After all these years, Arnold Schwarzenegger is still pumping iron, but the actor’s latest trips to the gym haven’t been solo endeavors. A recent tweet from Schwarzenegger’s new co-star Gabriel Luna sees the duo working out in between days on the set of The Terminator.
It’s an appropriate pairing, seeing how each one of them can lay claim to the upcoming sci-fi sequel’s titular role – Schwarzenegger as the classic T-800, and Luna as a whole new Terminator. Naturally, there’s an observable feeling of behind-the-scenes solidarity between the two cybernetic organisms, with Luna posting a batch of photos with the following caption:
“The big man and I aren’t shooting today, but we don’t take days off. @Schwarzenegger #stayready #Terminators”
Turns out that in order to maintain the acceptably brawny physiques, these two Terminators need to be almost as relentless as the inhuman characters they portray.
As endearing as these pics are, if you’re really looking for clues on how next year’s movie will pan out, you’re probably better off checking out a few photos from the set itself. Images from back in July saw Luna wielding a guitar in Madrid, raising questions of whether the new Terminator could be bringing us a song or two. Meanwhile, photos of a scar-covered Mackenzie Davis have fuelled rumors that she too is playing a character composed of living tissue over metal. If so, you have to wonder why Luna and Schwarzenegger didn’t invite her along to their #Terminators workout sessions.
Of course, after an increasingly dissatisfying run of Terminator movies, it’s going to take more than a strong set of muscles to steer this franchise back on course. For what it’s worth, you can take it as an encouraging sign that James Cameron is back on production duties, with the filmmaker commenting earlier this year that he intends for the property catch up with our changing views of computer technology.
“We’re developing a new Terminator film. And The Terminator films are all about artificial intelligence. But I would say we’re looking at it differently than when I wrote the first story in 1982. That was just your classic ‘technology bad, smart computers bad’ kind of thing. Nowadays though — it’s got to be a much more nuanced perspective. So its ‘Smart computers bad… BUT…’ That’s the new motif.”
Just as The Terminator will have to move with the times, the pressure’s on for Luna and his still-present forerunner Schwarzenegger to keep this franchise compelling. We’ll see if all that weight-lifting was worth the effort when the new film hits theaters on November 15th, 2019.
