten times its budget and establishing Cameron among Hollywood’s most sought-after directors. Wisher also appeared briefly onscreen as a police officer attacked by the T-800.
Their collaboration deepened on “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” where Wisher earned a full co-writing credit and helped Cameron reimagine Arnold Schwarzenegger’s character as a protector rather than a threat — a shift Wisher once called a difficult call at the time, requiring the pair to talk Schwarzenegger into the reversal by phone. He appeared again in a small cameo, this time as a bystander photographing the T-800. The sequel became one of the biggest blockbusters of its era and remains a benchmark for practical and visual effects.
Wisher went on to build a three-decade career writing and doctoring scripts across the action, science-fiction and horror genres, with credits including “Judge Dredd,” “The 13th Warrior,” “Judgment Night,” “Broken Arrow,” “Eraser” and “Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist.” He served as an executive producer on “Live Free or Die Hard” and contributed uncredited revisions to several other studio films.
Friends and collaborators paid tribute following the news. Comic book creator Rob Liefeld recalled working with Wisher for two years on script drafts and described him as talented, kind and full of stories about his years with Cameron.
Wisher is survived by his wife of 22 years, Deborah, along with several siblings and extended family.
