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Terminator Zero

Terminator Zero is a science fiction action anime series developed by Mattson Tomlin for Netflix. It is set in the Terminator universe created by James Cameron and Gale Anne Hurd. Animation services were provided by Production I.G under the direction of Masashi Kudō. The eight-episode series premiered on August 29, 2024.

Premise

In 1997 Tokyo, Malcolm Lee is developing Kokoro, an AI system intended to compete with Skynet. The day before Judgment Day, Lee finds himself and his three children pursued by an unknown robot assassin and a mysterious soldier from the year 2022 has been sent to protect him.[1]

Voice cast and characters

Main

Supporting

Episodes

Production

An anime series set in the Terminator universe was first announced in February 2021. The anime was produced for Netflix by animation studio Production I.G and Skydance Television, coming from showrunner Mattson Tomlin and director Masashi Kudō.[3] The show further developed with the working title Terminator: The Anime Series as revealed by Netflix in its 2023 Geeked Week when it announced the premise of following new characters in the year 1997.[4]

The scripts were originally written in English by Tomlin, then translated to Japanese, which was the language used for the animation. The dialogue was then rewritten by Tomlin to fit the animation in Japanese for the English dub.[5]

Tomlin has stated that the series treats all of the prior films as canon, and Production I.G. requested that it have some kind of Japanese component. The decision was made to set the story in Japan, which introduces cultural differences, such as lesser availability of firearms to civilians.[6]

Casting

By June 2024, Timothy Olyphant was cast to voice the Terminator for the series,[2] and additional character photos were first revealed with the voices of Rosario Dawson, André Holland, Sonoya Mizuno, and Ann Dowd.[7]

Release

On August 6, 2024, all eight episodes of the series were leaked online before its official release.[8] On August 29, 2024, the series was released on Netflix, coinciding with the in-universe date of Judgment Day.[9]

Reception

Critical response

The series received positive reviews from critics. On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 89% of 28 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.3/10. The website's consensus reads: "Shedding the skin of past Terminator incarnations to tell a sophisticated sci-fi saga of its own, this visceral anime proves its mettle."[10] Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 69 out of 100, based on 11 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Notes

  1. ^ Credited as "Animation Director" in the credits, but referring to the Episode Director (演出), separate from the animators credited as "Animation Supervisors" referring to the Animation Directors (作画監督).

References

  1. ^ Milligan, Mercedes (May 15, 2024). "First Look: Terminator Zero Animated Series Coming to Netflix in August". Animation Magazine.
  2. ^ a b White, Peter (June 6, 2024). "Timothy Olyphant To Voice Terminator In Animated Netflix Series". Deadline Hollywood. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on June 6, 2024. Retrieved June 6, 2024.
  3. ^ Kit, Borys (February 26, 2021). "Terminator Anime Series in the Works with The Batman Co-Writer Mattson Tomlin". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on September 22, 2022.
  4. ^ Earl, William (November 11, 2023). "Terminator: The Anime Series Headed to Netflix". Variety. Penske Media Corporation. Archived from the original on November 11, 2023.
  5. ^ Couch, Aaron (August 30, 2024). "'Terminator Zero' Creator Mattson Tomlin Found Peace Making a Show About an AI War". The Hollywood Reporter. PMRC. Archived from the original on August 31, 2024. Retrieved September 2, 2024.
  6. ^ Romano, Nick (May 15, 2024). "Terminator Zero exclusive first look takes the sci-fi saga to Tokyo". Entertainment Weekly. Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on May 31, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  7. ^ Romano, Nick (June 27, 2024). "Terminator Zero casts Rosario Dawson, House of the Dragon star, and more (exclusive)". Entertainment Weekly. Dotdash Meredith. Archived from the original on June 27, 2024.
  8. ^ Colbert, Isaiah (August 7, 2024). "Every Episode of Terminator Zero Leaks Online Ahead of Its Release on Netflix". IGN. Retrieved August 8, 2024. Yesterday, low-resolution clips with visible watermarks and timestamps of the aforementioned anime cropped up online on social media websites like X/Twitter and 4chan and torrent website Nyaa Torrents.
  9. ^ Davis, Wes (May 15, 2024). "Netflix's Terminator Zero anime starts streaming in August". The Verge. Vox Media. Archived from the original on May 16, 2024. Retrieved May 16, 2024.
  10. ^ "Terminator Zero". Rotten Tomatoes. Retrieved September 6, 2024.

External links