Terminator: Dark Fate is the sixth film in the sci-fi franchise and there’s a lot riding on its success. The first two movies are considered classics of the genre, but the sequels have left much to be desired. While most would agree that there are some redeeming qualities from each of the continuations, on the whole, they’ve failed to live up the legacy of the original duology.
When news first broke that a sixth iteration was gearing up, the responses were muted, at best. After all, to that point, the most recent installment in the series was Terminator Genisys, and while it featured some inspired casting, such as Emilia Clarke taking over the role of Sarah Connor, it’s considered by most to be the least fruitful.
However, interest began building in Dark Fate when it was revealed that James Cameron was coming back to produce the film and that it would be a direct continuation of the first Terminator and its sequel, Terminator: Judgment Day. Fans got even more excited when Deadpool director Tim Miller became attached to the project.
However, Miller’s involvement hinged on one specific aspect: Linda Hamilton returning to the franchise. At the time, Hamilton’s reappearance wasn’t guaranteed, and Miller was upfront recently, saying that he likely would’ve walked had she not come back.
You know, we had a really brief time where we talked about other options before we said, “Well, what if Linda comes back?” Because that’s the optimal thing. And once we started talking about that, we didn’t talk about anything else until Jim had an answer. So, we all just kind of followed. Because if Linda says yes, then that drives a whole bunch of decisions. And if she says no, then you have to do something completely different because there was no world in which anybody else played Linda Hamilton. So, all roads lead to Linda and I don’t know what was beyond them. Probably nothing. I probably would have fucked off and quit if she didn’t do it.
The stars aligned though, and Linda Hamilton agreed to take up arms and save the future alongside the T-800 once again. While many are still skeptical, early reactions have it that this is the first worthy sequel since Judgment Day. With the film opening Friday, November 1st, audiences will get to decide for themselves quite soon, but all signs are point to Terminator: Dark Fate being a proper follow up.