Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller says he’ll never work with James Cameron again. The highly anticipated direct sequel to Terminator 2: Judgment Day is still struggling at the box office. Fans of the franchise were excited to hear that James Cameron was back with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton, but the idea ended up being better than the movie as a whole.
Miller and Cameron clashed many times during the making of the movie and the director still has trauma. According to James Cameron, the Terminator: Dark Fate editing process was a down and out blood bath.
James Cameron revealed that there was drama behind-the-scenes of Terminator: Dark Fate in a recent interview. He claims that he did not like Tim Miller’s original cut and said that arguments turned into a “bloodbath.” As it turns out, Miller would have to agree and when asked whether or not he’d work with Cameron again, he says that’s a “no.” Tim Miller explains.
“I can say no, but 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. I just got an email last week from Jim, who said, ‘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 L.A. in December. Let’s go get a beer.'”
A beer might be able to solve James Cameron and Tim Miller’s differences. However it will not make up for the box office and critical failure of the movie. Miller is still fighting for the movie because it has his name on it. When all is said and done, the sequel has his name attached, even though he didn’t have final say. And during the time of release, the director felt that the Terminator franchise had become tainted. Now, weeks after its release, he says this.
“Even though Jim is a producer and (Skydance’s) 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.”
In the end, Tim Miller says most of the Terminator: Dark Fate arguments came from dialogue. “I would fight for that line, because it was important to me. But does the audience really care? Probably not,” Miller said. “As far as donnybrooks go, it’s not that big of a deal.” In the end, the audience probably would have cared. The story and dialogue of the sequel have been heavily criticized. But, there was more that Miller fought about. He explains.
“(I suggested) Legion is so powerful, the only way to beat it is going back in time and strangle it in the crib. Jim says, ‘What’s dramatic about the humans losing?’ And I say, ‘Well, what’s dramatic about the humans winning and they just need to keep on winning?’ I like a last stand. It’s not his thing.”
Terminator: Dark Fate sounds like it is still very much James Cameron’s movie. Tim Miller tried to do what he could to save the story, but it sounds like he was outvoted every step of the way, which does not sound like a fun work environment at all. “The things (reactions) seemed to hate the most about the movie, were things I can’t control,” he said. “I can’t control you didn’t like Genysis or you felt betrayed by Terminator 4. I can’t help that.” Miller just wasn’t able to shape the movie in a way that he wanted to.
So, Tim Miller and James Cameron may sit down for a beer, but they probably will never work together again. Miller is over it and Cameron is probably obsessed with the way the movie has been received. “I’m sure we could write a book on why it didn’t work. I’m still not sure and I’m processing, but I’m very proud of the movie, says Miller. Regardless, the decision not to work together is probably a wise on, due to how much drama went on behind-the-scenes of Terminator: Dark Fate. The interview with Miller was originally conducted by KCRW.
