Linda Hamilton is doing the rounds promoting her new indie flick ‘Easy Does It’, and in an interview with Smashing Interviews Magazine she talks about Terminator: Dark Fate’s success (or lack thereof), concerns about the movie, the “cruel” ageist audience and the potential for another movie.
You were a little reluctant to do Dark Fate that was released last year. Was that because you weren’t sure it would be successful?
Smashing Interviews Magazine
Linda Hamilton: Yes. Mostly. I just felt like I had done a really strong two films, so was there anything more to say from that character? Unless there was something new to add to the mix, I didn’t want to come on board. Then I, of course, knew that audiences would just be very cruel because the last time they saw Sarah Connor, she was a beast, and now she’s an old lady.
Linda Hamilton
It’s not that I was afraid to go out there and be an old lady. But you think, “Okay. I’m just going to go work out like I did when I was 33, and I’ll get the same results.” Well, that just doesn’t happen when you’re 63 (laughs). You need hormones to put muscle on. I don’t have hormones. So I thought, “What can I bring that will make this worthwhile for the franchise?” Then after training and training and training and realizing where I was and how far I could get, I just thought, “You know what? It doesn’t matter because what I have to bring is not just a body. I have such a big wealth of experience that hasn’t been tapped into. I am going to bring all that.” I just have so much more going on than when I was 33.
So yes, there were some trepidations because if it’s a bad film, then it’s going to look like a shameless money grab. Dark Fate was probably the most invested. I will just give anything and everything that I can. But I’ve played her over the course of 35 years. She’s kind of the bookends of my career, and I just cared so much about the character. I’m not the actress that says to the director, “Oh, my character wouldn’t say that.” That’s never been me. I just do what the director asks and try to make it work. Just keep it simple for me.
I don’t go through a lot of doubt or worry or process or neurosis, but I really had to stand up for Sarah a couple of times on this film because the script really never got finished. We were still working as we were shooting. It was the first time ever in my career where I just was absolutely rigid about certain things and said, “Nope. I know this character best, and that moment is wrong.” So I had to put up a good fight because I cared, not that Jim had wrong ideas, but it was really just a question of setting the tone and going from there. And ultimately there was just a great trust between all of us. It sounds like it was a big problem, but it wasn’t. But I did find myself so invested in outcome, and that’s not usually me.
I don’t care if a movie is successful. I just want it to be good. That still was true for this one. Box office doesn’t matter to me. That’s not my department. I just do everything I can to make it as good as I can when I’m on set. I’m glad that one’s done, honey. There won’t be another one.
So the Terminator franchise is over?
Smashing Interviews Magazine
It looks like it because it didn’t perform at the box office at all. They all know they’d be foolish to attempt it. There’s such a big budget. That movie had to make $500 million to break even or something. Certainly these days, they don’t. People just don’t go to films like they used to.
Linda Hamilton
There we have it; Mackenzie Davis said that it would be “insane” to make more Terminator movies, and now Linda Hamilton is saying that making more Terminator movies would be “foolish”. Both actors are probably correct right now but that doesn’t mean Terminator 7 won’t happen one day, though maybe the audience needs a rest?
We feel the audience (especially the fans) were very welcoming of Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger returning, and we would still class any failures Terminator: Dark Fate experienced to be down to the troubled production and the wrong direction and story.
We definitely wouldn’t say the audience was cruel – and (again much like Tim Miller’s blanket statements about misogyny) statements of ageism don’t sit with us, as Hollywood, as an institute, has displayed ageism against mature women; with the running joke of turning 40 being the end of the careers of many actresses.
Linda Hamilton being in Dark Fate was a sign of change (we had hoped) and her return was initiated by the fans and not Hollywood itself, so hopefully Hollywood can use its own initiative to tackle ageism in the years ahead.
Source: Smashing Interviews Magazine
Leave a comment…
29 Comments
I haven’t heard anyone putting Linda Hamilton down because she got older. The film had issues – but she’s still a badass!!
100% agree. Linda is an amazing badass at any age. She is in great shape and has that attitude we all love. Arnold was also good. We hated see Jonh die and the story just got way off base. Linda don’t be sad, you were the best part of the whole damn thing!!
They may be great but they definitely are too old for action roles. It may have been different if they were used in smarter ways but a 60+ old woman hunting terminators? Come on… A terminator that becomes a family man? Get real… This was just bad and lazy writing. At least try to make sense.
I had no issue with her being in the film, Tim Miller has only himself to blame, he should never insulted us fans by accusing us of misorgny when we criticised the teaser trailer. Killing off John Connor was a huge mistake just like Rian Johnson did with Luke Skywalker in Star Wars The Last Jedi. This franchise is destroyed thanks to this idiot, it was definitely go woke, go broke like Ghostbusters 2016 and Star Wars Last Jedi to a lesser extent!
To say that the fans are misogynistic is ridiculous. We’ve been cheering on Sarah Connor and Ellen Ripley for decades so I think that comment is way off base.
Killing off John Connor was James Cameron’s idea, not Tim Miller’s.
I feel bad and.upset that linda hamilton feels that dark fate failed in the box office. It did not fail it’s just that. People are not like they or we were when terminator 2 hit the screen. We learned to hide, to be afraid so now we live with our phones and face masks, hoping not to get killed.
I thank. Linda hamilron”s character for teaching us how to fight for our survival amd the terminator movies to remind us that we are just human.
