We know they're going to make another one. Cameron has confirmed he's been tapped to write it, but is that even the right move at this point? I get it, every version without him has largely failed, but the series also seems to be stuck. It needs some new juice.

I think they should follow the Predator path and go further back in time. I'm not interested in a modern-set film in the series. Gimme a '60s Terminator, or even better, 1860s.

Give it to Christopher Nolan with a blank cheque and just see what happens. Genuinely, though, as basic as it sounds, I think so many of the franchise's ideas had potential that could've been elevated into at least pretty good/fun movies, rather than disaster after disaster, if they'd had actual good writers and directors making these movies rather than the likes of... checks notes McG and the guys behind Catwoman (2004). So if Cameron does write the screenplay, that's immediately an improvement over every other sequel post-T2

Trouble is, Cameron also helped do the Dark Fate story. I know some like that one a lot, but it fell flat for me like all the other sequels. I think the series needs new blood for sure.

27 minutes ago, saperry said:

Trouble is, Cameron also helped do the Dark Fate story. I know some like that one a lot, but it fell flat for me like all the other sequels. I think the series needs new blood for sure.

True, though I think there's a difference between Cameron actually writing the screenplay rather than helping break the story then handing it off to David Goyer (and then just saying "honestly this one is the REAL sequel guys, I promise, and I mean it this time")!

I don't really disagree with your point though, especially in terms of going elsewhere in the timeline. Like you say, it's worked wonders for Predator (and Alien has also benefited massively from shifting focus to new characters), so can't argue with that.

The originals always stuck with me, and I’ve spent way too much time thinking about what could get the series back on track over the years. I even worked on Terminator Genisys, which really highlighted how hard it is for the franchise to move past its own shadow and do something new.

I don’t think it’s just about Arnold or Cameron. The first films were lightning in a bottle, and every sequel feels like it’s chasing that instead of evolving.

Everyone talks about finally doing the future war properly, but even that only works if it’s treated as something new and grounded, not just a remix of what we’ve already seen. That’s why I like the idea of going further back in time, similar to what Prey did for Predator. It forces the franchise to rethink the formula instead of repeating it.

22 hours ago, saperry said:

Trouble is, Cameron also helped do the Dark Fate story. I know some like that one a lot, but it fell flat for me like all the other sequels. I think the series needs new blood for sure.

I think they should scrap any ideas that are similar to what they've already done and start fresh. I often wonder if the originals were just lightning in a bottle and came at the right time and maybe now they're just chasing that old feeling that they can never quite recapture.

22 hours ago, FantasticJerome said:

I think they should scrap any ideas that are similar to what they've already done and start fresh. I often wonder if the originals were just lightning in a bottle and came at the right time and maybe now they're just chasing that old feeling that they can never quite recapture.

That's definitely it, and until someone considers shaking it up entirely it feels like they'll be stuck there.

Given Termiantor connection to AI, the franchise must reflect current trends of the technology. So, I think the next Terminator movie should begin with a Hollywood executive asking ChatGPT to make a new Terminator movie, which leads to the rise of an evil AI that takes over the world by distracting people with deepfakes of Will Smith eating spaghetti.

I do love the idea of going the Prey/Badlands route of changing it up. Definitely needs refreshing. I would love to see a terminator having to protect a human who would lead to the robot takeover, most likely a T-800 defending some big tech villain. That's a fun idea, to me at least. :)

1 hour ago, artistjerrybennett said:

I do love the idea of going the Prey/Badlands route of changing it up. Definitely needs refreshing. I would love to see a terminator having to protect a human who would lead to the robot takeover, most likely a T-800 defending some big tech villain. That's a fun idea, to me at least. :)

That's good too! At the very least it just needs to twist the formula more than "And this time....the bad guy can split himself in two?"

9 hours ago, Marco Vito Oddo said:

Given Termiantor connection to AI, the franchise must reflect current trends of the technology. So, I think the next Terminator movie should begin with a Hollywood executive asking ChatGPT to make a new Terminator movie, which leads to the rise of an evil AI that takes over the world by distracting people with deepfakes of Will Smith eating spaghetti.

That's probably what's happening now 😂