When descriptions from CinemaCon 2019 came in via social media (and the entertainment journalists who were lucky enough to be present at the event to live-blog the experience), Terminator Fans were voraciously devouring any, and every, bit of information concerning the footage of Terminator: Dark fate.
Some of the more interesting details about T:DF were in regards to Gabriel Luna’s new Terminator villain and the fact that Director, Tim Miller, stated that the villain had the ability to “split in two”.
This was something which got us thinking about what the mechanics of splitting in two might actually entail, and what it might mean in terms of the story… well, if we add to this information the fact that other media outlets described Luna’s villian (from the CinemaCon footage) as a “dark ooze” and a “dulled endoskeleton”, we get something which attaches very well with a Youtube video we made back in October 2018.
Previous Video: TERMINATOR 6: Dark Fate UPDATE: CAST And CREW Light And Dark ENDO T-Shirt
In our previous video we mention that the Cast and Crew t-shirt, which is worn by Terminator: Dark Fate stunt coordinator Freddy Bouciegues and actress Natalia Reyes (Dani Ramos), depicts an endoskull with a half white, half black visage on dark grey/black jersey material. We began to wonder if the feature of light and dark would be in reference to the struggle of good vs evil, or humanity against the machines but we also considered that there could be eastern philosophical elements to the image and its theme/s.
Tencent, the Chinese internet behemoth is co-financing Terminator: Dark Fate in conjunction with Skydance Media and Paramount Pictures, and it would be financially advantageous for T:DF to include aspects of Chinese culture, in order to appeal to a Chinese audience – aspects like Yin and Yang – light and dark (like the image on the cast and crew T-shirts in our video) and, in-keeping with the descriptions which came about via CinemaCon and Gabriel Luna’s new terminator villain… liquid and solid.
The Chinese philosophy of Yin and Yang has become more than just a way of life in China, it has become the basis of one of the country’s biggest religions; Taoism (or Daoism) – meaning literally ‘the way‘.
Taoism has its foundation in Yin and Yang, and the very idea that light exists because of dark and vice versa, ie light is cast upon an object thus creating dark. The two opposites compliment each other; they are cohesive and independent at the same time,- the very concept of dualism. Though one cannot exist without the other, because ultimately it’s their unity that makes them strongest.
Which brings us back to our theory about Gabriel Luna’s Terminator villain and how we believe it will be used in the final showdown in T:DF…
What if the endoskull on the T-shirt is Gabriel Luna’s Terminator in the new movie?
How would the philosophy of Yin and Yang tie into the new design?
If Yin and Yang teaches us that light exists because of dark and liquid exists because of solid etc, then that could very well be the weakness of the new villain.
If the movie’s protagonists are able to separate the two halves and weaken them both almost simultaneously… it would make it far easier to destroy the Terminator altogether.
But how could the heroes do this?
Back in June 2018 we speculated/theorized that a hydroelectric dam in Spain could be where a showdown takes place, as factory style settings/scenarios usually work well (in terms of plot devices) for destroying Terminators; be that a computer factory in The Terminator (1984) or a steel foundry in Terminator 2: Judgment Day.
In the behind the scenes footage we saw from Hungary (following the sad passing of Terminator legend Andy Vajna) we saw a blue chroma key-lined soundstage at Origo Studios, where scenes were being filmed for T:DF.
In one shot we can see large circular containers; we believe that they are turbine housings, and that since Dark Fate has a Dam location in the movie (scenes were filmed at Aldeadávila Dam, which is the largest Dam in Spain) that we could be seeing a spectacular final showdown which uses the hydroelectricity powered turbines of the Dam (Hoover Dam’s interior turbine room is a great example) to split the new Terminator model, against its volition, using magnets; thus weakening and allowing the protagonists to defeat it separately… “one cannot exist without the other”, stronger together, weaker apart.
The strong magnets within the turbines could literally drag (separate/split) the liquid outer from the solid endoskeleton inner, then the liquid metal half could be completely dispersed/shredded by the turbine’s rotating runner (blade).
The duality, the very design which gave the model its power and flexibility, which made it the “upgrade” to its predecessor; then becomes its foil, its Achilles heel.
The weakness that stops the unstoppable killing machine.
Original Showdown Theory video (below) posted on April 29th, 2019.
Got an opinion? Comment below…
7 Comments
Love reading your articles! I visit your site every day since i am a huge terminator fan. I am skeptical though since this concept of Gabriel Luna’s terminator is partly inspired by the T-X in Terminator 3. I hope to see something more exciting also.
Another big fan here, sorry but I can’t take this article serious about ying/yang🙈
Just waiting for some big ass hardcore action fights between ‘us’ and ’them’
Wow, great post.
Despite the lack of news, your work has been astonishing & still keeping TDF somehow relevant.
Will be so much fun once trailer releases, we’ll have plenty to talk about
As a Chinese, I gotta say…ouch!
Too many Chinese company force irritating “look at me! China stuff!” into movies they fund, not to mention “exotic” product placement sh*t, which nobody around me ever feel good about. But that’s all what those companies believe in. And those sh*t only shames us more!
And those “China-placement” movies sells well in China because thay are the only choice in “specific” periods, and the boxoffice makes us laughstock.
This is of course a theory – so it isn’t cemented but if Terminator: Dark Fate does have Chinese elements to the story, and it works for the movie and the story, then it’s fine. As long as Sarah Connor doesn’t get a 4 minute sequence about getting superhero strength from Gu Li Duo milk (as with Iron Man 3) then it could be okay.
Thank you! (nothing to log in so count this as an “up” vote!)
T-itanium thank you for the feedback. Regarding an ability to “log in” we have added ‘Facebook log in’ in response to your comment. Hope this helps.