Terminator: Dark Fate Co-Writer Told Us When He Realized The Movie ‘Might Be In Trouble,’ And It Involved A Pinball Machine

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While The Terminator and Terminator 2: Judgement Day are often hailed as top sci-fi films, subsequent movies in the series received mixed to unfavorable reviews from critics. Among these, Terminator: Dark Fate, which served as a direct sequel to the first two films, arguably performed the best. However, any positive reception it garnered was overshadowed by its disappointing box office performance. Interestingly, co-writer David S. Goyer had already suspected that the movie might face challenges even before its release. Remarkably, a pinball machine played a role in his realization.

In my latest chat with the writer behind Superman, we discussed a variety of topics. These included the shocking turns in The Sandman Season 2 finale, his opinions on James Gunn’s Superman, and his predictions for how Murderbot Season 2 might handle the upcoming books. Towards the end of our discussion, I couldn’t help but ask him about his role in Terminator: Dark Fate, specifically if there were any aspects from his draft that he felt should have been included in the final film. After Goyer confirmed that much of what he wrote made it to the movie, he offered the following thoughts while reminiscing about his time on the last Terminator project:

It appears that after the reboot, we all came to understand that the franchise needed more appeal, especially among younger audiences. My sons, who were not fans of The Terminator, didn’t even recognize it. So when reviving such properties, it’s crucial to consider this lack of familiarity as well. I recall asking my eldest son, who was around 12 or 13 at the time, if he knew about Terminator, and he only associated it with a pinball machine. This made me realize that we might be facing some challenges ahead.

More on Terminator: Dark Fate

In my humble opinion as a die-hard movie fan, the script for ‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ could’ve used a bit more depth. Don’t get me wrong, I loved being back in the world of the Terminators! But, I believe there were moments where Sarah Connor’s character could’ve been fleshed out even further, making her journey more compelling.

Dark Fate shares his thoughts on why the movie didn’t succeed at the box office. This discussion brings to mind the success factors of Terminator Zero.

Or in an even more casual way: The director of Terminator: Dark Fate talks about why it flopped, and it got me thinking about what Terminator Zero did well.

In 1984, the movie “The Terminator” was launched, and 35 years later in 2019, “Terminator: Dark Fate” came out. While some films are popular among various age groups, such as “Star Wars”, the younger generations were not familiar with “Terminator”. David S. Goyer’s sons, for instance, had only encountered it through a pinball machine at one point in time. I’m intrigued to know which pinball machine he specifically played and if there’s a location nearby where I can play a similar one… however, let’s move on.

Essentially, despite the fact that “Terminator: Dark Fate” attracted long-time fans of the initial two Terminator films, David S. Goyer discovered that the concept alone might not appeal to new viewers due to its heavy connection to the past. Goyer appreciated the return of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton as the T-800 and Sarah Connor, but even with fresh characters like Mackenzie Davis’ Grace, Natalia Reyes’ Dani Ramos, and Gabriel Luna’s Rev-9, there was an excessive focus on the past. A complete reboot might have been more effective in giving a fresh start to the franchise and making it more appealing to new audiences.

In a similar vein to Terminator Salvation and Terminator Genisys, Terminator: Dark Fate did not initiate a new trilogy for the franchise. As of now, there’s been no official word on whether or when the Terminator movie series will resume production. However, an anime series titled Terminator Zero was made available to Netflix subscribers in August 2024, but there’s currently no information about the future of the film series.

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2025-08-10 16:15