James Cameron Refused To Do Terminator: Dark Fate Without Arnold Schwarzenegger

If we’re being honest, the Terminator series has been on a downhill slope ever since the release of T2. For whatever reason, 2003’s Rise of the Machines decided to undo much of the efforts made by John and Sarah Connor to prevent Judgment Day, and ever since, the franchise fell victim to a confusing and needlessly complex plotline that quickly got away from what made the original two films so good in the first place.

Thankfully though, it looks like things are getting back on track. With series creator James Cameron on board, Terminator: Dark Fate is shaping up to be something special, partly because it serves as a direct sequel to T2, with the later films being treated as occurring in alternate timelines.

Better yet, franchise veterans Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton are reprising their roles as the T-800 and Sarah Connor, respectively, which is sure to please longtime fans. Interestingly, though, it seems some of the casting decisions weren’t made in an effort to appease moviegoers. As reported by CinemaBlend, it looks like James Cameron himself made it clear that he would only be willing to work on the film if Arnold was involved as well.

Yep, you read that right. The man behind Avatar and Titanic was so fond of working with Schwarzenegger, he insisted the original Terminator be cast in the upcoming movie. In Cameron’s own words:

I said ‘Look I’d love to be involved in this, but I can’t be involved in a Terminator movie without working with my good friend of 35 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger, even if it’s to officially pass the baton to a new generation of characters. So that’s what we all agreed to do. Then the question became what about Linda [Hamilton], does Linda want to come back?

Considering the actor-director duo collaborated on the original Terminator, T2, and True Lies, it’s clear to see why Cameron was so keen on working with Arnold one more time. Personally, we’re ecstatic to see Schwarzenegger back on the big screen in his most iconic role, and you can bet your bottom dollar that we’ll be watching Terminator: Dark Fate when it hits theaters on November 1st.