PREVIEW – Terminator: Dark Fate

Terminator: Dark Fate hits theaters November 1, 2019

What we do and don’t know so far about Terminator: Dark Fate is being piecemeal teased out through various sources:

• James Cameron returned to produce and made screenplay edits. He did not write the screenplay or direct, however, and did not even show up during any of the shooting.
• Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are returning to their iconic roles, but might not be main cast (??? I sure hope both get at least decent amounts of screen time. Will not be excited about extended cameo roles if that’s what we see, but the trailers make it look like they will have decent screen time)
• Will take place in timeline after T2: Judgment Day, Cameron’s last film in the series. None of the other sequels, reboots, TV, etc will be canon.
• John Connor does not seem to be a central character in the plot, but Edward Furlong will also return.
• Kyle Reese? Unknown.
• Will be Rated R — yay!
• Guns N’ Roses rumored to be adding possibly brand new music — or existing — to the film. “You Could Be Mine” was catchy part of T2: Judgment Day. This, if it turns out to be true, is awesome.
• Directed by Deadpool’s Tim Miller. (I am so hoping Dark Fate does not choose the sardonic wit character path of Deadpool). Cameron assured his ex-wife Linda Hamilton that it is in “capable hands.” We’ll soon find out.

Saw the most detailed trailer preview during IT: Chapter Two on Friday. You can watch two trailers on the Rotten Tomatoes Dark Fate page which also provides a juicy movie teaser. Or, if you’re going to see the IT sequel, you’ll see it then. It was my favorite trailer so far because I got the best sense of what the film might be like. Does it spoil the film? No. Here is the Rotten Tomatoes movie info verbatim:

“When Skynet sends a powerful new Terminator from the future in order to terminate Dani Ramos, a hybrid cyborg human and her friends, Sarah Connor teams up with the original T-800 Terminator to fight the new threat and save the future once and for all. “

This has all teased me to the point of wanting to watch Dark Fate. The last few Terminator movies I’ve not been this excited about seeing, so mission accomplished. Simply having Arnold return was not enough to do anything because he just looks old and tired (he is, of course), but this pre-movie buzz feels different.

So, I’m looking forward to seeing this in the theater along with Rambo Last Blood later this month and soon Doctor Sleep, the sequel to The Shining.

I’m curious how many others are looking forward to see Dark Fate or other new movies coming to theaters this fall?