Why James Cameron Returned To The Terminator Franchise

"Terminator: Dark Fate" acts as a direct sequel to "Terminator 2" and is largely set in 2020, wisely relegating the events of other "Terminator" sequels to an alternate timeline. Linda Hamilton, the focus of the first two films in the franchise, reprises her role in the film as Sarah Connor, now tasked with protecting Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes), a young Mexican targeted by machine forces from the future. /p >

Where the "Terminator" franchise was born out of Cold War-era nuclear annihilation fears in the 1980s, "Dark Fate" updates the property in an age of surveillance, drone warfare and increased anti-immigrant sentiments. "I just feel like the world we live in now is going to be very defined by our co-evolution with our technology," James Cameron told Vanity Fair. He added:

"While technology and innovation have this vast promise for our survival, it's also a huge threat, especially when it comes to strong [artificial intelligence] coupled with weaponized robotics, and all It happens. It's just a matter of who gets there first, it's gonna be the next big arms race, it's gonna be like the next race to get the bomb."

Privacy concerns are also at the forefront of 'Dark Fate', with modern technologies such as smartphones making it easier than ever for future Terminators to track Sarah's every move in the film. "...It's like we're really on the cusp of an Orwellian armageddon of inconceivable proportions. So, I thought, hey, let's make a movie about it," Cameron added, referring with cheekiness following as "a very cheerful and upbeat kind of movie."