Maybe this is how and why he’s delayed the Avatar sequels for so long, as his process has probably expanded to the point where each film has its own skyscraper of development, with himself and his writers crafting Jake Sully’s next adventures at breakneck pace.
All three films: Aliens, Rambo: First Blood Part II, and The Terminator would go on to help shape the blockbuster decade that was the 1980’s, as well as put Cameron on the map with a huge, flashy pin.
We don’t know how, or even to what extent James Cameron could keep sane while working on three different projects that became classics in their own right, but what we do know is that his methods worked perfectly.