Barring Salvation (though one could certainly argue semantics), every Terminator movie to date has included Arnold Schwarzenegger in a prominent role. After all, a symbiosis exists between the two insofar that the franchise and actor boosted each other’s recognition considerably back in the 1980s.
If any other performer could be labeled as being synonymous with the series though, I’d have to say that’s Linda Hamilton. Though she hasn’t reappeared since Terminator 2: Judgment Day, it’s she that moviegoers will likely name as the definitive Sarah Connor.
Fortunately her lengthy hiatus will end once she returns as the aforementioned icon later this year in Terminator: Dark Fate. And when you factor in how she thought the last three entries into the series were forgettable, it’s understandable that Hamilton needed some convincing to come back. As luck would have it, though, James Cameron can be very persuasive.
“You know, it was basically a phone call from James Cameron,” said Hamilton. “Well, he had to call me three times for me to call him back… But once he told me the idea and I actually sat and thought about it for six weeks… Did I want to go there again? But once I’m in, I’m in.”
At this point, Terminator is starting to rival Halloween when it comes to the best “choose your own adventure” style of movies. But regardless of its increasingly convoluted continuity, I guarantee I’ll watch any addition to the franchise Hollywood cooks up. Like Hamilton, “once I’m in, I’m in.”
If you’re in the same boat, then be sure to hit up your local theater when Terminator: Dark Fate opens on November 1st. In the meantime, keep watching this space as we’re still waiting for the first trailer to drop.