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{{Short description|Science fiction action media franchise}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Terminator'' (franchise)}}
{{Use American English|date=November 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=March 2017}}
{{Infobox media franchise
| title = ''Terminator''
| image = Terminator (franchise logo).svg
| image_size = 220px
| caption = Official franchise logo from the latest film
| creator = {{Plainlist|
* [[James Cameron]]
* [[Gale Anne Hurd]]
}}
| origin = ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984)
| owner = [[StudioCanal]] ([[Groupe Canal+|Canal+]]){{efn|[[Skydance Media]] owns the rights just to produce new ''Terminator'' films. Other elements, such as some of the films and trademarks relating to them, are owned by other entities, including StudioCanal.<ref name="SC1">{{cite web |url= https://twitter.com/TerminatorRPG/status/1343697988443639817 |title=Terminator RPG}}</ref><ref name="SC2">{{cite web |url= https://www.prime1studio.com/t1-t-800-endoskeleton-hdmmt1-01ex.html |title=T-800 Endoskeleton}}</ref><ref name="SC3">{{cite web |url= https://store.steampowered.com/app/954740/Terminator_Resistance/ |title=Terminator: Resistance}}</ref> }}
| years = 1984–present
| books = 
| novels = [[#Novels|List of novels]]
| comics = [[List of Terminator comics|List of comics]]
| magazines = 
| strips = 
| films = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' (2019)
}}
| tv = ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' (2008–2009)
| atv = ''[[Terminator Zero]]'' (2024) 
| wtv = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series]]'' (2009)
* ''Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles'' (2015)
}}
| games = ''[[The Terminator Collectible Card Game]]'' (2000)
| rpgs = ''The Terminator RPG'' (2022)
| vgs = [[List of Terminator video games|List of video games]]
| radio = 
| soundtracks = {{Plainlist|
* ''[[The Terminator (soundtrack)|The Terminator]]'' (1984)
* ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day (score)|Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991)
* ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines#Soundtrack|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (2003)
* ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (soundtrack)|Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' (2008)
* ''[[Terminator Salvation#Music|Terminator Salvation]]'' (2009)
* ''[[Terminator Genisys (soundtrack)|Terminator Genisys]]'' (2015)
* ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate (soundtrack)|Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' (2019)
}}
| toys = 
| attractions = {{Plainlist|
* [[T2-3D: Battle Across Time]] (1996–2020)
* [[Apocalypse: The Ride|Terminator Salvation: The Ride]] (2009–2010)
* [[Terminator X: A Laser Battle for Salvation]] (2009–2015)
}}
| otherlabel1 = 
| otherdata1 = 
| website = [https://www.paramountmovies.com/movies/terminator-dark-fate Terminator on Paramount Pictures]
}}

'''''Terminator''''' is<!-- see WP:FILMNOW --> an American [[media franchise]] created by [[James Cameron]] and [[Gale Anne Hurd]]. It is considered to be of the [[cyberpunk]] subgenre of [[science fiction]].<ref>Elias, Herlander. Cyberpunk 2.0: fiction and contemporary. No. 2nd Edition. Covilhã: LabCom Books, 2009, 2009.</ref><ref>Nandi, Arindam. "You Were Made as Well as We Could Make You": Posthuman Identity Formations in James Cameron’s Terminator Dilogy, Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, and the Wachowski Brothers’ the Matrix Trilogy." Quarterly Review of Film and Video (2023): 1-20.</ref> The franchise primarily focuses on a post-[[AI takeover|apocalyptic]] war between a [[synthetic intelligence]] known as [[Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet]], and a surviving resistance of [[human]]s led by [[John Connor]]. Skynet uses an arsenal of cyborgs known as [[Terminator (character concept)|Terminators]], designed to mimic humans and infiltrate the resistance. A prominent model throughout the films is the [[T-800]], commonly known as the Terminator and portrayed by [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]. Time travel is a common aspect of the franchise, with humans and Terminators often sent back to alter the past and change the outcome of the future.

