As a passionate fan and aspiring creator myself, I can truly empathize with the feelings of nervousness and reverence these stories evoke. It’s like standing at the foot of a towering mountain, knowing you’ve been given the chance to climb it but also aware that every step could either lead to breathtaking vistas or a tumble down the slope.
In virtually every iteration of the The Terminator series, a solitary hero is dispatched to aid someone in their hour of greatest need. Similarly, Terminator Zero appeared in Mattson Tomlin‘s life precisely when he required assistance the most.
After a fast-paced climb up the Hollywood screenwriting career ladder, Tomlin found himself as one of the most sought-after writers in town. Netflix transformed his spec script, ‘Project Power’, into a high-budget film featuring Oscar winner Jamie Foxx. IFC released his sci-fi romance ‘Little Fish’ to positive reviews. It appeared that every Hollywood studio was eager to work with him on various projects. Notably, Matt Reeves enlisted Tomlin to help with the script for ‘The Batman’, and also supported Tomlin’s directorial debut, ‘Mother/Android’, which is a deeply personal project.
It was a meteoric rise, and it was all happening before Tomlin was 30.
However, when the author began drafting “Terminator Zero” during the summer of 2021, he candidly acknowledged his mind was shrouded in fog. Approximately a year prior, an arbitration decision by the Writers Guild of America denied him credit on “The Batman.” Despite understanding that this is just part of the industry – having joined the ambitious project at a late stage and being informed that recognition was improbable – it still left a sting. This painful experience mirrored a journey many artists can recognize, leading him into a deep abyss of self-questioning.
While working on the project titled “Terminator Zero,” a small voice in him whispered doubts, questioning if he had reached his pinnacle and that his professional journey might merely be reduced to a side note mentioning someone who previously contributed to a Batman film.
“All the scary thoughts came. The imposter syndrome came,” says Tomlin.
In the midst of uncertainties, he plunged ahead to create the anime “Terminator Zero”, delivering an episode approximately every two weeks. Neither Skydance, Netflix nor Production I.G provided any guidelines, allowing him to weave a deeply personal story revolving around three siblings. He opted to establish the narrative in Japan, since the majority of the creative team would be Japanese, with Masashi Kudō directing.
The production yields a unique take on the Terminator narrative, not solely due to its animated form, but rather because of its cultural nuances. It spans across two time periods: in 1997, three siblings are compelled to escape a Terminator that seeks them out as a means to reach their scientist father who invented an AI intended to save humanity from Skynet. By the year 2022, humans engage in conflict against machines in a dystopian future landscape.
Three years following that productive summer of writing, the series premiered on Netflix on August 29th and received a perfect 100% score on Rotten Tomatoes. If renewed, Tomlin is eager to develop additional seasons.
As a gamer immersed in the narrative, I’d describe it like this: “This tale unfolds around three of us kids, living through a conflict that transforms into something even more advanced – the future war. Our connections to humans and machines are not just different; they’re evolving at radically distinct paces.”
He’s managed to put behind him the deepest uncertainties from the summer of 2021 (to be fair, no writer ever truly leaves their doubts behind completely). Now, he’s ready for “The Batman Part II”, beginning anew, with Reeves extending the invitation just six weeks after “The Batman” premiered in March 2022. “There was such a powerful release of emotions for me, because Batman holds significant importance,” he reminisces, referring to receiving that call.
He now has a new mentor for another major endeavor: George R.R. Martin, the creator of “Game of Thrones”, with whom he’s collaborating on a pilot for “Aegon’s Conquest”. This project narrates the legendary conquest of the Seven Kingdoms by King Aegon I.
Read the full conversation with The Hollywood Reporter below.
What was going on in your life when Terminator Zero crossed your desk?
I’ve been away for four years, engrossed in the filming of “Mother/Android”. On my way home, I noticed several missed calls from my team. They were excitedly telling me about an unexpected opportunity – a chance to work on an animated “Terminator” project. Given all the conversations we’d had earlier, they assumed this was a long shot due to my previous commitments.
Initially, it seemed as though I was merely discussing a robot uprising in the film “Mother/Android,” but it was actually a deeply personal tale about my own biological mother, given my unique background having been born in Romania during the revolution and later adopted by American parents. Repeatedly, I found myself clarifying that this wasn’t an attempt to audition for “Terminator.” However, misconceptions arose, with people assuming I had no interest in the project. Contrary to their belief, I was eager to be involved!
Were there any guidelines in place when you began developing the story for the anime that Netflix, Skydance, and Production I.G were collaborating on before your arrival?
