Terminator 3: Rise of the Machinesgets a new fan-made trailer that imagines what an alternate version of the movie would look like. Released in 1984, the firstTerminatormovie introducesArnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, with the story following the killing machine as it hunts Sarah Connor (Linda Hamilton) and her protector, Kyle Reese (Michael Biehn). Both Schwarzenegger and Hamilton returned for Cameron’s 1991 sequel, which introduced Sarah’s son, John Connor (Edward Furlong) but only Schwarzenegger would reprise his role forRise of the Machinesin 2003.
Now, a channel calledTerminator 3 Future Warhas used AI to create a trailer for a new take on the thirdTerminatormovie, which involves theT-800 and Reese working together to change history. In this alternate version of the movie, Schwarzenegger is joined by Hamilton, Furlong, and Biehn in a destroyed cityscape, with some real dialogue from the franchise included. The trailer consists mainly of the different characters standing together with little movement, but there are several action scenes. Check out the trailer and the channel’s plot synopsis for the movie below:
In this trailer, witness the relentless journey back in time, where Kyle Reese and the T-800 are dispatched to alter the course of history. The stakes are higher, the machines are deadlier, and the battle for survival is more intense than ever. Experience the clash of human resilience against Skynet’s relentless pursuit, in a narrative that weaves through the pivotal moments of the original “Terminator” saga.
What The Terminator 3 Fan Trailer Means For The Franchise
The Franchise’s Direction After Dark Fate Explained
This new fan-made trailer arrives at an interesting time for theTerminatorfranchise. 2019’sDark Fatewas positioned as a potential comeback andreboot for theTerminatorIPafter a divisive two movies, withHamilton returning as Sarah for the first time in 28 years. The film, however, which hailed from director Tim Miller and earned generally positive reviews, was a box office failure, grossing $261 million on a $185 million budget.
How Terminator: Dark Fate Fits In The Terminator Timeline
Terminator: Dark Fate retconned the Terminator franchise timeline by introducing an alternate future that began after the events of Terminator 2
SinceDark Fate, there have been many questions about where the franchise will go next. Cameron has revealed that he’s working on aTerminator 7scriptand that it deals heavily with AI. The project, he has explained, also does away with much of theTerminatorfranchise’s iconography, seemingly meaningthe next movie won’t feature Schwarzenegger, Hamilton, or the story of Sarah Connor. Whether aTerminator 7gets made is still up in the air, but, if Cameron gets his way, it seems like audiences won’t be getting another reunion with the original cast members featured in the fan trailer above.
Our Take On The Fan-Made Terminator 3 Trailer
Rise Of The Machines Wasn’t A Total Win
After the glowing reception to the first twoTerminatormovies,Rise of the Machineswas a notable step down. The film, despite having some exciting action set pieces and some compelling performances, just didn’t quite come together. In hindsight,the idea presented in theTerminator 3fan trailer above may actually have been the better direction to take the franchise, but it’s not clear whether actors like Hamilton, Biehn, and Furlong would have been interested in returning.
After the first and secondTerminatormovies earned 100% and 91%, respectively, on Rotten Tomatoes,Rise of the Machineshas only a 70% critics score and lackluster 46% Popcornmeter score.
Though purely on an idea level the trailer is interesting, it also really shows the shortcomings of AI as a trailer-making tool. Despite featuring some interesting backgrounds,the wonky action shots and the struggle to match lip movements with dialogue suggests the technology still has a very long way to go. Still, the alternateTerminator 3: Rise of the Machinestrailer represents a curious what if for a franchise that has walked a rocky road for over two decades now.
