Filmmaker Tim Miller has read your comments and knows that the general sentiment surrounding his upcoming “Terminator: Dark Fate” is a resounding “Why?” Specifically, after “Terminator 2: Judgment Day,” why have filmmakers attempted (and failed) to bring back a franchise that hasn’t had a good sequel since the 1991 film? Well, Miller thinks he knows why and is hoping to show everyone come November.
In a new interview with Variety, Miller talks about why his film is different than previous ‘Terminator’ sequels that have sullied the image of James Cameron’s classic franchise. And apparently, a lot of that comes down to his lead, Mackenzie Davis.
In the film, as seen in the trailer, Davis plays a new version of the “protector” character that has been seen in just about every ‘Terminator’ film since the first one in 1984. However, she’s not just a rehash of the Kyle Reese character from the original or Arnold Schwarzenegger’s lovable killer cyborg from ‘T2.’ No, she’s something very different.
“Joe [Abercrombie, a novelist & consultant for the film] came out with this idea that a new protector from the future is a machine fighter,” explained Miller. “It’s a painful life, and they’re scarred and take a lot of drugs to combat the pain of what’s been done to them. They don’t live a long time. It’s a very sacrificial role; they risk death to save others.”
He continued, “And from the very first suggestion it was always a woman. We had to look for someone who has the physicality, but I’m very sensitive to actors. I didn’t just want a woman who could physically fit the role but emotionally as well. Mackenzie really wanted to do it; she came after the role. She worked harder than anybody.”
And when you give a role like this to a female, it’s likely to turn heads. Even with Sarah Conner, played by Linda Hamilton, becoming one of the most iconic badasses in all of film, the general feeling is that ‘Terminator’ is a muscle-bound, bro-y affair. And if you’re one of those guys that expect dudes kicking the shit out of other dudes in ‘Dark Fate,’ you’ll likely be disappointed.
“If you’re at all enlightened, she’ll play like gangbusters,” said the director. “If you’re a closet misogynist, she’ll scare the fuck out of you, because she’s tough and strong but very feminine. We did not trade certain gender traits for others; she’s just very strong, and that frightens some dudes. You can see online the responses to some of the early shit that’s out there, trolls on the internet. I don’t give a fuck.”
We’ll see how Miller’s “Terminator: Dark Fate” plays with audiences when it’s released on November 1.