They suggested, “It would be great to have a character who’s Japanese or a scene set in Japan. Perhaps a flash-forward, flashback, whatever would work. I, on the other hand, felt excited about the prospect of being one of the few Americans working on this project. It seems fitting to me that we should set it in Japan to truly utilize the unique perspective and lived experience of those involved.”
In modern times, it’s quite frequent for a fresh episode in an ongoing series to disregard several earlier installments. Why did you choose not to follow this trend and honor the past films instead?
As a gamer immersed in the Terminator universe, I’ve seen six movies, all set along the U.S.-Mexico border. On a recent rewatch, it struck me that there’s an emphasis on nuclear strikes from Russia, yet there’s minimal context about global events. With so many sequels suggesting to disregard certain aspects of the storyline, I find myself uneasy playing the role of the one who dismisses past contributions. I believe each movie has its merits, and I don’t wish to belittle those who came before me. Instead, I see myself as a bystander, observing my unique perspective from a distant corner of the world. This realization gave me the freedom to ask: what is the story within this universe that I want to share?
What did you quickly latch onto?
Narrating a tale centered around a family experiencing the aftermath of Doomsday, with a personal twist drawn from my own experiences such as adoption and the Romanian Revolution. If given multiple seasons, the narrative would follow the journey of three siblings as they mature amidst an ongoing war that eventually morphs into future conflicts. Their unique connections to both humans and technology, which diverge significantly, would be a recurring theme throughout their story.
As a passionate fan looking back, it seems like during the initial stages of your career, you were often managing several projects simultaneously. If you encountered a roadblock while drafting a script during daytime hours, you’d simply switch gears and focus on another project. I can’t help but wonder if you were penning other works as you worked tirelessly on Terminator.
In the scorching heat of summer 2021, I found myself in a peculiar state of mind. Neither Mother/Android nor Batman had graced our screens yet, leaving me in a creative void. The arbitration was behind us, confirming that my contribution to the movie would go unrecognized. This news weighed heavily on me, stirring feelings of despair and self-doubt. In a moment of introspection, I felt as if the pinnacle of my career had passed, leaving me with just this project. Overwhelmed, I sat down and let the words flow freely, crafting the entire season. Every two weeks or so, I would send off another episode, eager to see my vision unfold on screen.
And what I would say to the studio is, “I’m going to send them to you, but don’t give me notes until I get to the end. Once I get to episode eight, I want to go back and revise all of them having seen if I can stick the landing here.” And they were really gracious. Then we had a notes process. I just have to say, between Netflix and Skydance, if there are things that people don’t like in this show, it’s my fault. If there are things that people love in this show, it’s my fault. All of their notes were really just, “Oh, we don’t quite understand that. Can you clarify?” Those are the biggest notes that I got.
It seems that the enjoyment from creating comic books is akin to the experience feeling personally involved, not just you, but also the artists.
In a manner similar to comic book productions, I have a partner who helps me bring my ideas to life – that’s director Kudo and Production I.G. I share my scripts with them, along with visual references (lookbooks) and additional notes for clarity. They then interpret these elements and sometimes faithfully execute what I’ve written, leaving me impressed (“Wow, you nailed it!”). On other occasions, they modify my ideas, often improving upon them significantly.
In the Spider-Verse films, the script is usually finalized close to the end of post-production. Do you make changes at a similar stage in your work?
Initially, I didn’t propose a new narrative or abruptly declare, “We require a submarine.” What did transpire, initially perplexing, was the scripts being written in English and subsequently translated for animation. The distinction between “hello” in Japanese (“konichiwa”) and “hello” in English is that the former has more syllables. This means more mouth movements or lip flaps during the animation process. As the animation returned and it was time for the English dub, there were numerous instances where the dialogue needed to be re-adapted due to the translation affecting the flow of speech, reminiscent of a scene in the movie “Lost in Translation” where Bill Murray is filming a whiskey commercial. The director talks for two minutes, and then the translator says, “Move your left arm.” And he responds, “Is that all he said?” So, I had to go through this process of re-adapting my dialogue quite recently.
Initially, I was quite vexed as I found myself thinking, “I’ve penned these scripts, this is the dialogue, and this is how I envisioned it.” During this time, I shared my grievances with Lee Bermejo, my collaborator on our comic book, A Vicious Circle. Instead of empathizing with me, he managed to shift my perspective. He essentially said, “Hey, man, this is merely the lettering aspect in comics. You wrote the script and I drew it. Now, you place your dialogue within it, and suddenly you realize that some parts don’t need to be said or can be rephrased. It’s just another stage to help make it better.”
