In the making of Terminator: Dark Fate, director Tim Miller took on a rather huge job. Not only did he have the responsibility of trying to rejuvenate the franchise with a new, exciting chapter, but he also took on the responsibility of rewriting the continuity and making a sequel specifically to Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Fortunately it’s a mission that went successfully, as the film is the best in the franchise since 1991 – and apparently Miller is happy to leave on a high note.
Whether or not we will actually ultimately get a sequel to Terminator: Dark Fate isn’t something that we know for certain right now, but it’s interesting to note that Tim Miller doesn’t necessarily want the gig should it be offered to him. It was a sentiment he shared with me this past weekend at the Los Angeles press day for the new movie, as I asked him about his potential future with the franchise at the end of my interview with him. Said the filmmaker,
I enjoyed blue sky thinking about it with the both the novelist writers room, and the screenwriters room, and I was fortunate to play in the sandbox once, of Jim [Cameron's], and I'm okay with that. If nothing else happens, I'm good with that.
Truth be told, it was a reaction that I wasn’t expecting. Having interviewed a lot of filmmakers behind franchise projects, and asked them a similar question, usually the response is enthusiasm about the idea of returning to the world and continuing to build. That’s apparently not the case for Tim Miller, though, who is proud of the impact he was able to make on the Terminator series with Terminator: Dark Fate, and doesn’t necessarily feel the need to keep telling stories in that universe.
It was a particularly interesting response following the previous topic in our conversation – which was in regard to the extent he went in terms of detailing the new continuity that is established in Terminator: Dark Fate. He explained that he personally went to great lengths with that material, but also made a conscious effort not to lock the movie into too many super specific things, allowing future filmmakers to have more freedom in their storytelling. This suggests that Tim Miller has long been of the mind that this would be his singular feature on the franchise.
Of course, things might change, and should a Terminator: Dark Fate sequel move forward, perhaps Tim Miller could be convinced to return to the helm. Sometimes all it takes is a compelling nugget of an interesting idea for an artist to reconsider their commitments.
You can watch Tim Miller discuss whether or not he would return to direct a Terminator: Dark Fate sequel by clicking play on the video below:
For those of you who have seen Terminator: Dark Fate – would you like to see Tim Miller potentially come back for a sequel? Hit the comments section below with all of your thoughts, feelings, and opinions on the matter, and stay tuned here on CineamBlend for not only more from my interview with Tim Miller, but also stars Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Gabriel Luna, Natalia Diaz, and Mackenzie Davis.