The franchise began with the 1984 film ''[[The Terminator]]'', written and directed by Cameron, with Hurd as producer. They would return for the 1991 sequel ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (or ''T2''). Both films were critical and commercial successes. ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (or ''T3'') was released in 2003 to positive reviews, followed by ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' in 2009 to more negative reviews. ''Salvation'' was intended as the first in a new trilogy, which was later scrapped after the film rights were sold.

Cameron was consulted for the 2015 film ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'', a [[Reboot (fiction)|reboot]] branching off from the timeline of the original film. It was negatively received and performed poorly at the box-office. Cameron had a larger role as a producer of the 2019 film ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'', a direct sequel to ''T2'' that ignores the three preceding films. ''Genisys'' was intended as the first installment in a planned trilogy, as was ''Dark Fate''; however, both planned trilogies were cancelled due to the initial films' poor box-office performances.

Outside of the films, Cameron co-directed ''[[T2-3D: Battle Across Time]]'', a 1996 theme park attraction. It was produced as the original sequel to ''T2'' and reunited its main cast. A television series, ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'', was developed without Cameron's involvement and aired from 2008 to 2009. It was also produced as a ''T2'' sequel, taking place in an alternate timeline that ignores the third film and subsequent events. ''[[Terminator Zero]]'', an [[anime]] series, premiered in August 2024. The franchise has also inspired [[List of Terminator comics|several lines of comic books]] since 1988, and [[List of Terminator video games|numerous video games]] since 1991. By 2010, the franchise had generated $3 billion in revenue.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100217005514/en/Pacificor-Names-Latham-Watkins-Field-Terminator-Inquiries |title=Pacificor Names Latham & Watkins to Field Terminator Inquiries |website=[[Business Wire]] |publisher=[[Berkshire Hathaway]] |date=February 17, 2010 |access-date=March 5, 2017 |archiveurl= https://web.archive.org/web/20170306034914/http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20100217005514/en/Pacificor-Names-Latham-Watkins-Field-Terminator-Inquiries |archivedate=March 6, 2017}}</ref>

==Themes and setting==
[[File:Terminator(Future War).png|thumb|left|Concept art illustrating the conflicts between Skynet and the Resistance in a post-apocalyptic, futuristic setting, envisioned by creator James Cameron for the 1984 film ''[[The Terminator]]''.]]

The central theme of the franchise is the battle for survival between the nearly-extinct human race and the world-spanning, [[synthetic intelligence]] that is [[Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet]]. Skynet is positioned in the first film, ''[[The Terminator]]'' (1984), as a U.S. strategic "Global Digital Defense Network" computer system by [[Cyberdyne Systems]] which becomes self-aware. Shortly after activation, Skynet seemingly perceives all humans as a threat to its existence and formulates a plan to systematically wipe out humanity itself. The system initiates a nuclear [[Pre-emptive nuclear strike|first strike]] against Russia, thereby ensuring a devastating second strike and a nuclear holocaust which wipes out much of humanity in the resulting nuclear war. In the post-apocalyptic aftermath, Skynet later builds up its own autonomous machine-based military capability which includes the [[Terminator (character concept)|Terminators]] used against individual human targets and thereafter proceeds to wage a persistent total war against the surviving elements of humanity, some of whom have militarily organized themselves into a Resistance. At some point in this future, Skynet develops the capability of [[time travel]] and both it and the Resistance seek to use this technology in order to win the war; either by altering or accelerating past events or by preventing the apocalyptic timeline.

