Arnold Schwarzenegger is famous for saying “I’ll be back.” Now, the franchise that spawned that immortal line may never be seen again, thanks to the absolute bomb that was Terminator: Dark Fate.
Tim Miller, director of the film, had hinted previously at his lack of control over the overall quality of the pic and in a recent interview, the frustrated Deadpool helmer opened up more about specific incidences of James Cameron, the film’s executive producer, and himself clashing over creative choices.
Sitting down with The Hollywood Reporter, Miller let loose in a cathartic question session. Specifically, one of the biggest issues that came up between the two Terminator directors was over the new big bad AI, Legion:
“[I suggested] Legion is so powerful, the only way to beat it is going back in time and strangle it in the crib. Jim said, ‘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.”
Apparently, there were also some contested lines in the film that the two creatives couldn’t quite agree on, either:
“I would fight for that line, because it was important to me. But does the audience really care? Probably not. As far as donnybrooks go, it’s not that big of a deal.”
Miller went on to lament how he had to accept that he just didn’t have full creative control on Terminator: Dark Fate, which is actually why he walked away from directing Deadpool 2. It was clear to the director that that film’s star, one Ryan Reynolds, was to be the lead creative force for that franchise, something Miller wouldn’t and couldn’t sit well with. His jumping ship to another major franchise, though, didn’t seem to work out in his favor.
Poor guy. Is Tim Miller one of the best directors working today? Eh, no. But hey; neither is my nemesis in the Hollywood directing game, James ‘Jimmy Boy’ Cameron.
I’m just always glad to see interviews like this where we, the normies, get an insight into the process. It ain’t always pretty, but, hey, it ain’t called Friend Business; it’s called Show Business.
