The Terminator series has been around so long that we’re only six years from where it all began: in grim, robot-ravaged 2029. That doesn’t mean it’s survived because people wanted it to. The first sequel may have been the biggest money-gobbler of 1991, but that’s the last time one of its films was a sensation. The third, released the following decade, did, you know, pretty good. (And it is pretty good!) The last three have all been critical and commercial failures. The franchise could always live on. But if it does it’ll have to do so without its precious original robo-killer.
The Hollywood Reporter has a new profile of Arnold Schwarzenegger, who seems pretty optimistic about being in his mid-70s. “My plan is to live forever,” he says. If so, it sounds like he won’t spend any of his eternal life playing the un-killable titular terminator.
“The franchise is not done. I’m done,” Schwarzenegger declared. “I got the message loud and clear that the world wants to move on with a different theme when it comes to The Terminator. Someone has to come up with a great idea.”
The muscle man-turned-actor cited the series as “largely responsible for my success” (evidently even moreso than Conan the Barbarian/Destroyer). He then broke down his thoughts on each of the series’ films.
“The first three movies were great,” he said. “Number four [Salvation] I was not in because I was governor. Then five [Genisys] and six [Dark Fate] didn’t close the deal as far as I’m concerned. We knew that ahead of time because they were just not well written.”
He’s not wrong. (And again, the threequel is solid!) And even if he did live on indefinitely, it’s still best not to waste one’s time. So while his onetime rival/now friend Sylvester Stallone keeps returning to old gigs, Schwarzenegger will probably just keep reuniting with old friends.