{| class="wikitable mw-collapsible floatright"
! scope="colgroup" colspan="5" style= | ''Terminator'' story chronology
|-
! scope="col" colspan="6" | Original continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="6" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[The Terminator]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
  }}
|-
! scope="col" colspan="3" | ''Battle Across Time'' continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="3" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[The Terminator]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
  | ''[[T2-3D: Battle Across Time]]''
  }}
|-
! scope="col" colspan="3" | ''The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="3" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[The Terminator]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
  | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]''
  }}
|-
! scope="col" | ''Genisys'' continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="2" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Genisys: Future War]]''
  }}
|-
! scope="col" colspan="3" | ''Dark Fate'' continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="3" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[The Terminator]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
  | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]''
  }}
|-
! scope="col" colspan="3" | ''Zero'' continuity
|-
| scope="rowgroup" colspan="3" | {{Unbulleted list center
  | ''[[The Terminator]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
  | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
  | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]''
  | ''[[Terminator Zero]]''
  }}
|-
|}

===Judgment Day===
<!-- Please do not change this section title, it has an incoming link from Judgment Day (disambiguation). -->

In the franchise, Judgment Day (a reference to the biblical [[Last Judgment|Day of Judgment]]) is the date on which Skynet becomes self-aware, in which case its creators panic and attempt to deactivate the network. As a result, Skynet perceives humanity as a threat and attempts to exterminate them. Skynet launches an all-out nuclear attack on Russia in order to provoke a nuclear counter-strike against the United States, knowing this will eliminate its human enemies. Due to time travel and the consequent ability to change the future, several differing dates are given for Judgment Day. In ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'' (1991), [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]] states that Judgment Day will occur on August 29, 1997. However, this date is delayed following the attack on Cyberdyne Systems in the same film.

[[File:Terminator Film Franchise Continuity.svg|thumb|left|An infographic illustrating the continuity between the various timelines in the ''Terminator'' franchise.]]
Judgment Day has various different dates in different timelines of the subsequent films, as well as the television series, creating a multiverse of temporal phenomena. In ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'' (2003) and ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'' (2009), Judgment Day was postponed to July 2003.<ref>{{cite book |last=Hagberg |first=David |title=Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines |date=2003 |publisher=Macmillan |isbn=9780765347411 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=DU-hnoszGTMC |access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite video game |title=[[Terminator 3: The Redemption]] |developer=Paradigm Entertainment |publisher=Atari |date=2004}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last=Cox |first=Greg |title=Terminator Salvation: Cold War |date=2010 |publisher=Titan Books |isbn=9781848569348 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=JGY4CgAAQBAJ&pg=PT229 |access-date=September 6, 2019}}</ref> In ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' (2008–2009), the attack on Cyberdyne Systems in the second film delayed Judgment Day to April 21, 2011. In ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'' (2015), the fifth film in the franchise, Judgment Day was postponed to an unspecified day in October 2017, attributed to altered events in both the future and the past. Sarah and [[Kyle Reese]] travel through time to the year 2017 and seemingly defeat Skynet, but the system core, contained inside a subterranean blast shelter, survives unknown to them, thus further delaying, rather than preventing, Judgment Day. In ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'' (2019), the direct sequel to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', a date is not given for the new Judgment Day though it is named as such by Grace. Since Grace is a ten-year-old in 2020 and shown as a teenager in the post-Judgment Day world in flash-forwards throughout the film, Judgment Day occurs sometime in the early 2020s in this timeline.

