Terminator: Genisys – The Movie That Killed a Franchise

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2014’s Entertainment Weekly (EW) covers for “Terminator: Genisys” had a surreal, “Arrested Development”-esque vibe. The covers showcased the cast – Matt Smith, Jai Courtney, and Emilia Clarke – brandishing firearms in ways that seemed inadvertently humorous. Accompanying these covers was text boasting that “Genisys” would reveal the secret to saving a billion-dollar franchise. However, as if spoken by the Ron Howard narrator from “Arrested Development,” it softly echoed, “Yet, it wouldn’t manage to save that franchise.

The film “Terminator: Genisys,” marking its tenth anniversary this year, failed to revive the “Terminator” series; instead, it dealt a significant blow to the longevity and goodwill associated with the “Terminator” brand. In contrast, the 1991 release “T2: Judgement Day” shattered box office records, while “Genisys” sealed the fate that for the “Terminator” films, it’s “hasta la vista, baby.

What Went Wrong With Terminator: Genisys?

It’s safe to say that the movie “Terminator: Genisys” was doomed from its inception, much like “Jurassic World,” another legacy sequel from summer 2015. Both films served as the first installments following a decade-long hiatus for their respective sagas. While “Jurassic Park III” premiered in 2001 and “Jurassic World” in 2015, two “Terminator” sequels graced the big screen between 2003 and 2009, and “The Sarah Connor Chronicles” aired for several seasons on Fox. If you were craving more “Terminator,” chances are you had your fill well before “Genisys” hit cinemas.

The final movie, unfortunately, failed to ignite excitement for what was initially a disappointing production. Genisys, in essence, turned out to be an uninspiring blockbuster lacking charm and entertainment value, filled instead with repetitive hints at future sequels. It also attempted to replicate the feel of earlier Terminator films excessively, even going so far as to recreate scenes from the first two Terminator installments. In comparison, 2009’s Terminator: Salvation at least offered a fresh take by venturing into an untouched time period; Genisys, however, was nothing more than a needless rehash in every possible way.

As a discerning movie critic, I found the marketing campaign for “Genisys” to be distressingly honest in its warnings. The final trailer stirred up quite a storm with its daring revelation that Jason Clarke’s John Connor would transform into the film’s villain, possessed by nanobots. This audacious move to expose a major third-act twist was nothing short of reckless, spoiling a captivating narrative twist on a grand scale.

In the trailers for “Genisys”, they didn’t hold back in showcasing its questionable storytelling tactics – a red flag for all potential viewers to steer clear. And steer clear they did! “Genisys” became the first “Terminator” sequel to fail to gross over $100 million domestically, a stark testament to the audience’s discernment.

The Immense Fallout

Due to extraordinarily successful showings in China, the movie “Terminator: Genisys” surpassed $400 million globally. Looking back, “Genisys” was one of the top instances from the mid-2010s where American blockbusters such as “Warcraft” benefited significantly from Chinese audiences. However, considering that American studios only receive 25% of the earnings from China, and “Genisys” performed poorly almost everywhere else, its box office revenue was still considered less than impressive. To add to its troubles, many artists involved in the production have spoken negatively about “Genisys” since its release in 2015.

Director Alan Taylor (of Thor: The Dark World and Game of Thrones), for example, stated that directing Genisys was an exhausting task that almost made him quit filmmaking altogether. On the other hand, Emilia Clarke mentioned that despite working with Taylor again on Genisys, it was a challenging project that no one seemed to enjoy. The negative impact of this installment on the Terminator franchise was particularly evident four years later when Terminator: Dark Fate was released. Despite bringing back Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor and aiming to be a direct sequel to T2, the critically acclaimed Dark Fate turned out to be one of the biggest box office failures in history.

Not even an exceptionally well-crafted Terminator movie managed to revive the flagging franchise. In fact, it had been spiraling out of control since Genisys came out and only sank deeper into trouble. Given its association with disappointing films like Genisys, it’s hard for audiences to have faith in this once revered science-fiction series. Despite some recent signs that the Terminator might make a comeback on the big screen, it seems unlikely it can regain the popularity it enjoyed in the ’90s. A tragic destiny indeed for Terminator: Genisys, which was initially billed as the movie to rescue a billion-dollar franchise.

Terminator: Genisys is now streaming on Pluto TV and Paramount+

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2025-06-25 21:12