James Cameron's Best Sci-Fi Franchise of All Time is Getting an Action-Packed Holiday Spinoff

Fans of James Cameron's Terminator franchise have just gotten some amazing news right in time for the holidays. Dynamite Entertainment is releasing a special holiday spin-off set in the world of Skynet.

Dynamite's solicits for Dec. 3 reveal a one-shot story, The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1, which will see Cameron's sci-fi world brought back to life with plenty of action as a jolly old man in a red suit gets the classic Terminator twist. "It’s Christmas Eve in Skynet’s apocalyptic future, and the atmosphere is pretty far from festive," the one-shot's description reads. "But even in the blasted rubble of civilization, the surviving elders of the Resistance have fond memories of the holiday — and in between drone attacks, the younger members are eager to hear about them."

The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1

• Written by PAULINA GANUCHEAU
• Art by KENDALL GOODE
• Cover Art by WILL ROBSON (A), FRANCESCO BIAGINI (B), REESE HANNIGAN (C), KENDALL GOODE (D)

"The story of the jolly old man in a red suit who infiltrated people’s perimeters is especially intriguing," Dynamite's description continues. "How did he avoid the sentries and guard dogs? What kind of exfiltration technique was he using? And most important, did he have glowing red eyes that matched his fur-trimmed hat — like the hulking figure that’s now advancing on their position?"

The publisher's first look at the special one-shot Terminator story includes the four pieces of cover art, giving fans their first look at the devious-looking Terminator-style Santa Claus. The issue is set to hit comic book shops on Wednesday, Dec. 3.

The new story is the latest release in the Terminator franchise, which most recently had a theatrical release in 2019 with Terminator: Dark Fate. More recently, the franchise expanded onto television with Terminator Zero, a Netflix anime series that premiered in 2024. The cyberpunk sci-fi universe was created by the legendary James Cameron in 1984, with Arnold Schwarzenegger rising to worldwide fame following his prominent role in the story as the titular android character.

James Cameron Recently Confirmed He's Working on a New Terminator Movie

As one of sci-fi's greatest masterpieces, the Terminator franchise has had surprising longevity over the past four decades, and Cameron is still interested in keeping it alive for years to come. Back in 2023, following news that Schwarzenegger was not interested in reprising his role, it was reported that Cameron was ready to reboot the franchise, and in September 2025, the director confirmed he was still writing a new movie.

It might be some time before Terminator fans get to see the finished product, however. Presently, Cameron has multiple projects lined up for the coming years — primarily focusing on his hugely profitable Avatar franchise. The third installment, Avatar: Fire and Ash, will hit theaters on Dec. 19, and two additional sequels, Avatar 4 and 5, are expected to follow in 2029 and 2031.

The Terminator: Santa Claus is Coming to Town #1 will be released by Dynamite Entertainment on Dec. 3.