Terminator Zero’s second trailer asks if humanity is worth saving

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As a die-hard fan of the Terminator franchise, I can’t contain my excitement for “Terminator Zero”! With a career spanning from the 1984 original to the latest “Dark Fate”, I’ve seen it all, and let me tell you, this anime adaptation by Production I.G is a breath of fresh air. The blend of cyberpunk aesthetics and high-octane action has always been a winning combination for the franchise, but adding André Holland and Sonoya Mizuno to the cast? Brilliant!

In about a month’s time, we’re almost at the debut of the anime series titled “Terminator Zero”, which unfolds within the grim setting of the Terminator film and TV franchise universe. Excitement is building for this joint production by Production I.G (known for “Ghost in the Shell” and “Psycho-Pass”) and Skydance, as Netflix recently released a fresh trailer on Tuesday. This sneak peek primarily showcases the two human leads of the series: Malcolm Lee, a computer programmer, and Eiko, a time-traveling resistance soldier.

Mattson Tomlin, known for his work on ‘Project Power’ and ‘The Batman’, serves as both executive producer and creator of ‘Terminator Zero’. This anime series marks the first time the Terminator universe ventures into the realm of animation. Set post-‘Terminator 2: Judgement Day’ (1991), the story revolves around Malcolm Lee, portrayed by André Holland, who is a brilliant scientist on the verge of creating an artificial intelligence that Skynet, the world-dominating AI, perceives as a threat.

In a future where Skynet dispatches a Terminator (Timothy Olyphant), sent from its own time, to eliminate Malcolm and his kin, Eiko, a resilient fighter for humanity, journeys back in time to protect Malcolm and his offspring from the impending robot uprising.

The newly released trailer showcases several scenes: Malcolm’s terrifying visions of a city annihilated by nuclear war, him counseling his son on the power of knowledge to combat oppression, and his heartrending pleas for Kokoro to prevent human extinction. Additionally, we catch glimpses of Eiko demonstrating her badass skills, fending off Terminator assaults on an underground rebellion hideout, hurling Molotov cocktails at a pursuing police car, and setting explosives on an elevated walkway while abseiling. In essence, she’s proving herself as a valuable member of the resistance against Skynet.

Approaching five years since the release of “Terminator: Dark Fate,” the sixth installment in the Terminator series, which received moderate praise from critics but underperformed financially, there’s hope that “Terminator Zero” might be just what this franchise needs to revive its fortunes. We’ll see if that’s the case when it debuts on Netflix next month.

Terminator Zero will premiere Aug. 29 on Netflix.

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2024-07-31 19:48