Terminator: Dark Fate came and went and didn’t make much of a
splash critically or at the box office. Producer James Cameron had major plans
for a continuation of the franchise. Dark Fate was set up as a standalone or the
first film in a new trilogy. Cameron wanted to explore the human relationship
with artificial intelligence and admits that doesn’t happen in Dark Fate. But
production on the film was recently revealed as being troubled. Director Tim
Miller and Cameron had huge creative differences even though he never showed up
on set. Miller talked to THR’s Kim Masters and said he had “no plans” to work
with James Cameron again and that desire is due to a wish to retain control of
his own films. Of the failure of Dark Fate, Miller explained: “I’m sure we could
write a book on why it didn’t work. I’m still not sure and I’m processing, but
I’m very proud of the movie. The things critics seemed to hate the most about
the movie were things I can’t control. I can’t control you didn’t like Genysis
or you felt betrayed by Terminator 4. I can’t help that.” He confirmed there
were creative battles on the film between him, Cameron and Skydance’s David
Ellison: “Even though Jim is a producer and David Ellison is a producer and they
technically have final cut and ultimate power, my name is still on it as
director. Even if I’m going to lose the fight … I still feel this obligation to
fight because that is what the director is supposed to do. Fight for the movie.”
Cameron and Miller had different opinions about Legion, the main villain.
Cameron wanted the humans to be winning the war against Legion, while Miller
wanted them to be losing: “I suggested Legion is so powerful, the only way to
beat it is going back in time and strangle it in the crib. Jim says, ‘What’s
dramatic about the humans losing?’ And I say, ‘Well, What’s dramatic about the
humans winning and they just need to keep on winning?’ I like a last stand. It’s
not his thing.” Cameron hated Miller’s rough cut and wasn’t shy about it.
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