==Franchise rights==
Before the first film was created, director [[James Cameron]] sold the rights for $1 to [[Gale Anne Hurd]], his future wife, who produced the film, under the strict provision that he be allowed to direct it.<ref name=Rocky>{{cite news |last=Abramowitz |first=Rachel |title=Rage Against the Machines: 'T3's' Rocky Road |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2002-mar-11-et-abram11-story.html |access-date=May 25, 2020 |work=Los Angeles Times |date=March 11, 2002}}</ref> [[Hemdale Film Corporation]] also became a 50-percent owner of the franchise rights, until its share was sold in 1990 to [[Carolco Pictures]], a company founded by [[Andrew G. Vajna]] and [[Mario Kassar]]. ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' was released a year later.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Shapiro|first=Marc|date=August 1991|title=Heart of Steel|url=https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-169|journal=[[Starlog]]|issue=169|pages=[https://archive.org/details/starlog_magazine-169/page/n26 27]–32 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Jaafar |first=Ali |title=Deadline Disruptors: King Of Cannes Mario Kassar On The Glory Days Of Carolco, Why Buying Arnie A Plane Made Sense & Talking Vaginas |url=https://deadline.com/2016/05/carolco-pictures-mario-kassar-cannes-interview-foxtrot-six-audition-1201752739/ |work=Deadline |date=May 12, 2016 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> Carolco filed for bankruptcy in 1995 and its library was subsequently acquired by [[StudioCanal]], which continues to own the franchise today.<ref name="SC1"/><ref name="SC2"/><ref name="SC3"/> However, the rights to future ''Terminator'' films were ultimately put up for auction. By that time, Cameron had become interested in making a ''Terminator 3'' film.<ref name=Eller>{{cite web |last=Eller |first=Claudia |title=Big Problemo in Bid for 'Terminator 3' |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1997-sep-23-fi-35255-story.html |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 23, 1997 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref><ref name=Petrikin>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/fox-cameron-opting-out-of-terminator-3-111660993/|title=Fox, Cameron opting out of 'Terminator 3'|author=Chris Petrikin|work=Variety|date=October 6, 1997|access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> The rights were ultimately auctioned to Vajna in 1997, for $8 million.<ref name=Redux>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/1998/biz/news/kassar-vajna-redux-1117469201/|title=Kassar & Vajna redux|author=Chris Petrikin, Benedict Carver|work=Variety|date=March 26, 1998 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> Vajna and Kassar spent another $8 million to purchase Hurd's half of the rights in 1998, becoming the full owners of the franchise.<ref name=Redux/><ref name=Chron>{{cite web |last=Lawson |first=Terry |title='T3' was almost the big movie that couldn't get made |url=https://www.chron.com/entertainment/movies/article/T3-was-almost-the-big-movie-that-couldn-t-get-2125230.php |work=Knight Ridder Newspapers |date=July 1, 2003 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref> Hurd was initially opposed to the sale of the rights, while Cameron had lost interest in the franchise and a third film.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Weiner |first1=Rex |last2=Petrikin |first2=Chris |title=Hurd will fight sale of 'Terminator 3' rights |url=https://variety.com/1997/film/news/hurd-will-fight-sale-of-terminator-3-rights-111662485/ |website=Variety |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=October 7, 1997}}</ref>

After the 2003 release of ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'', the franchise rights were sold in 2007 for about $25 million to [[The Halcyon Company]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Fleming |first=Michael |title=More 'Terminator' on the way |url=https://variety.com/2007/film/news/more-terminator-on-the-way-1117964592/ |website=Variety |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=May 10, 2007}}</ref><ref name=Reuters/> which produced ''Terminator Salvation'' in 2009. Later that year, the company faced legal issues and filed for bankruptcy, putting the franchise rights up for sale. The rights were valued at about $70 million.<ref>{{cite news|last=Fritz |first=Ben |url=http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/entertainmentnewsbuzz/2009/09/terminator-rights-may-change-hands-again.html |title='Terminator' rights may change hands again |work=Los Angeles Times |date=September 28, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/news/halcyon-puts-terminator-on-block-1118010756/ |title=Halcyon puts 'Terminator' on block |work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |date=November 2, 2009 |access-date=May 25, 2020 |first=Dave |last=McNary |author-link=Dave McNary}}</ref> In 2010, the rights were sold for $29.5 million to Pacificor, a [[hedge fund]] that was Halcyon's largest [[creditor]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Finke |first=Nikki |title='Terminator' Rights Sell for $29.5 Mil |url=https://deadline.com/2010/02/terminator-rights-sell-for-29-5-mil-24936/ |website=Deadline |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=February 8, 2010}}</ref><ref name=Reuters>{{cite web |title=Pacificor hires agency to sell "Terminator" rights |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-terminator/pacificor-hires-agency-to-sell-terminator-rights-idUSTRE64Q58I20100527 |website=Reuters |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=May 27, 2010}}</ref> In 2012, the rights were sold to [[Megan Ellison]] and her production company [[Annapurna Pictures]] for less than $20 million, a lower price than what was previously offered. The low price was because of the possibility of Cameron regaining the rights in 2019, as a result of new North American copyright laws.<ref name=Collura/><ref>{{cite web |last=Fischer |first=Russ |title=James Cameron Regains Terminator Rights in 2019 |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/james-cameron-regains-terminator-rights-in-2019/ |website=/Film |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=June 14, 2013}}</ref> Megan's brother [[David Ellison]] and [[Skydance Productions]] produced ''Terminator Genisys'' in 2015.<ref name=Collura>{{cite web |last=Collura |first=Scott |title=New Terminator Films (Finally) Coming |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2012/12/04/new-terminator-films-finally-coming |website=IGN |access-date=May 25, 2020 |date=December 4, 2012}}</ref>

