The Terminator franchise is one of the most beloved properties in the sci-fi genre. As such, news of its upcoming sequel Terminator: Dark Fate thrilled the generations of moviegoers who have been following the war against machines. Tim Miller's blockbuster will be a direct sequel to Terminator 2, which is largely considered the strongest installment in the franchise. Miller and James Cameron have made their intentions to get a hard R rating clear, and that official rating was recently confirmed. And now we know exactly why Dark Fate is going to be an R-rated romp.
The first two Terminator movies were rated R, allowing Cameron to not hold back when it came to the adult contents of his movies. But the sequels didn't always follow suit, as PG-13 ratings were given to movies like Salvation and Genisys, in an attempt to appeal to the broadest audience. But Terminator: Dark Fate has officially been given an R rating from the MPAA, with the reasoning listed below:
Rated R for violence throughout, language and brief nudity.
Well, that sounds about right. Thrilling Sci-fi violence has always been at the heart of the Terminator franchise. And the trailers for the Dark Fate have teased that Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor will be cursing freely, while also uttering some of the most iconic lines of dialogue from the long-running property. As for nudity, we all know how new Terminators are transported from the future: stark naked.
The MPAA's official reasoning for Terminator: Dark Fate's R rating should excite the hardcore fans out there. In many ways, it represents a return to form for the franchise. The Terminator movies were decidedly more adult when they first hit theaters, which is part of the reason why they resonated so much with audiences. They were thrilling, terrifying, and thoroughly entertaining. And by going back to an R rating will allow Tim Miller to tell a story that closely connects to Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
As a filmmaker, Tim Miller has already seen major success with an R-rated blockbuster. Deadpool broke new ground for the superhero genre, proving that a PG-13 rating wasn't necessary to make an insane profit at the box office. Plenty of other R-rated superhero movies have followed in the years since Deadpool hit theaters, and now Miller will use that same rating to bring the Terminator franchise home.
Related: Tim Miller Explains Why Terminator: Dark Fate Is Rated R
Overall, Terminator: Dark Fate looks like it's going to make fans of Terminator 2 very happy. The upcoming blockbuster will ignore the rest of the other sequels, creating a new timeline in the process. While the heroes avoided Judgement Day, the past 28 years haven't been especially kind to Sarah Connor. She's had a life of hunting Terminators, although her resolve will be questioned once she's forced to work with Arnold Schwarzenegger's Carl and Mackenzie Davis' Grace.
Terminator: Dark Fate will hit theaters on November 1st, 2019. In the meantime, check out our 2019 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
