Remember how the critically panned
Terminator: Genisys took place in an alternate timeline? Well, it now appears as if that will also be the case for
Terminator: Dark Fate. According to multiple outlets, some huge new details from recent test screenings have leaked online, and they reveal that the story takes place shortly after the events of
Terminator 2: Judgement Day.
We've known for a while that
Dark Fate would ignore the third, fourth, and fifth instalments of the franchise, and it's said that after their defeat in the second movie, Skynet is well and truly gone (
Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines found a way to bring the villainous AI back).
However, it looks like Skynet has been replaced by a group called Legion, and they send a new Terminator back to kill John Connor - a character who is in the movie but not for very long.
Once he's been dealt with, Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes, who plays the world's new saviour) becomes a target and Rev-9, the advanced Terminator played by Gabriel Luna, is sent back to take her out. Another resistance group rises to combat Legion, and they're the ones who send back Grace (Mackenzie Davis) to protect Dani.
It all sounds very Terminator-esque, but is it not just more of the same? We'll find out later this year.
Hit the "VIew List" button to check out some hi-res Terminator: Dark Fate images!
Mackenzie Davis is clearly playing a robot created by Skynet meant to blend in with humans, but she seems convinced that she's real, and that could be where Arnold Schwarzenegger's character comes in - assuming he explains to her that the villainous organisation uses real people as the basis for their machines. Either way, she's pictured here alongside Natalia Reyes.
Sarah Connor's return has generated an awful lot of excitement and with moviegoers demanding badass female leads, it's pretty clear that she will be filling that void. This is an amazing shot, and while Emilia Clarke was fine in the role as a younger version of Sarah, it's good to have the real deal here!
Gabriel Luna's Terminator can clearly replicate himself, and he now has a name: Rev 9. Right now, we don't know what that's referring to, but speculation is running rampant that it could have something to do with the Biblical verse. A combination of both the T-800 and T-1000, he looks pretty damn formidable and could be the coolest villain this franchise has had yet. Well, maybe!
Arnold Schwarzenegger was barely featured in the trailer, so it's good to see him getting some action here. Rumour has it he's playing the human that the T-800 was based on, but could be be Carl, the owner of Carl's Draperies. That would be weird, but it's feasible!
Tim Miller was working with a limited budget on
Deadpool, so it will be interesting to see how he handles this leap to blockbuster filmmaking with a massive budget. Should the movie flop, that will set his career back quite considerably and probably means this series is well and truly a lost cause.