In the wake of James Cameron’s masterpiece Terminator 2: Judgment Day, the time-travelling killer robot saga faced a dark fate – with a string of sequels and reboots that failed to hit the spot. But now the action series is back with a different kind of Dark Fate – a direct sequel to the beloved 1991 classic, produced by Cameron, that ignores the events of Rise Of The Machines, Salvation, and Genisys. The first trailer has arrived, and it’s full of nods to the series’ early entries – while also introducing a bunch of newcomers and a fearsome all-new Terminator.
The Dark Fate trailer establishes itself as a Judgment Day sequel from its very opening shot speeding along a highway – but this time it’s new character Dani Ramos, played by Natalia Reyes, doing the talking. It looks like the series just found its new Sarah Connor figure – Dani is an ordinary woman whose life is turned upside down when a killer android from the future starts hunting her down. Of course, she’s not the only Sarah Connor figure here – Linda Hamilton is back as actual Sarah Connor, still the fearsome warrior she was in Terminator 2. It’s thrilling to see her back in the role, still fighting the good fight as one of Dani’s protectors.
The thing she’ll need protection from? Gabriel Luna’s new 2-in-1 Terminator. This one has both a jet-black endoskeleton and a T-1000-style liquid metal outer layer – a neat combination of the tech from the first two Terminator films – with the trailer demonstrating how each half can operate independently. It isn’t just Sarah Connor helping Dani survive his assassination attempts – Mackenzie Davis’s Grace is her biggest source of protection, not exactly a Terminator, she’s no mere human either.
Finally, we get a hint of Arnie’s return here – the original Terminator icon will, of course, be back. We don’t know exactly in what capacity yet – but with Connor willingly tracking him down to his woodland shed, there’s plenty to think about: Which Terminator this is? Why is he here? And is he friend or foe this time?
Head this way to read Empire's trailer breakdown interview with director Tim Miller, and click here to see an exclusive image of Arnie’s return in Dark Fate. Check out the first poster here. The film travels back in time to land in UK cinemas later this year on 23 October.
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