It Took 33 Years, But James Cameron’s Terminator 2 Is Finally About To Have A Worthy Sequel

Summary

• Terminator Zero
  ‘s trailer surpasses the previous sequels, promising a worthy follow-up to
  Terminator 2
  .
• The series aims to revive the franchise’s success with a consistent tone, nostalgic setting, and intense action.
• By focusing on new characters in a fresh setting,
  Terminator Zero
  hopes to reclaim the edge and intensity of the original movies.

With Netflix’s upcoming anime series Terminator Zero, Terminator 2: Judgment Day will finally receive a follow-up worthy of James Cameron’s iconic blockbuster. The Terminator movies have been stuck in a rough patch for over two decades now. Ever since 2003’s flawed Terminator: Rise of the Machines ended the franchise’s hot streak, the series has struggled to regain critical acclaim and box office success. First, 2009’s Terminator: Salvation unsuccessfully attempted to turn the franchise into a post-apocalyptic action extravaganza. Then 2015’s Terminator: Genisys got lost in a knotty, convoluted mess of overlapping, contradictory timelines.

After these twin failures, all hope was pinned on 2019’s Terminator: Dark Fate. Unfortunately, director Tim Miller’s Terminator: Dark Fate failed to fix the franchise despite bringing the Terminator series back to its R-rated roots. Now, Netflix’s upcoming anime series Terminator Zero is attempting to offer a new spin on the iconic android assassin. Fortunately, the first trailers for Terminator Zero prove that the Netflix show may have what it takes to save the series. Set in 1997 Japan, Terminator Zero follows Malcolm Lee, a scientist developing an AI that is competing with the franchise’s overarching villain, Skynet.

Terminator Zero’s Trailer Teases It Will Be The Worthy Terminator 2 Sequel We Never Got

Terminator Zero Looks Like The Perfect Future For The Franchise

Terminator Zero’s synopsis says the series will see Lee pursued by Timothy Olyphant’s Terminator, who has been sent back in time by Skynet to kill the scientist. Lee will be aided by Eiko, a soldier sent to protect him from the Terminator in a plot that mirrors elements of both the original movie and Terminator 2: Judgment Day. In Terminator Zero’s attempts to fix the franchise, Netflix’s anime series is unabashedly borrowing from both James Cameron’s Terminator movies. Terminator Zero even uses “Judgment Day “ as a tagline in its trailer.

Terminator Zero
is precision-engineered to reignite fan nostalgia for the first two movies in the series.

The show’s release date is also a subtle nod to Terminator 2: Judgement Day as the series arrives on August 29, the same date as Terminator 2’s eponymous Judgment Day. Add in the fact that the series is set only two years after Terminator 2: Judgment Day and it becomes clear that Terminator Zero is precision-engineered to reignite fan nostalgia for the first two movies in the series. Seen as the best of the franchise, The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgment Day benefited from a consistent tone, a clearer story, and more memorable action sequences than their successors.

Why None Of The Terminator 2 Sequels Worked

Each Terminator Sequel Had A Unique Fatal Problem

While a lot of franchises struggle to regain the popularity of their earliest outings, it is rare for a series to fail five times. Despite this, the Terminator franchise’s repeated failures all differ from each other. 2003’s Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines lacked a clear, consistent tone, as its comic relief was more childish than the earlier movies, but its brutal ending was miles more cynical and brutal than the rest of the franchise. The Sarah Connor Chronicles also lacked the dark edge of the original movies, but its biggest problem was a dearth of familiar faces.

Terminator: Salvation
has an intriguing premise, but the decision to make John Connor its leading character resulted in a story that was unclear and inconsistent.

Recasting Sarah Connor herself, John Connor, and the Terminator made the show feel like expensive fan fiction. Meanwhile, Terminator: Salvation has an intriguing premise, but the decision to make John Connor its leading character resulted in a story that was unclear and inconsistent. A lot went wrong with Terminator: Genisys, but the biggest issue was undoubtedly its almost incomprehensible timeline-hopping plot. Meanwhile, Terminator: Dark Fate tried to take the series back to basics, but the reboot took this too far in a dispiriting opening scene that killed off John Connor. The resulting retired Terminator character was unintentionally funny.

Terminator Zero Is Bringing Back Everything That Made Cameron’s Terminator Movies So Good

Terminator Zero’s Style And Action Do The Franchise’s History Justice

In contrast, Terminator Zero seems set to finally get the series back on track. Terminator Zero’s retro setting means it can bring back the thrills of the early movies in the series while also providing some nostalgic call-backs to their stories. However, what makes Netflix’s animated Terminator series truly exciting is its action. Terminator Zero’s trailer alone showcases some stunning action and striking visuals that the sequels have lacked ever since Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines arrived in cinemas over two decades ago.

Terminator Zero promises a relatively straightforward story with a fresh new setting that focuses on new characters instead of yet another recast version of John and Sarah Connor. Without these franchise mainstays returning, it is harder to predict who will live and who will die. As such, Terminator Zero can regain some of the edge and intensity found in the franchise’s first two movies. Thus, Netflix’s upcoming anime series Terminator Zero could be the project that will finally repeat Terminator 2: Judgment Day‘s success.