The Terminator franchise kicked off in 1984, and while the first two movies are widely acclaimed, its follow-ups didn’t fare nearly as well.
franchise kicked off in 1984, and while the first two movies are widely acclaimed, its follow-ups didn’t fare nearly as well. The most recent entry, Terminator Genisys , served as a Star Trek-style reboot intended to usher in a new trilogy. Following its less-than-stellar performance in theaters last year, the future of the franchise was already in question, but now it’s suffered a huge loss, as Emilia Clarke, a.k.a. the new Sarah Connor, won’t be returning to the series.
When asked if she’ll appear in any future Terminator sequels, Clarke told ComingSoon.netthat she would not, making Terminator Genisys her only outing as Sarah Connor. She said: No. Can I say that? It’s okay. No. Uh-uh. But I have some very different roles coming up.
Inheriting role from Linda Hamilton, Emilia Clarke’s Sarah Connor was a big departure from when we met her in the original Terminator movie. Instead of having her first encounter with the robotic killers in 1984, she watched as her parents were killed by a T-1000 as a child, leading her to be raised by a reprogrammed T-800, a.k.a. the Arnold Schwarzenegger model. By the time Kyle Reese arrived in this alternate 1984 to keep her safe, he discovered she was a badass warrior who could handle her own. With Kyle and her T-800 "Guardian," they fought off Terminator assassins in 1984 and 2017, including her future son, John, who was converted into a T-3000. Sarah made it out of Terminator Genisys alive, but we won’t get to see what the futureholds in store for Clarke’s version.
Even though Emilia Clarke won’t be appearing in more Terminator movies, she still has enough projects keeping her busy for the near future. She is best known for playing Daenerys "Khaleesi" Targaryen on the HBO series Game of Thrones , and she’ll be seen this June as Louisa Clark in Me Before You , an adaptation of the 2012 Jojo Moyes romantic novel. With her costars involved with other big projects, whether it’s Jai Courtney in Suicide Squad or J.K. Simmonsin Justice League: Part One , the Terminator ship seems to be slowly sinking.
Although it grossed over $440 million worldwide, Terminator Genisys failed to earn enough at the box office last summer, and on top of that, it was met with mostly negative reviews from both fans and critics. In January, Paramount finally pulled Terminator 6 from its May 19, 2017 release date and replaced it with Baywatch . However, Arnold Schwarzenegger suggestedlast month that another Terminator movie could still happen, but Emilia Clarke’s departure indicates that’s even less of a possibility now. Obviously if the series still manages to continue, Sarah Connor will either need to be recast or they’ll have to kill her offscreen again.
We’ll keep you updated on any other developments regarding the Terminator franchise, but needless to say, Emilia Clarke’s departure doesn’t bode well. Maybe it’s time Paramount close up shop on this property for good, and for added measure, it shouldn’t be rebooted again in 5-10 years time!