Netflix today unveiled “Terminator Zero,” an animated series derived from the famous science fiction saga by James Cameron.
It’s back, but this time the Terminator is coming to Netflix. After six films and a TV series (The Sarah Connor Chronicles), the new installment of the science fiction saga created in 1984 by James Cameron is now available in the form of a Japanese anime.
The peculiarity of this anime is that it is not directly linked to other Terminator productions. Moreover, for the first time, the plot of the series does not take place on the American continent, but in Tokyo a few days before August 29, 1997, the date of the nuclear apocalypse triggered by the SkyNet computer program.
Terminator in the Shell
The majority of the production was handled by Japanese teams. The animation of the program was entrusted to the studio Production IG (Ghost in the Shell), while Masashi Kudô directed the eight episodes of Terminator Zero. Credited as creator of the universe, James Cameron did not participate in the conception of the anime.
The challenge of this series is to manage to remain faithful to the codes that made the franchise successful in cinema, while appropriating those of Japanese animation. James Cameron himself being a big fan of anime (and especially manga Gunof which he produced the film adaptation Alita: Battle Angel), everything therefore seems to indicate that this marriage of the two universes will be a success.
Due to its independence from the Terminator films, no characters from the films appear in this production: not Sarah Connor, not John Connor, not even the T-800 played by Arnold Schwarzenegger. Instead, the series introduces a new character – Malcolm Lee – inventor of an artificial intelligence Kokoro capable of harming SkyNet.
The Terminator formula is respected
The formula that made Terminators a success in cinema is nevertheless repeated. A machine is sent from the future to assassinate the scientist; but the resistance also manages to send a soldier – a woman named Eiko – to ensure the scientist’s protection. Many revelations will also punctuate this fast-paced story.
The series seems to have been designed more as an introduction to Japanese animation for Terminator fans than the other way around. Which doesn’t mean that anime fans won’t find something to enjoy. In any case, it goes without saying that Netflix is counting on this spin-off of one of the most popular franchises in cinema!
There have been six Terminator films released in theaters. The saga that introduced James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenegger to the public has grossed over $2 billion at the box office. A seventh installment supervised by Cameron himself is currently in preparation.
The Terminator Zero animated series is now available exclusively on Netflix.
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