It started with a phone call out of the blue, he recalls.
I was directing my movie Mother/Android, which is also about another robot apocalypse.
It was then that the writer/director had a realization.
Oh, its gonna be a very different mode than the $200 million blockbusters theyve been making.
The only story rule was that it had to have a Japanese element to it.
At first, they were like, maybe just a Japanese character or something like that.
He thought that leaving the U.S./Mexico border was an exciting way to do just that.
The director was equally excited and terrified about taking on such a beloved and impactful franchise.
Hes also aware of the importance of leading with story.
You cant just blow up shit for the sake of blowing it up.
Nobody wants that, what people want are characters and story and the truth.
Tomlin made it clear that it had been a learning experience.
Were finishing the show now, and the collaboration has been excellent.
It also marks the first anime in the series decades long history.
And to make it about me for a second, theyre going to make me look so smart!
Ive been so spoiled by my artistic collaborators, both in comics and here.
Hes loved her forever, Tomlin asserts.
Its not about making sure John Connor survives, even though thats what he says.
Its not about stopping Judgment Day, even though thats what he says.
Its not about killing this Terminator, even though thats what he says.
It feels relevant but also, for me, feels late.
Its more nuanced than that, and we have hours and hours to tell a story thats more complex.
Tomlins worst robot nightmare is far closer to home than your average world-ending apocalypse.
I dont fear the killer robot version, he says.
Though I do think that actually could happen.
I fear the robocalling version.
The stolen identity version.
Yeah, I fear the version of My credit cards dont work.
And suddenly, my identity has been stolen, and I cant get into my house anymore.
I think thats here now.
I turned it off and put it away, but it haunted me for a long time.
That was far from his lastinfluential experiencewithTerminator.
My parents took me to Universal Studios around that time.
I got to experienceT2-3D: Battle Across Time.
Now I know how physics works.
So its like you kind of know what the magic trick is.
Twelve-year-old me was just like, This is fucking incredible!'
That personal connection always makes taking on a beloved series likeTerminatoran equally exciting and terrifying prospect.
Theres the fear of fucking it up, theres the fear of are people going to hate this?
and then having to go through the pain of ruining something people love.
Then, on the other hand, you have to dismiss all of that.
Then balance that against 33-year-old me, whos thinking about character and story in a much more analytical way.
I cant think about it.
That might come in a month.
It might come once Ive watched it with an audience.
And nobody knows that exists, and nobody cares.
So, youre either gonna like me for it, or youre gonna hate me for it.
That comes with the territory.
I only had that realization a couple of days ago because Im living the world through my brain.
If it happens, I hope I hear about it because that would be a rad full-circle thing.
Terminator Zero releases on Netflix on Aug. 29.
