Has Terminator: Dark Fate’s Marketing Given Too Much Away?

*This article discusses potential spoilers.

With the imminent release of Terminator: Dark Fate looming, the marketing for the movie has launched into full-speed with a clutch of new trailers hitting the internet and sweeping their way across social media – did we partake? Why yes, we did.

The problem with marketing though, is the ease with which promotion can swiftly change from a subtle tease of suggestion into an outright onslaught of information (and footage) which exposes the entire movie to scrutiny before the finished product even gets a chance to make a mark on the audience upon release.

We’ve had comments and emails from Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube and our website (please feel free to follow, like and subscribe); all stating that T:DF’s marketing and trailers are giving too much away too soon.
It’s one thing to theorise, debate, discuss and throw the kitchen sink at the wall (it won’t stick apparently) – it’s quite another to deliver full character descriptions whilst showing a journey practically from A – B with nearly the whole first act on show, and this is all after “leaks” which, most likely, came from the studios themselves (director Tim Miller has rep, just look at Deadpool’s leak history). Leaks which potentially exposed some of the biggest and most controversial moments in Dark Fate, just to get everyone settled and accepting of what’s to come.

Yes, to a degree many fans have come to accept the fate which has been dealt to them – some eagerly, some begrudgingly, some, like myself, with a dubious sense of impending doom and jaundice, mixed with a desperate kind of hope that maybe it’s all just skewed misdirection.

Many fans were concerned that Terminator: Dark Fate could fall afoul of some of the same pitfalls that previous installments had – leaving very little mystery for the first showing, or like Genishi… Genisys did; tell you that John Connor’s the real baddie.

*If you didn’t know that then 1. I apologise, and 2. It NEVER happened.

“It is not enough to conquer; one must learn to seduce.”

Voltaire

Trailers should be an amuse-bouche, an appetiser for the movie’s main-course. Trailers shouldn’t give you everything, well, not if the studios want you to buy a ticket, stream or download the movie that they’re desperately trying to sell.

Are we complicit simply by discussing Terminator: Dark Fate? No. At least I don’t believe so.
To me, we, as fans… we talk about Terminator because we give a sh*t about it. The fans are the ones that keep the franchise alive.

Perhaps you disagree? Don’t forget to leave a comment.

Where was I going with this? Ah yes…

Adobe Creative Cloud, you know, the ones behind the whole #createyourfate challenge / competition thingy (if you entered then good luck and godspeed), well, Adobe recently released a video which was titled, Behind the Scenes with Terminator: Dark Fate | Adobe Creative Cloud – the description reads:

“Get an inside look from Director Tim Miller and the creators of Paramount’s Terminator: Dark Fate as they take you behind the scenes into their workflow & production for editing and creating visual effects using Premiere Pro, After Effects, and other tools inside the Adobe Creative Cloud suite.”

Adobe Creative Cloud

The video, which highlighted T:DF director Tim Miller’s enthusiasm for Adobe and the fact that the new Terminator movie utilised Adobe Premiere for some of its composites and pre-viz etc, contained a shot of Editor Julian Clarke (no relation to the other Terminator Clarke’s) sitting at a desk with multiple monitors which appeared to frame a controversial scene described in the Reddit leaks.

BEWARE ALL YE WHO ENTER HERE, FOR AHEAD LAYETH SPOLIERS, AHEM – I MEAN *SPOILERS*

The scene was described as the assassination of young, just post T2, John Connor (Jude Collie – later with Edward Furlong’s digitally mapped face). The leaks stated that young John goes to a beach bar at the behest of his mother, Sarah Connor, to get her a drink, and as John’s at the bar, T-800 ‘Carl’ appears and proceeds to shotgun lil John to death.

The images in the Adobe video, though blurry, show a woman from the back, with long hair drawn into a ponytail, she’s wearing what looks to be a black vest (ala T2 Sarah Connor). In front of the woman is a smaller person, young adult, or, most likely young teen, about the age of John Connor just after the events of T2. The younger person is standing at a light, sandy-colored stall / bar – most likely the bar mentioned in the leaks. According to the leaks this is the opening scene, which is followed by narration from Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor and the title card for Terminator: Dark Fate.

Still reading? I feel your pain – this is why Editor’s should stick to editing – Okay, you’ve reached the end, not long, we’re nearly there…

Why would Paramount Pictures and Skydance Media purposely allow Adobe Creative Cloud to show that scene?

Why would they show that scene twice?

All PR is good PR. Good buzz is great but no buzz or underwhelming buzz is bad. Even the controversy created by the leaked information of John’s demise didn’t last long and it got people talking, it got fans arguing, @’ing, hashtagging and sharing for a movie that people weren’t really showing interest in.

But – is it too much?

Do you feel like you’ve already seen the movie?

More information on the Adobe Creative Cloud John Connor scene in the video below.

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