On July 15th, Netflix quietly revealed a new first-look teaser trailer for its latest original series, Terminator Zero. The footage looks promising, utilizing a blend of classic anime elements such as glorious execution, remarkable foundation, and a splendid tone that quickly pulls in the viewer. The trailer does a great job of offering small samples of what’s to come as we see various Terminators in action, showing off ample amounts of brutality with the bloody essence of anime classics that feel pretty familiar from other projects that came before.
The Legacy of Terminator
Recently, the Terminator franchise has received a divided reception, as most theatrical releases have been subpar. To many, the timeline of what’s considered canon and what’s not has turned many away from the sci-fi hit franchise. However, with that being said, Terminator Zero does look to be similar, with a new coat of fresh paint and strong, emotional, tight-knit stories. However, whether fans and new audiences alike will buy into the premise, remains to be seen.
Here’s What We Know
A synopsis and the official cast were also unveiled: “2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.”
“Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.”
Animation Production
So it seems that the narrative is familiar as we see a survivor come back from the future and look to stop the impending doom of Skynet, but what’s interesting to note is that there’s no mention of franchise icons Sarah and John Connor, so I would feel that the series is canon to the main timeline, so does that give a bit of foreshadowing that Terminator fans who have felt to be in a state of fatigue that the corner could be turning, from everything shown, it certainly seems so.
Voice Cast
The anime boasts a stellar ensemble, which includes Timothy Olyphant(The Mandalorian) as the Terminator, Rosario Dawson(Ashoka), Sonoya Mizuno(House of the Dragon), André Holland(Moonlight) as Malcom Lee, and Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale) as the Prophet.
The eight-episode series is executive produced by Mattson Tomlin (The Batman: Part II) who also serves as showrunner and writer. Iconic anime and manga director Masashi Kudo (Bleach) helms Terminator Zero, while Skydance’s David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Don Granger also produce.
In addition to a stable and robust foundation and perfectly displayed action and emotion, all fans want to see is a good story. It sounds simple, but many still need to realize their vision, and previous attempts burn up on entry. This may be a turning point for what many considered a bonafide masterpiece; only time will tell.
Terminator Zero Release
“Terminator Zero” premieres on August 29th or too many, which is an excellent way of marketing to lure in even the hardcore and general viewers as ‘Judgement Day,’ the moment in the film franchise where everything changed, and the war for humanity began. The series will stream only on Netflix.
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