Cameron worked together with David Ellison to produce the 2019 film ''Terminator: Dark Fate''.<ref>{{cite news |last=Sblendorio |first=Peter |title=James Cameron tells Daily News why he returned for 'Terminator: Dark Fate' and teamed up again with Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton |url=https://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/movies/ny-james-cameron-terminator-dark-fate-20191028-nagw7pmg45ev7oxqheqv6ap42q-story.html |access-date=May 25, 2020 |work=New York Daily News |date=October 28, 2019}}</ref> As the film neared its release, Hurd filed to terminate a copyright grant made 35 years earlier. Under this move, Hurd would again become a 50-percent owner of the rights with Cameron and Skydance could lose the rights to make any additional ''Terminator'' films beginning in November 2020, unless a new deal is worked out. Skydance responded that it had a deal in place with Cameron and that it "controls the rights to the ''Terminator'' franchise for the foreseeable future".<ref>{{cite news |last=Gardner |first=Eriq |title=Real-Life Terminator: Major Studios Face Sweeping Loss of Iconic '80s Film Franchise Rights |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/real-life-terminator-major-studios-face-sweeping-loss-iconic-80s-film-franchise-rights-1244737 |access-date=May 25, 2020 |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=October 2, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191012015233/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/thr-esq/real-life-terminator-major-studios-face-sweeping-loss-iconic-80s-film-franchise-rights-1244737 |archive-date=October 12, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Films==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center" width="100%;"
! Film
! U.S. release date
! Director(s)
! Screenwriter(s)
! Story by
! Producer(s)
|-
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Terminator]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|1984|10|26}}
| rowspan="2" | [[James Cameron]]
| colspan="2" | James Cameron and [[Gale Anne Hurd]]
| Gale Anne Hurd
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|1991|7|3}}
| colspan="2" | James Cameron & [[William Wisher Jr.]]
| James Cameron
|-
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|2003|7|2}}
| [[Jonathan Mostow]]
| [[John Brancato and Michael Ferris]]
| John Brancato & Michael Ferris and [[Tedi Sarafian]]
| [[Colin Wilson (film producer)|Colin Wilson]], [[Mario Kassar]], [[Hal Lieberman]], [[Andrew G. Vajna]] and [[Joel B. Michaels]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|2009|5|21}}
| [[McG]]
| colspan="2" | John Brancato & Michael Ferris
| [[Moritz Borman]], Derek Anderson, Victor Kubicek and Jeffrey Silver
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|2015|7|1}}
| [[Alan Taylor (director)|Alan Taylor]]
| colspan="2" | [[Laeta Kalogridis]] & [[Patrick Lussier]]
| Dana Goldberg and [[David Ellison]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]''
| style="text-align:left" | {{Start date|2019|11|1}}
| [[Tim Miller (director)|Tim Miller]]
| [[David S. Goyer|David Goyer]] & Justin Rhodes and [[Billy Ray (screenwriter)|Billy Ray]]
| James Cameron & [[Charles H. Eglee|Charles Eglee]] & [[Josh Friedman]] & David Goyer & Justin Rhodes
| David Ellison and James Cameron
|}
[[File:Tekniska museet - BugWarp (57) (cropped).jpg|thumb|A [[Terminator (character)|Terminator]] droid in the Terminator films]]

