William Wisher Jr. obit

William Wisher Jr., Terminator 1 & 2 Co-Writer, Dies at 71

 He was not on the list.

William Wisher Jr., the accomplished screenwriter best known for his collaborations with longtime friend James Cameron, has passed away. He was 71 years old.

Wisher's death was announced by his friend, David Poland, in a post shared on X. The post reads, "Sad to announce the passing of screenwriter William Wisher at the age of 71. His credits include T2, The Terminator, Judge Dredd, and Live Free or Die Hard. He loved his wife Debbi… and cigarettes, scotch, and guns. An old friend and a good guy."

Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld also commented on the news, noting in his own X post, "Oh man! William Wisher was a gem. I worked with him for 2 years on separate drafts of The Mark, a movie I set up with Tom Cruise at Paramount. So talented and so kind, full of great stories with Cameron. Rest In Peace."

William Howard Wisher Jr. was born on May 23, 1955. According to an obituary, he died on July 14, 2026. His cause of death is not yet known.

Cameron developed the original concept for The Terminator with Wisher, with the pair collaborating over the phone while fleshing out the script. Wisher also co-wrote a novelization of the beloved sci-fi action movie with Randal Frakes. Cameron and Wisher also both wrote the screenplay for Terminator 2: Judgment Day, which still stands tall as one of the most revered action movies ever made. Many fans and critics also consider T2 to be the best sequel to any film.

Additionally, Wisher had on-screen appearances in both of the Terminator movies he co-wrote. In the first installment, he appears as a police officer who refers to himself as 1L19; Arnold Schwarzenegger's Terminator incapacitates him before stealing his police cruiser. Wisher later appeared as a mall shopper in T2, where he can be seen taking pictures of Schwarzenegger's Terminator getting back up after being thrown through a window by the T-1000 (Robert Patrick). Cameron has stated that he considers both roles to be the same character.

Wisher also played a reporter in Cameron's The Abyss. His other on-screen credits include roles in Xenogenesis and Martini Ranch: Reach.

Beyond his work with Cameron, Wisher was a writer and executive producer for the Pierce Brosnan thriller I.T. as well as the Bruce Willis action sequel Live Free or Die Hard. He also worked on the scripts for several horror films, including Pumpkinhead, A Nightmare on Elm Street 5: The Dream Child, Exorcist: The Beginning, and Dominon: Prequel to The Exorcist. Wisher's other screenwriting work includes Judge Dredd, The 13th Warrior, Judgment Night, Broken Arrow, Eraser, and Mercury Rising.

 

Writer

Arnold Schwarzenegger, Robert Patrick, Ed Boon, Matthew Yang King, J.K. Simmons, John Cena, Antony Starr, and Vincent Fallow in Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition (2025)

Mortal Kombat 1: Definitive Edition

7.0

Video Game

character creator: T-1000

2025

 

Pierce Brosnan, Stefanie Scott, and James Frecheville in I.T. (2016)

I.T.

5.5

screenplay by

2016

 

Jasson Cring and Marshall Weber in Terminator the Second (2011)

Terminator the Second

8.4

Writer

2011

 

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005)

Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist

5.1

written by

2005

 

Exorcist: The Beginning (2004)

Exorcist: The Beginning

5.1

story by

2004

 

The 13th Warrior (1999)

The 13th Warrior

6.6

screenplay

1999

 

Sylvester Stallone in Judge Dredd (1995)

Judge Dredd

5.6

story byscreenplay by

1995

 

Judge Dredd Audiobook: English (1995)

Judge Dredd Audiobook: English

Video

writer

1995

 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Extended Special Edition Alternate Ending (1993)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day - Extended Special Edition Alternate Ending

8.6

Video

written by

1993

 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1993)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

7.6

Video Game

characters

1993

 

T2: Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1992)

T2: Terminator 2: Judgment Day

6.1

Video Game

inspired by: "Terminator 2: Judgment Day"

1992

 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

7.9

Video Game

based on the story by

1991

 

Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

5.7

Video Game

characters

1991

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Pantellas in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

8.6

written by

1991

 

Desperado: The Outlaw Wars (1989)

Desperado: The Outlaw Wars

6.5

TV Movie

teleplay

1989

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

The Terminator

8.1

additional dialogue (as William Wisher Jr.)

1984

 

Script and Continuity Department

Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Live Free or Die Hard

7.1

script revisions (uncredited)

2007

 

Bruce Willis and Miko Hughes in Mercury Rising (1998)

Mercury Rising

6.1

script revisions (uncredited)

1998

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger and Vanessa Williams in Eraser (1996)

Eraser

6.2

script revisions (uncredited)

1996

 

Christian Slater and John Travolta in Broken Arrow (1996)

Broken Arrow

6.1

script revisions (uncredited)

1996

 

Bruce Willis in Die Hard with a Vengeance (1995)

Die Hard with a Vengeance

7.6

script revisions (uncredited)

1995

 

Emilio Estevez, Cuba Gooding Jr., Stephen Dorff, and Denis Leary in Judgment Night (1993)

Judgment Night

6.6

script revisions (uncredited)

1993

 

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child (1989)

A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child

5.1

script revisions (uncredited)

1989

 

Kerry Remsen in Pumpkinhead (1988)

Pumpkinhead

6.2

script revisions (uncredited)

1988

 

Actor

Arnold Schwarzenegger and John Pantellas in Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)

Terminator 2: Judgment Day

8.6

Galleria PhotographerCop (uncredited)

1991

 

The Abyss (1989)

The Abyss

7.5

Bill Tyler

1989

 

Bill Paxton and Andrew Todd Rosenthal in Martini Ranch: Reach (1988)

Martini Ranch: Reach

6.4

Music Video

William Wisher

1988

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

The Terminator

8.1

Policeman (as William Wisher Jr.)

1984

 

Xenogenesis (1978)

Xenogenesis

5.3

Short

Raj (as William Wisher Jr.)

1978

 

Peter Isacksen and Mike Talbot in The Reunion (1977)

The Reunion

(as William Wisher Jr.)

1977

 

Producer

Sparrow

Consulting Producer

Pre-production

 

Pierce Brosnan, Stefanie Scott, and James Frecheville in I.T. (2016)

I.T.

5.5

co-executive producer

2016

 

Bruce Willis in Live Free or Die Hard (2007)

Live Free or Die Hard

7.1

executive producer

2007

 

Thanks

Errors in Geography: The Hit

2.6

Music Video

inspirational thanks

2018

 

Under Construction (2015)

Under Construction

1.4

TV Series

special thanks (as William Wisher Jr.)

2015

1 episode

 

Creating the Terminator: Visual Effects and Music (2006)

Creating the Terminator: Visual Effects and Music

6.8

Video

special thanks

2006

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

Other Voices: Back Through Time: Creating 'the Terminator': Cast & Crew Recollections

7.3

Video

special thanks (as Bill Wisher)

2001

 

Self

Terminator 2: Judgement Day Extreme DVD Audio Commentary by James Cameron and William Wisher (2004)

Terminator 2: Judgement Day Extreme DVD Audio Commentary by James Cameron and William Wisher

Video

Self (voice)

2004

 

Expedition: Bismarck (2002)

Expedition: Bismarck

7.3

TV Movie

Self (as Bill Wisher)

2002

 

Arnold Schwarzenegger in The Terminator (1984)

Other Voices: Back Through Time: Creating 'the Terminator': Cast & Crew Recollections

7.3

Video

Self - Additional Dialogue & Cameron Collaborator (as Bill Wisher)

2001