Beyond the writing-directing talents of James Cameron, the first two Terminator films have something else in common: the presence of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor. They’re also far and away the best films in the franchise, two stone-cold classics that gave way to sequels and reboots that couldn’t reach the same heights. Coincidence? Who knows – but we’ll see if the Hamilton theory holds later this year with the arrival of Terminator: Dark Fate, a direct follow-up to Terminator 2: Judgment Day that ignores the other sequels and brings an aged Sarah Connor back into the fray. All that, and it’s co-produced by Cameron, who also has a story credit.
Speaking at CinemaCon, Hamilton revealed she’s no fan of the post-Judgment Day films herself. “They’re very forgettable, aren’t they?” she told Variety. “You start something and you’re invested in the franchise, but somehow the characters that you care about weren’t there. Too many people, too many story points. So I think we’ve done a good job of narrowing down the focus again so it will echo the first two films.” Hamilton also spoke about her hesitance to join Dark Fate, revealing she gave herself some time before agreeing to reprise her iconic role. “I gave it probably six weeks of intense thinking and consideration before deciding to do it,” she admitted. “I wasn’t sure if I wanted to. I didn’t want it to look like a shameless money grab. I am living this quiet, lovely life that doesn’t involve being a celebrity, and you really have to think, do I really want to trade that in again for another 15 minutes?”
Here’s hoping the re-pairing of Arnie and Hamilton, plus some exciting new cast members including Mackenzie Davis and Gabriel Luna, and the involvement of Cameron makes for something that lives up to the series’ early glory. Head this way to see a bunch of new Dark Fate images – and catch the film when it arrives in UK cinemas on 23 October.
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