As far as science fiction franchises go, there are few quite as iconic as The Terminator. James Cameron's original two movies were a game changer for the genre when they were released in 1984 and 1991 respectively. And since then, the property has never been far from theaters for long. The most recent installment Terminator: Dark Fate brought back Linda Hamilton's Sarah Connor, who interacted with a slew of newcomers. Actress Mackenzie Davis played augmented super-soldier Grace, and recently shared her blunt thoughts about a future sequel.
Terminator: Dark Fate hit theaters November of 2019, and marked the whopping sixth installment in the long-running franchise. There was a ton of hype around Linda Hamilton's return to the franchise, as well as Deadpool director Tim Miller's involvement. But the movie was a box office bomb, despite the film's ending seemingly setting up more stories. Mackenzie Davis recently got honest about the property's future after Dark Fate, saying:
I really loved the movie and I’m so proud of what we did, but there wasn’t a demand for it [at the box office] and to think that there’d be a demand for a seventh film is quite insane. You should just pay attention to what audiences want – and they want new things and I want new things.
Well, that was honest. Because despite what Mackenzie Davis feels personally about Terminator: Dark Fate, it looks like box office interest for the property in general has waned over the years. And since it was only four years between her movie and Terminator: Genisys, moviegoers weren't as excited about paying money and heading to theaters for another robotic adventure.
Despite the steady build up in anticipation, Terminator: Dark Fate ended up raking home just $261.1 million. And since the movie had a reported budget of over $200 million when factoring marketing, the blockbuster failed to recoup its financial investment. This seemingly put the kibosh on any future sequels, at least until interest in the property kicks back up.
Later in her conversation with NME, Mackenzie Davis went on to explain how box office performance for Terminator: Dark Fate ended up affecting its future. And furthermore, how the financial side of the movie industry ultimately dictates which projects get made. As she put it,
There are many interesting people that don’t fit the mould of those who make these big franchises who have not had the chance to make movies. We should be investing in them right now.
While Mackenzie Davis was able to join the Terminator franchise and kick major ass in Dark Fate, even she doesn't believe that now is the right time for another sequel to hit theaters. Instead, the 33 year-old actress is hoping that more space is created for new and exciting movies, rather than a continuation of old blockbusters.
Well just have to see if/when the The Terminator franchise eventually returns to theaters. But if Mackenzie Davis' comments are any indication, it might be a long time before the war against the machines continues on. As for Davis, she can be seen in Jon Stewart's new movie Irresistible now. In the meantime, check out our 2020 release list to plan your next trip to the movies.
