He says he didn’t have “ultimate control” over his own project
Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller has said that he’ll never work with James Cameron again.
Cameron served as a producer on the Arnold Schwarzenegger-starring movie, having directed the first two Terminator films.
Upon the release of the latest instalment last month, he said that “blood is still being scrubbed off the walls from [the] creative battles” experienced behind the scenes, with he and Miller clashing over their respective visions for the film.
“This is a film that was forged in fire,” Cameron added. “But that’s the creative process, right?”
Speaking to KCRW, Miller has now opened up on the difficulties he faced while working on the project alongside producers Cameron and David Ellison.
“I’m sure we could write a book on why it didn’t work,” he said. “I’m still not sure and I’m processing, but I’m very proud of the movie.”
Referencing Cameron’s previous comments, he added: “Even though Jim is a producer and David Ellison is a producer, and they technically have final cut and ultimate power, my name is still on it as director.
“Even if I’m going to lose the fight… I still feel this obligation to fight because that is what the director is supposed to do. Fight for the movie.”
Miller went on to explain that he didn’t have “ultimate control” over his own movie and isn’t able to work well collaboratively.
“You can work that way as a director, quite successfully, but I can’t,” he said, revealing that he would say “no” to working alongside Cameron in the future.
‘Terminator: Dark Fate’ (Credit: Alamy)
“It has nothing to do with whatever trauma I have from the experience. It’s more that I just don’t want to be in a situation again where I don’t have the control to do what I think is right.”
Miller revealed that Cameron emailed him to clear any animosity between the pair. It read: “I know we clashed a little bit. I put it all down to two strong, creative people with differences of opinion and I think it made the movie better. I’ll be back in LA in December. Let’s go get a beer.”
In a four-star review of Terminator: Dark Fate, NME called the film “a rousing return to form”, adding: “Along the way, [Tim] Miller delivers some savage action sequences including a gut-churning early car chase, but it’s the compelling characters and ever-present tension that make this sequel really fly.”
