Netflix Terminator Zero Reveals Franchise’s Glorious Return, See The Proof
The Terminator franchise almost immediately grew into a classic for the sci-fi and action genres when the first movie debuted in 1984. The second movie, Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is arguably the pinnacle of the franchise, with many considering it even better than the first. The franchise has struggled to consistently recapture that magic since then, but now it is returning in an exciting new way with the anime Terminator Zero.
This is the first time that Terminator has been adapted into an anime, and it is also one of the rare occasions that it is a series rather than a movie. Many fans enjoyed 2008’s Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, so it is surprising it has taken so long for the franchise to take another crack at producing something for the small screen. But such an original direction with Terminator Zero already has many fans very excited.
Rather than being an adaptation of any of the existing Terminator stories, Terminator Zero will be a totally new story set in this world. Fittingly, with the series being an anime, the story will take place in Japan. It will be set during 1997, the year in the franchise, when the eradication of the human race is supposed to begin as Skynet goes online and terminators begin to wipe out the population.
This is the first time that Terminator has been adapted into an anime…
Terminator Zero will follow the character of Malcolm Lee, a scientist who is working on an AI program that he believes could compete with what he sees as the valuable benefits of America’s Skynet program. However, much like other installments in the franchise, a terminator (voiced by Timothy Olyphant) is activated and sent back in time, on this occasion having the mission of assassinating Lee.
Rather than being an adaptation of any of the existing Terminator stories, Terminator Zero will be a totally new story set in this world.
Lee desperately tried to escape his pursuer and protect himself and his children. Fortunately, the resistance also sent someone back in time, Eiko, whose mission was to save Lee. She arrives from the year 2022 to not only try to save Lee’s life, but to try and prevent him from activating his alternative to Skynet. Terminator Zero will follow this course of events across eight episodes.
Terminator Zero premiers on Netflix on August 29, which fans of the franchise will recognize as when Judgement Day is supposed to take place, according to the movies.
The animation studio behind Terminator Zero also has fans excited, as it is Production I.G., which is responsible for so many classic anime shows and movies. These include the 1995 anime movie Ghost in the Shell, multiple Neon Genesis Evangelion movies, and anime series such as Eden of the East and Guilty Crown. Having the studio on board for this new series has fans confident about the quality of the animation.
One other interesting detail about Terminator Zero is that since the series is set in Japan, where it is illegal for ordinary people to own guns, that means the series will not feature the typical shootouts that many of the movies have featured with the terminators. It provides a unique dynamic that will further help distinguish the series from what came before.
Terminator Zero premiers on Netflix on August 29, which fans of the franchise will recognize as when Judgement Day is supposed to take place, according to the movies.
