It’s common knowledge that Linda Hamilton did not want to return as Sarah Connor in Terminator: Dark Fate. Now that the movie has come and gone from theaters with more of a whimper than a bang, Hamilton says she’d be “happy to never return.” It took James Cameron more than a few emails and phone calls to get Hamilton on board for the sequel, which was highly anticipated before it hit theaters and she did enjoy being back and working with the latest cast.
In a new interview, Linda Hamilton discussed the box office side of Terminator: Dark Fate. The movie was able to earn $261 million globally from an initial budget of around $196 million. In other words, the long-awaited sequel was far from the hit the studio was anticipating. Regardless, Hamilton doesn’t seem to be to bummed about it, though she doesn’t need to come back to the franchise. She explains.
“I would really appreciate maybe a smaller version where so many millions are not at stake. Today’s audience is just so unpredictable. I can’t tell you how many laymen just go, ‘Well, people don’t go to the movies anymore.’ It should definitely not be such a high-risk financial venture, but I would be quite happy to never return. So, no, I am not hopeful because I would really love to be done.”
Terminator: Dark Fate did okay with critics and audiences, but not many people went to the theater to watch Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton reunite. The story suffered and there were some huge parts that long-time fans were not happy with. For instance, killing off John Connor at the beginning of the movie was not something audiences wanted to see. With that being said, Hamilton believes the death helped Sarah Connor’s narrative. She had this to say.
“I don’t think Sarah and John would be there at all if they were still fine and strong. I thought it was a great leaping-off point for my character. To create a new fuel and fire for Sarah Connor, I thought it was a very good story point. I’m not one that clings to past ideas… I just think it’s much more interesting to launch from a new place.”
Even though Linda Hamilton was apprehensive about returning to the Terminator franchise, she did have a lot of fun making it. While there were several gripes about Terminator: Dark Fate, the chemistry between Hamilton and Natalia Reyes and Mackenzie Davis was clearly evident from the start. It something that Hamilton saw as a blessing. She had this to say about working with Reyes, Davis, and director Tim Miller.
“I’ve never felt as united with my actors that I’ve worked with – ever – until these two ladies. That was a bond forged in fire. (Laughs.) It really took, and we leaned on each other hard. I love them as actors, I love them as ladies, and I love them as women that are fierce, intelligent, informed and considerate of the earth. They were just a blessing. And I think you have to put Tim (Miller) in there, too. It was really Tim and the three muses. Tim was very much a part of that relationship. At any given moment, two of us were hugging him, and if there was room for a third… (Laughs.) We were like that, truly. It sounds silly, I know, but we wouldn’t have made it without him. That’s for sure.”
Working on Terminator: Dark Fate also gave Linda Hamilton to talk about how much she did not like the movies after Terminator 2. James Cameron and Tim Miller made the decision early on to completely erase those other movies and make a direct sequel to T2. While it didn’t connect like they wanted, they were still able to pull it off. There could be more movies on the way, but it just doesn’t look like Hamilton will be back as Sarah Connor again. The interview with Hamilton was originally conducted by The Hollywood Reporter.
