As a long-time devotee of cinema, I’ve seen my fair share of sequels that either soared or flopped, and the case of “Terminator: Dark Fate” is one that piqued my interest. Having grown up with the original “Terminator” films, I was eager to see where the story would go next – especially with James Cameron back on board as a producer.
James Cameron expresses his appreciation for the movie “Terminator: Dark Fate”, but acknowledges why it underperformed at the box office. Debuting on November 1, 2019, “Terminator: Dark Fate” was the sixth installment in the “Terminator” series and a continuation of “Terminator 2: Judgment Day”, disregarding the subsequent sequels. Alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the Terminator, Linda Hamilton returned after a gap of 28 years to play Sarah Connor. With James Cameron back in the franchise as a producer, there was an expectation for success. Despite receiving the best reviews within the franchise since “T2”, “Dark Fate” turned out to be a significant box office failure, earning just $62 million domestically against a production budget of $185 million. Even though it made $261 million globally, it still fell short, performing worse than less-favorably received sequels like “Terminator: Genisys” and “Terminator: Salvation”.
In an interview with Empire Magazine for the 40th anniversary of The Terminator, James Cameron discussed the box office performance of Terminator: Dark Fate. Cameron praised Gabriel Luna’s Rev-9 Terminator, stating, “I thought the Rev-9 was incredibly cool. I think it ranks right up there with what we did before; it’s solid third in my book.” Although he still believes his own work is the best, Cameron added, “But I put it in third place.” However, Cameron feels that too much attention was focused on the return of Sarah Connor and Schwarzenegger’s Terminator, as he commented:
The issue wasn’t with the film itself, but rather the low attendance. I’ve admitted my role in this to Tim Miller multiple times. I’ve stated that ‘I sank that movie before we even started writing or shooting it…We succeeded in creating a sequel to a film, but unfortunately, the audience who would have gone to theaters when the original movie was released are either deceased, retired, disabled, or suffering from dementia. The movie didn’t appeal to a new audience.’
The Terminator Franchise Can Only Move Forward by Embracing the New
Cameron’s honest admission that focusing solely on older fans could have been an error in terms of box office performance is commendable. Unlike franchises such as Ghostbusters, Halloween, and Jurassic World which continue to feature returning stars at the cost of introducing new characters, Twisters opted for a fresh approach by not reintroducing established characters and instead made subtle references to the original film. This strategy allowed Twisters to thrive as a standalone movie and achieve box office success.
It appears that Cameron acknowledges the necessity for Terminator to remain contemporary by attracting fresh fans and establishing a long-term following. Series such as Doctor Who and Star Trek offer compelling examples of longevity through broadening their appeal. It seems that Cameron has internalized the insights gleaned from Terminator: Dark Fate, as he has mentioned plans for his upcoming Terminator film to depart from established franchise symbols. Terminator Zero, released on Netflix in August 2024, served as a promising foundation for the series’ future by delving into familiar themes while presenting them in innovative and thrilling manners through new characters.
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2024-09-27 21:31