===''The Terminator'' (1984)===
{{Main|The Terminator}}
''The Terminator'' is a 1984 [[science fiction action film]] released by [[Orion Pictures]], co-written and directed by [[James Cameron]] and starring [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Linda Hamilton]] and [[Michael Biehn]]. It is the first work in the ''Terminator'' franchise. In the film, robots take over the world in the near future, directed by the artificial intelligence Skynet. With its sole mission to completely annihilate humanity, it develops [[android (robot)|android]] assassins called Terminators that outwardly appear human. A man named [[John Connor]] starts the Tech-Com resistance to fight the machines, defeat Skynet and free humanity. With a human victory imminent, the machines' only choice is to send a Terminator back in time to kill John's mother, [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]] and prevent the boy's birth, thereby stopping the resistance from being founded in the first place. With the fate of humanity at stake, John sends soldier [[Kyle Reese]] back to protect Sarah Connor and thus ensure his own existence. It was released on October 26, 1984 and grossed $78.4 million worldwide.

===''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' (1991)===
<!-- Please use the full name here as the section title because a) it's correct, and b) to distinguish it from the section above on the concept of Judgment Day within the franchise. -->
{{Main|Terminator 2: Judgment Day}}
''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' is the 1991 sequel to the original ''Terminator'' film and was released by [[TriStar Pictures]]. It was co-written, directed and produced by James Cameron and stars [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]], [[Linda Hamilton]], [[Edward Furlong]], [[Robert Patrick]] and [[Joe Morton]]. After robots fail to prevent John Connor from being born, they try again in 1995, this time attempting to terminate him as a child by using a more advanced Terminator, the [[T-1000]]. As before, John sends back a protector for his younger self, a reprogrammed Terminator, who is a doppelgänger to [[Terminator (character)|the one from 1984]]. After years of preparing for the future war, Sarah decides to use the same tactics the robots used on her: preventing Skynet from being invented by destroying Cyberdyne Systems before they create it. 

''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' was released on July 3, 1991 to critical acclaim, becoming the most successful film at the US box office in 1991,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.denofgeek.com/movies/terminator-2-judgment-day-netflix-release-james-cameron-history/ |title=Terminator 2 and Why the Summer of 1991 Was a Great Time for Movies |work=Den of Geek |first=David|last=Crow|date=2 July 2021 |access-date=25 August 2024}}</ref> and grossing $523.7 million worldwide. It won several [[Academy Awards]], one most notably for its [[Special effects of Terminator 2: Judgment Day|groundbreaking computer animation]]. The film was remastered for 3D and re-released in August 2017.

===''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' (2003)===
{{Main|Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines}}
''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'', released by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] in North America and [[Columbia TriStar Film Distributors]] internationally, is the 2003 sequel to ''Terminator 2'' and is written by [[John Brancato and Michael Ferris|John Brancato]], [[John Brancato and Michael Ferris|Michael Ferris]], directed by [[Jonathan Mostow]] and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, [[Nick Stahl]], [[Claire Danes]] and [[Kristanna Loken]]. As a result of the destruction of Cyberdyne, the Skynet takeover has been postponed, not averted. In an attempt to ensure a victory by the robots, a new Terminator, the [[T-X]], is sent back to terminate as many of John Connor's future lieutenants as possible, including his future wife Kate Brewster and also John himself. Kate's father, General Robert Brewster ([[David Andrews (actor)|David Andrews]]), who is supervising Skynet's development, is also targeted for termination by the T-X. After Connor's future self is terminated by a doppelgänger of his previous protector, Kate reprograms him and sends him back to save them both from the T-X. It was released on July 2, 2003 to generally favorable reviews and grossed $433.4 million worldwide.

