The Terminator: Dark Fate panel at San Diego Comic-Con was pure fan service. Director Tim Miller was joined by cast members Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049), Gabriel Luna (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.), Natalia Reyes (Cumbia Ninja), and Deigo Boneta (Rock of Ages ). But the biggest crowd-pleaser was the exciting appearance of Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger from Terminator 1 and 2. Hamilton played Sarah Connor and Schwarzenegger played the titular role. This is the first time the two co-stars will be on screen together since Terminator 2: Judgement Day’s theatrical release in 1991. But that was not the only exciting happening from the panel.
James Cameron, the original director of the Terminator, gave a video message from the set of the Avatar sequel (which, at this point, has taken forever to come out). He announced that Edward Furlong would reprise his role as John Connor in Terminator: Dark Fate. Furlong played a child John Connor in Terminator 2. Another announcement was that this new film would be rated R, reprising the tone and severity of the originals. All new Terminator films since 2003’s Rise of the Machines have been PG-13.
With the time-hopping in this franchise, plotlines can be a bit confusing. It also gives a great deal of wiggle room for directors and writers to do with the story as they wish. So to clear up where this new film would fall in the timeline, it was stated that Dark Fate will take place after Terminator 2: Judgement Day and it will ignore previous films.
Dark Fate is set to come to theaters this November 2019. The trailer was impactful and visually dynamic, making an immediate impression for audiences. It will be exciting to see the three original stars of the well-received Terminator 2 reunite on screen. Schwarzenegger, Hamilton, and Furlong had great chemistry and made for a trio that fans could easily rally behind.
