The first two entries of the Terminator franchise are widely praised around the world while the subsequent films that have followed have been met with a polarizing response from fans. 1984’s The Terminator and 1991’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day represent the best of the best in sci-fi action while also maintaining a strong narrative and compelling characters. The subsequent films have tried to build on the ideas presented in these two movies but it never seems to come 100 percent together. Diminishing returns have continued to plague the franchise, with the last entry, 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate, taking the biggest financial hit to date. Despite the franchise looking like it should be put to bed, producer Gale Anne Hurd believes there are still good stories to tell and that the franchise still has a future.
Gale Anne Hurd was once the wife of director James Cameron and, along with Cameron, was partly responsible for The Terminator as a screenwriter, and she also served as an executive producer on Terminator 2 and Terminator 3. During a recent interview with “Variety“, Hurd presented her view of the future of the franchise by first saying while she wasn’t involved in the last one (Terminator: Dark Fate), she believes it’s possible for Terminator to be a great IP once again:
“To give you some perspective, I used to have a scuba diving practice in Micronesia, and we found that they even screened The Terminator, albeit a bootleg video version, of one of the most remote islands in the world. The awareness is already built-in, and I do think it’s perennial; with the right story with the right cast, and the right direction, I think there could still be a potential future there.”
Hurd acknowledging the brand recognition of Terminator is true. It’s an IP that is very familiar with everyone around the world and it’s something that is very much a part of pop culture. What has been lacking is the right story and direction. Terminator: Salvation, Terminator: Genisys, and Terminator: Dark Fate have moments that make them entertaining enough but there is always this sense that SOMETHING is missing. Also, as we got to Dark Fate and even with the return of Linda Hamilton as Sarah Connor, a lot of it started to feel stale. There hasn’t been anything about the latest Terminator films that have propelled them into the future. Many of them feel stuck in some kind of arrested development. This is a big reason why the films keep seeing muted box office because, beyond the hardcore fanbase, they haven’t done much to entice a new audience.
After Terminator: Dark Fate bombed at the box office, I personally thought it was time to put the franchise to bed. This is even coming from someone who mostly liked the film but acknowledged it only really moved the needle for hardcore fans of the brand and not anyone else. That being said, I am intrigued by Hurd’s notion that there could be the right storyteller, director, and cast out there that could breathe new life into the franchise because there are some good ideas to explore if they stop playing it safe by sticking the formula of the series.
What are some of YOUR ideas to keep the Terminator franchise fresh? Do YOU think it should keep going or is that a wrap?