We previously reported that James Cameron had stated that the new Terminator movie would indeed be rated R.
James Cameron said:
“I think, tonally, what makes this a direct sequel to T1 and T2 is as much about the tone as it is about the narrative: it’s R rated, it’s grim, it’s gritty, it’s fast, it’s intense, it’s linear. The whole story takes place in 36 hours. It’s not this kind of grandiose, complex story. It’s just very focused on the characters, it’s very now, it’s very present and it’s just a fast white-knuckle ride.”
Transcribed by TheTerminatorFans.com
And…
“So Sarah has become a Terminator hunter, she’s not waiting to be hunted by a Terminator, she hunts them. She’s figured out a way to be there when they pop through time and she just blows their shit away. pretty much that simple – hey, it’s gonna be an R rated movie, so I can swear.”
Transcribed by TheTerminatorFans.com
Since we initially reported on it; the video has been removed from Youtube – which seems somewhat ominous in regards to how literal Terminator Fans can take the age classification of T:DF, if the studios don’t want the prospective audience to watch Terminator creator James Cameron, give fans the news we’ve all been waiting for… that the Terminator franchise has returned to the dark and bloody R it originally came from.
Now it appears that the T-800 himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, has weighed in on the ratings conversation; taking to the Reddit thread r/movies to talk to fans, and upload the first official Terminator: Dark Fate Teaser Trailer, with the title:
“We’re back. Here’s your Terminator: Dark Fate trailer that doesn’t give the movie away.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
This title was obviously an in-joke in reference to the marketing and trailer for Terminator Genisys – which failed abysmally at keeping the audience guessing, as it released far too much footage in its trailers and ruined the plot and the big twist for the audience (the same could also be said of other Terminator movie trailers).
Arnold was also asked about the age rating for Terminator: Dark Fate – if it would be an R, and if Arnold himself would push for it to be rated R for Terminator Fans.
Arnold replied:
“I am right there with you. It hasn’t been to the rating board yet but know that I’m on your side.”
Arnold Schwarzenegger
So, James Cameron says that T:DF is R rated but Arnold Schwarzenegger says that the new movie has not yet been to the MPAA…
Crossed wires? Marketing departments failing to converse over the release of information?
Perhaps Arnold Schwarzenegger and James Cameron are both right… maybe the movie is intended to be rated R but has yet to be officially rated as such by the MPAA… ?
Hopefully this isn’t a case of allowing the audience to believe that the movie is an R,- only to announce a PG-13 rating closer to release this November (U.S) – in order to whip up a positive frenzy with Terminator Fans who have been demanding a return to a more mature rating for the future of the franchise.
It is also possible that the studios are aiming to influence the audience by using Arnold Schwarzenegger as a tool to appear as the instigator behind the possible R rating coming into fruition, and that the James Cameron video was removed from Youtube due to that fact, and the Reddit thread was simply the ploy by which to bring about the question of the R rating and Arnold’s response…
But the studios marketing Terminator: Dark Fate wouldn’t be that manipulative – would they?
Share your thoughts in the comments below…
