In theory, 2019's Terminator: Dark Fate was intended to be the sequel fans had long awaited. Following the disappointments of Rise Of The Machines, Salvation, and Genisys, James Cameron finally re-engaged with his own franchise as a producer, collaborating with director Tim Miller to craft a genuine sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day. This sequel brought back Linda Hamilton as an older Sarah Connor, with Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the killer robot, and introduced a fresh ensemble of younger heroes. Despite receiving solid reviews, Dark Fate faced a... well, dark fate, failing to attract audiences at the box office. It underperformed, grossing just over $260 million, and remains the franchise's last major cinematic venture to date.
Despite the film's box-office challenges, Cameron remains optimistic about Dark Fate, particularly praising Gabriel Luna's dual-role, T-800-meets-T-1000 villain, the Rev-9. "I think the Rev-9 was cool as hell," he tells Empire. "Personally, I believe it's as good as anything we did back then." Regarding the film's failure to draw an audience, Cameron places the blame on himself. "Our issue wasn't that the film didn't work," he explains. "The problem was, people didn't show up. I've acknowledged this to Tim Miller many times. I said, 'I torpedoed that movie before we ever wrote a word or shot a foot of film.'"
The problem, according to Cameron, was that he started "getting high on his own supply" by creating a direct sequel to Terminator 2, focusing too much on the return of Arnie and Sarah Connor. Today, he questions whether this was what audiences desired. "We achieved our goal. We made a legit sequel to a movie where the people who were actually going to theaters at the time that movie came out are all either dead, retired, crippled, or have dementia," he says. "It was a non-starter. There was nothing in the movie for a new audience."
Despite feeling that "we miscalculated the whole thing" with Dark Fate, Cameron still ranks it among the best entries in the franchise. "I think the film's cracking," he says. "I still think mine are the best, but I place it solidly in third."
Read Empire's extensive new interview with James Cameron – discussing the enduring legacy of The Terminator and its sequels; the thematic concerns that have echoed throughout his career; his evolving relationship with the original film; and what the future holds for the franchise – in the November 2024 issue, available for purchase on Thursday, September 26. Pre-order a copy online here.
