James Cameron Talks Clashes With Tim Miller on Terminator: Dark Fate

James Cameron Talks About Working With Tim Miller on Terminator: Dark Fate

Apparently, making a movie is hard. And making a Terminator movie is even harder. Just ask James Cameron, who explained the challenges of working with Tim Miller on Terminator: Dark Fate in a recent interview (via CinemaBlend).

As most are probably aware, Cameron is making a much-heralded return to the franchise he created, albeit in a producer role, while Miller is serving as director. Obviously, both were quite passionate about the project, which led to a lot of “creative battles” on set, particularly in the editing room.

“I would say many [disagreements],” Cameron explained. “And the blood is still being scrubbed off the walls from those creative battles. This is a film that was forged in fire. So yeah, but that’s the creative process, right?”

Cameron went on to say that the rough cut of Terminator: Dark Fate wasn’t a slam dunk. He felt there were unnecessary routes taken and, being an editor himself, provided specific notes — a process that continued right up until the picture was locked some two and a half months ago. This was similar to how he approached his collaboration with Robert Rodriguez on Alita: Battle Angel, which had a more positive outcome.

“My work with Robert on Alita was very different. Robert loved the script, loved everything, said, ‘I just want to make this movie. I want to make the movie the way you see it.’ I was like, ‘No, you got to make it your movie,'” Cameron said. “I had the reverse experience with Tim, which is Tim wanted to make it his movie. And I’m like, ‘Yeah, but I kind of know a little about this world.’ So I had the matter and the anti-matter version of that producurial experience.” 

RELATED: Terminator: Dark Fate Review

More than two decades have passed since Sarah Connor prevented Judgment Day, changed the future, and re-wrote the fate of the human race. Dani Ramos (Natalia Reyes) is living a simple life in Mexico City with her brother (Diego Boneta) and father when a highly advanced and deadly new Terminator – a Rev-9 (Gabriel Luna) – travels back through time to hunt and kill her. Dani’s survival depends on her joining forces with two warriors: Grace (Mackenzie Davis), an enhanced super-soldier from the future, and a battle-hardened Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton). As the Rev-9 ruthlessly destroys everything and everyone in its path on the hunt for Dani, the three are led to a T-800 (Arnold Schwarzenegger) from Sarah’s past that may be their last best hope.

RELATED: Terminator: Dark Fate Review #2

Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger return in their iconic roles as Sarah Connor and T-800 in Dark Fate with James Cameron, also returning as a producer and co-writer. They’re joined by Mackenzie Davis (Blade Runner 2049), Natalia Reyes (Birds of Passage), Gabriel Luna (Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.) and Diego Boneta in the film with Tim Miller (Deadpool) behind the camera.

(Photo Credit: Getty Images)