He said he’d be back.
The new action-packed trailer for “Terminator: Dark Fate” debuted Thursday, and it teases the return of the original franchise star Arnold Schwarzenegger.
But the film’s first preview — packed with highway and airplane battles — actually focuses on Linda Hamilton’s return in the role of Sarah Connor. It’s been 35 years since she first played her in 1984’s “Terminator,” and she’s still kicking ass.
But original director James Cameron said Arnold was the deal-breaker: “I said, ‘I can’t be involved in this film at all if Arnold’s not in it,’ ” Cameron tells Yahoo!
Cameron is only producing this time around, letting “Deadpool” helmer Tim Miller take the directorial reins. In addition to the familiar faces, “Dark Fate” also introduces a new semi-human Terminator, Mackenzie Davis (“Black Mirror”), and a mortal, Natalia Reyes.
“It’s a very female-centric film,” says Cameron, describing Hamilton’s iconic character as, “maybe less likable — but stronger.”
The man who gave us “Titanic” and “Avatar” says audiences are in for something special with Hamilton’s comeback. (Cameron was married to the “Beauty and the Beast” actress from 1997 to 1999.)
“I think fans are going to want to see her again, and they’re gonna wanna see the real Sarah Connor, and what time and dealing with these tragic futures has done to her,” he says.
After repeated attempts to reboot the franchise, this is a major push to get the sci-fi series back on track after 2015’s “Terminator: Genisys” disappointed at the box office, Deadline reports. David Ellison’s Skydance Media purchased brand rights from his sister, Megan Ellison, whose Annapurna snagged them for $20 million at auction.
“Dark Fate” picks up where the second sequel, 1991’s “Terminator 2: Judgement Day,” left off — ignoring the three progressively more forgettable installments from the 2000s.
“We want to pretend those other movies didn’t exist and continue on from ‘T2,’” Cameron says.
The film is coming to theaters and IMAX venues November 1st.