Terminator: Dark Fate was the box office winner this past weekend, but it wasn't exactly a glowing endorsement by the audience, as the movie did less than $30 million domestically. Internationally, the movie is doing a bit better, and so the possibility that the franchise might continue is always there. However, if we get a sequel to Dark Fate, it seems that follow up will almost certainly happen without director Tim Miller.
Miller was a guest on our own ReelBlend Podcast and he was asked about the potential future for this part of the Terminator franchise, which James Cameron has previously teased. Miller confirmed that there are ideas for future films, but also said that if they happen, it will be some other director. According to Miller...
I was grateful just to play in this sandbox once. It’s Jim’s sandbox, and he can take his toys and do whatever he wants with it. I’m just grateful that I got to do this one. And there’s a lot of stories to tell. And I’m old, so I have to look at how many more movies I can make.
For the record, director Tim Miller is 49-years-old, not what I would consider "old," but it's certainly true that ones opportunities to direct movies are limited, and Miller wants to be sure that he uses the opportunities left to him wisely. If Miller were to commit himself to a Terminator trilogy, he'd end up spending the better part of a decade in the world of Terminator and he says there are a lot of stories to tell, so he seemingly doesn't want to get stuck telling just one.
Of course, at this moment, the odds aren't looking really great when it comes to the idea of a Terminator sequel in the first place. The film has made about $120 million around the world, but the domestic audience, which is still the largest box office market in the world, has shown itself to be less than interested.
And Dark Fate isn't getting the support from China that the last film received. Dark Fate made about $28 million in China during its opening weekend. Terminator: Genisys did much better in the middle kingdom. It was largely thanks to the Chinese box office that we got Dark Fate in the first place, but it looks like even China has largely moved on from the Terminator franchise.
You can check out Tim Miller's complete interview and his full comments on the future of the Terminator franchise in the new episode of ReelBlend below.
Would you like to see a sequel to Terminator: Dark Fate? If it actually happens, we'll have to wait and see who ends up taking the helm.