Even though you haven’t had a conversation with the creator of The Terminator, James Cameron, he has publicly shown his approval for this project in a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter. I presume your reaction was positive, right?
I must say, Cameron’s kindness towards the project, rather than personally, is truly commendable, especially considering it’s jointly owned by him and Skydance. He had the power to shut it down, but instead, he shared an article with the words, “I’m curious to see what ideas people will develop from this, and I can’t wait to witness their creations.” I find that mindset quite inspiring.
After you began crafting the series, the Batman Writers Guild arbitration took place. Now, you’re once again collaborating with Matt Reeves on The Batman Part II. It’s evident that Matt Reeves enjoys working in tandem with you. Was your return to this project an opportunity to heal any lingering resentment you may have felt?
Indeed, I’ll be upfront about it. It was quite an unpleasant experience, one that required substantial investment of time and emotion. Working alongside Matt on our initial film project was truly a delightful journey. However, when I joined the team, I was informed that due to the advanced stage of production, credit might not be forthcoming. No one mistreated me or took advantage; it simply was what it was. We ended up making significant contributions beyond just the third act, enhancing the mystery and the early acts as well. This led to a fleeting hope, “Oh, perhaps there’s a chance [I’ll get credit].” However, that was merely a possibility. Unfortunately, my name became public, which isn’t always beneficial, and I became associated with this project.
I discovered the day when the Fandome trailer launched [in August 2020]. It was both exciting (“Here it is!”) and a bittersweet realization (“I’m no longer part of this”). There was a tinge of sadness, and I had to remind myself, “They compensated me. I’m a professional, so let’s be mature about this and not dwell on it too much.”
On the day the movie released, Matt Reeves and I had a lengthy phone conversation, where he shared insights into the filmmaking process and seemed to be reflecting on his own experience. Impulsively, I considered asking if he wanted me for the sequel, but decided against it. Instead, it was evident that he simply wanted to discuss his recent journey. So, I chose to act as a good friend, savoring the fact that he continued to regard me as part of this project. Around six weeks later, he phoned again and posed, “Are you ready for sequel duties? You want to commit fully this time?”
Experiencing a profound emotional release was significant for me as Batman holds great importance in my life. As a writer, director, or creator, we strive to create work that resonates with us and with the audience. In this case, doubts crept in – imposter syndrome set in and I worried about becoming a mere footnote in a Wikipedia entry. Dark thoughts of career insignificance haunted me. Yet, despite these persistent fears, there was a moment of realization: it’s not about redemption; rather, it’s an opportunity to prove myself with this major responsibility. In summary, I am eternally grateful to Matt Reeves for the three profound impacts he has had on my life.
Are you curious about how David Benioff and D.B. Weiss felt before their initial encounter with George R.R. Martin, knowing he had the power to unlock ‘Game of Thrones’? With ‘Aegon’s Conquest’ under development for HBO, might they share similar feelings of apprehension and excitement about their new project with you?
It’s astonishing that he recognizes me, and whenever I receive a message from him, it feels unusual, like we should exchange letters instead. This man has crafted an entire universe, one filled with depth and breadth, unlike anyone else I’ve encountered. Meeting him, I couldn’t help but be honest. “I’ve read your books, watched the shows, and I’m not a walking encyclopedia of it. I’m here as a fan seeking entertainment, now as a potential creator. Given what you’ve achieved, it feels like it’s my duty to acknowledge that you’re the mastermind behind all this.” His wisdom seems divine to me. I truly believe he speaks with the voice of a higher power. After all, who else has the answers to all my questions and uncertainties?
What was your way into Aegon’s Conquest?
I discovered a method to add a personal touch, and a significant factor in securing the job was linking it to everyday experiences. I discussed the Romanian Revolution, shared stories about my mother, and explained that while conquest can bring great benefits to those being referred to as “conquered,” it can also cause families to split apart. I had more to say than just “the dragons are coming.” This wasn’t an easy task because I was also trying to maintain the authenticity of the story, where the dragons indeed arrive. I believe that my ability to express something deeply personal may have contributed to him selecting me for the job. Of course, I was anxious about getting the job since it meant taking on a responsibility, and once you get these jobs, there’s a moment of realization: “Now I actually have to do this.”
Currently, I’m engrossed in drafting the pilot script. I’m constantly connected with George, and I can’t help but feel incredibly fortunate to have such a revered figure as a quick text away. I can simply reach out and ask, “What does this symbolize? Could you guide me?” And he promptly delivers an ocean of knowledge. It’s all done with utmost respect and humility, and what I yearn for most is to bring this project to life and make it something that he takes great pride in.
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2024-08-30 21:56