‘Terminator’ Franchise Killer ‘Genisys’ Rises From the Grave on Streaming

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A hugely popular science fiction action series seemed to finish in 2015 with a poorly received movie, but now that film is gaining attention again through streaming. The series began in 1984 with a groundbreaking cyberpunk story that influenced countless other works across films, television, video games, and comics. While the 2015 movie was intended to revive the franchise, it unfortunately led to its decline.

This series, from creators James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd, tells the story leading up to a future war between humans and machines. It uses time travel as a way to change the past and prevent the coming conflict. Combining science fiction, action, drama, war, and horror, it’s a thrilling adventure that also makes you think.

The Terminator series began in 1984 and quickly became a huge success, with a fantastic sequel in 1991 and a solid third film in 2003. However, things started to go downhill with 2009’s Terminator Salvation. That film was the weakest in the series up to that point, and it nearly killed the franchise’s momentum.

The 2015 film Terminator Genisys was widely considered a failure, effectively ending the franchise for many fans. It performed poorly in theaters and received overwhelmingly negative reviews, earning only a 26% score on Rotten Tomatoes – the lowest of any Terminator movie. Surprisingly, after years of being dismissed, the film is currently experiencing a comeback on streaming platforms. It’s now the sixth most popular movie on MGM+, according to Flix Patrol, demonstrating the enduring appeal of the T-800 character.

‘Terminator Genisys’ Was Supposed To Be the Start of a New Trilogy

Following the difficult production of Terminator Salvation in 2009 and a legal dispute over the franchise, Terminator Genisys aimed to revitalize the series by reimagining the original film’s story and creating a new timeline. However, it ultimately became a confusing and poorly executed movie that disappointed many fans.

Despite earning $440 million worldwide with a $155 million budget – largely thanks to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return – the film was considered a letdown. Consequently, it ended the planned trilogy, and all future projects, including sequels and a potential TV series, were cancelled, leaving the franchise’s future uncertain.

The ‘Terminator’ Franchise Has Struggled Since ‘Genisys’

After Genisys didn’t perform well in theaters, the Terminator series went on hold for four years until Terminator: Dark Fate was released in 2019. The film continued the story directly after T2 and brought back Linda Hamilton, with the intention of revitalizing the franchise. Unfortunately, because Genisys hadn’t been well-received, Dark Fate also struggled financially, earning only $261 million.

Just like with Genisys, the studio scrapped any ideas for continuing the films. While the Terminator universe did reappear in 2024 with the animated series Terminator Zero, we haven’t heard much about that, or any future projects, since then. It’s a bit disappointing as a fan, honestly.

Cameron has been trying to revive the classic cyberpunk series with a new story, but he’s finding it difficult to come up with a compelling plot. Honestly, that might be a good thing, considering the franchise has already become a shadow of its former self, and further installments could just make things worse.

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2026-04-11 15:33