Terminator 6 is now receiving a spit and polish on its script by Hunger Games writer Billy Ray. Obviously Billy is unable to talk about the finer details but we wanted to ask him some questions and raise some concerns.
What does it feel like to be involved in a sequel to Terminator 2 Judgment Day (one of the most successful sequels of all time)?
It’s a thrill, a challenge, a blessing – and a great opportunity.
What is your favorite Terminator movie and why?
T-2 is my favorite. That movie blew me away.
How does it feel to be working with a fully formed character like Sarah Connor?
Sarah is an icon, but she’s also a person. In other words, she’s imperfect. That makes her fun to write.
From what you have read of the story so; far will Schwarzenegger’s Terminator be a fresh take/spin?
Yes. This will be an Arnold you’ve never seen before.
Some fans are concerned that there were no female writers in the writers room. You have worked with the character of Katniss Everdeen from The Hunger Games. Do you think your experience of working on that franchise will aid in polishing the strong female aspects of the next Terminator movies characters of Sarah Connor and Dani Ramos?
I was not in that room, have only been aboard this project for a month. And I can certainly appreciate the concerns on this level. That said, when you have Jim Cameron in the room, you have a feminist in charge. Period. Look at his movies. Women are the central figure in ALL of them. And I can tell you from my few meetings with him now; no one cares more about how women are portrayed in a movie than Jim does. By the way, the same is true of Tim Miller. He has a true reverence for Sarah – we all do. And, of course, there will be other female characters in the new movie who will be epic in their own ways, and fully-dimensional.
Passing the torch to new characters has been met with some backlash and criticism eg. not wanting a swan song for Sarah Connor- or for this to be the last Terminator movie for Schwarzenegger and Hamilton; obviously it needs to be done in the most respectful way possible to the fan base but even at this late stage, are the studios still listening to fans opinions/wants and needs about wanting those characters to be lead/center stage and an ongoing part of the new trilogy or is the torch pass set in stone?
Passing the torch is part of creating a sequel. After T-1 it might have sounded like sacrilege to imagine Arnold being a HERO in T-2. But it worked. T-Fans just need to know this: the franchise is in the hands of storytellers who love it and respect it. I’m now among them, and I take that responsibility very seriously.
Will John Connor, or lack thereof, be addressed in the new movie- is he part of the new story even if Edward Furlong doesn’t reprise his role?
GO SEE THE MOVIE!!!
Thanks for taking time out from working on the new Terminator movie to speak with us Billy.
We’re going to have Sarah Connor, Dani Ramos and other interesting female characters. Arnold Schwarzenegger will have a completely fresh take as an Aged Terminator with a new spin and we have a team of people who say they respect these characters and for fans not to worry. Obviously we are always going to be worried especially with the last few movies and how they turned out but that is a weight Terminator 6 will bear and, hopefully, because of it the next Terminator could be the one that fans have been waiting for… HOPEFULLY!