Wtf are you talking about? It failed in the box office. Suffered from misused characters, awful scripting, terrible casting, useless marketing, and a director who couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut. We learned to hide and be afraid? Speak for yourself. It was a pitiful attempt like the last three times.
wtf are you talking about? It failed and it failed really hard and not because of face masks and cell phones…seriously what is that about!? Terminator was ultimately about john conner. They killed him off right in the beginning so they destroyed the entire premise of the franchise. That’s why it failed. For crying out loud…cell phones…geez!
LOL! HILARIOUS
That’s shame that film couldn’t break even (500k $). Now yeah, they probably won’t film Terminator for a long time, and if they do i fear that it be some sort of remake (like that new RoboCop). Terminator: Dark Fate wasn’t best in franchise for sure, but was not bad movie in general, and as Terminator fan i hope we will see T7 someday.
If it were up to me, No Terminator films for 25 years.At that point reintroduce it to a new generation.No Arnold.No Linda. No cameron. Go forward with a new cast & Director. START OVER AFTER A LONG NAP!
No. They tried that with the TV series and it was a bomb
It was actually a really good show. Shame it got cancelled on a cliffhanger.
You’re out of your mind. The movie was trash.
Here’s my feelings about Terminator dark fate:
https://youtu.be/Z3t9HSVKivo
I love you Linda!! Age has nothing on you!! Definitely be proud of how great you look. You have no idea how many times I have watched the Terminator movies, Dante’s Peak and the tv series Beauty and the Beast.
The hell it don’t. Ain’t no 63 year old woman is going to go out hunting terminators. What is wrong with you…
I loved all the Terminator movies, I am the same age as Linda Hamilton.
I’d pay to see her and the Swartz again in another Terminator Movie.
They are classics like the three (Back to the Future) trilogy’s.
Dave
The film franchise obviously has a lot to offer especially after the second film. They just seemed to have poor direction of going especially last one with political perception.
Next best film needs to explore the war and answer few questions from first two films.
1. Why first 2 terminators both looked alike when first film obviously showed us through Kyle’s dreams that terminators take on all type of skins. Are skins harvested from living human or not there is an urgency for horror factor needed here like the original. Were these chosen forms of skins used because in the future they were living human guard, friends or ext. of John whom machines captured and converted.
2. No one knows who Kyle Reese is besides Sarah, not even John. He heard of him but he knows nothing of who he is, in second film he never says Kyle’s name. Is Sarah intentionally held that back from John? Does John takes a leap of faith when some random guy vulenteers for the mission? It only makes sence for everyone’s safety especially when it comes to time travel.
3. Did the destruction of the chip in the second film prevented the loop paradox of timeline where original source of origin for Skynet is still coming to happen inevitably.? For instance if time machine was not invented will Skynet still comes to exist or was it time machines fault for its creation?
4. Is t-1000 took on image of older Timmy (John’s friend) because he comes into the timeline alredy having an shape and appearance before he makes his first kill. He has strong resemblances of Timmy, so does that mean he kills Timmy in the future and uses that influence to travel back in time to affect John.? Because this may cause friction in future relationship between John and Timmy once they begin to grow older.
5. When in time line has Skynet began to convert machines from rubber to living tissue and again do they got the living human for that tissue to dress the machine in or grow it some how but again horror factor should be considered.
But that’s just few of questions that can lead to an entire new Saga if you may
People do still go to the movies like they used to though (well, maybe not *right now* but you get my point). Many franchises gross over $1billion with just 1 movie. It’s just that people aren’t interested in The Terminator franchise anymore because it has already been milked for all it’s worth. Let it die already!
People aren’t interested when the script is awful, established cast are misused, new cast are miscasted, marketing was awful and an idiot director who can’t keep his mouth shut. People like the franchise, just not when idiots get their hands on it.
Yeah I mean come on man it was so quick that they had to do the movie and too many writers on the movie script just James Cameron the icon the legend director. Linda Hamilton was awesome along side with the one and only Arnold Schwarzenegger and gave their best shot and movie’s now these days are more about money instead of the passion of films like everything else. All IAM saying is that am a huge fan of the franchise always have always will be love the film and hope in the future to make the come back Terminator in the words of Arnold I’ll Be Back .
… ageism .. I’m guessing she thinks a 63 old ass lady makes for a great action star… Also with a completely trash script… That’s why it failed. Awful marketing with an idiot director.
I don’t think ageism was an issue. I think destroying John Connor, adding new characters that didn’t play well, and a lack of new ideas killed this film. How many times can a protagonist be sent back in time at exactly the same time as the antagonist to save the day? You know what we want to see? The war in the future.
I enjoyed the movie and went to a theater to see, haven’t been in a theater in years. Was worth it fo me. I have the movie on dvd.
People don’t want a Terminator film with agenda 2030 written all over it. This film franchise was utilized to demonstrate a future the corporal elites want.
The 6 major film studios are owned by China and NO one NO one wanted to watch John Connor killed in minutes and a family T-800. A family T-800 WTF
That is what Cameron and Schwarzengger wanted.
Use guys killed Terminator use gave us the worst Terminator film in history.
GOOD!
And thank your ex-husband Jimbo for this! This was all his doing just for some scraps of cash for his blue aliens movies, he failed to get the cash for it, it is over!
Jimbo Cameron has became a demented misunderstood genius who will never come back from his middle aged induced dementia! Good riddance Jimbo, you made great movies and revolutionized movie CGI, but it is time for you to retire, you are done!
Terminator producers David Ellison & James Cameron are so screwed up they make no sense in alphabetical order.