===''Terminator Salvation'' (2009)===
{{Main|Terminator Salvation}}
''Terminator Salvation'' is the fourth installment of the ''Terminator'' film series, produced by [[The Halcyon Company]] and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures and [[Columbia Pictures]]. It was released on May 21, 2009 to negative reviews and grossed $371.4 million. It was written by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, directed by [[McG]],<ref>{{cite news |first=Borys |last=Kit |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSN0133618320071202 |title=Bale to segue from 'Dark Knight' to 'Terminator' |work=[[Reuters]] |date=April 14, 2008}}</ref> and stars [[Christian Bale]] as John Connor and [[Sam Worthington]] (who was personally recommended by James Cameron<ref name="Variety-Worthington">{{cite news |first2=Diane |last2=Garrett |first1=Michael |last1=Fleming |title=Worthington to star in 'Terminator' |url=https://variety.com/2008/film/features/worthington-to-star-in-terminator-1117980831/ |work=Variety |date=February 12, 2008 |access-date=November 23, 2021|quote=Worthington will play the role of Marcus, a central figure in a three-picture arc that begins after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity...}}</ref>) as Marcus Wright.<ref>{{cite news |first=Gina|last=Serpe|title=Bale Goes Batty For Terminator 4|url=http://www.eonline.com/news/article/index.jsp?uuid=9864803c-63b6-42a6-b26f-4c2b3d101a6b|work=[[E! News]]|date=December 2, 2007|access-date=April 14, 2008}}</ref> Following the events of ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'', after Skynet has destroyed much of humanity in a nuclear holocaust, John struggles to fulfill his destiny as the leader of humanity, while Marcus Wright finds his place in an unfamiliar post-apocalyptic world. In this future, the [[T-800]] Terminators ([[Roland Kickinger]] with [[Computer-generated imagery|CG]]-rendered facial likeness of Arnold Schwarzenegger<!-- Schwarzenegger did not act in the film due to his duties as Governor of California; a likeness of his face was used. --><ref name="Digital">{{cite news|author=Michael Fleming|title=Digital Governator set for 'Terminator'|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=April 22, 2009|url=https://variety.com/2009/film/markets-festivals/digital-governator-set-for-terminator-1118002743/|access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref>) are coming online sooner than expected. The film also stars [[Anton Yelchin]] as Kyle Reese,<ref name="haggis">{{cite news|first=Gregg|last=Goldstein|title=Yelchin finds 'Salvation'|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|date=March 19, 2008|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ifff588c2bae9eaff4982de057e9344ff|access-date=April 14, 2008 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080419002212/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ifff588c2bae9eaff4982de057e9344ff <!-- Bot retrieved archive --> |archive-date = April 19, 2008}}</ref> [[Bryce Dallas Howard]], [[Moon Bloodgood]], [[Common (rapper)|Common]], [[Michael Ironside]], and [[Helena Bonham Carter]].

===''Terminator Genisys'' (2015)===
{{Main|Terminator Genisys}}
<!-- This section should only contain a summary of the film's production and plot as the other films do. -->
''Terminator Genisys'' is the fifth installment of the franchise and also serves as a [[reboot (fiction)|reboot]]. It features the main characters from the first two films portrayed by a new cast, with the exception of Arnold Schwarzenegger reprising his role as the eponymous character. Additionally, [[J. K. Simmons]] joined the cast as Detective O'Brien, serving as an ally for the film's protagonists. The film was written by [[Laeta Kalogridis]] and [[Patrick Lussier]] and directed by [[Alan Taylor (director)|Alan Taylor]]. It was made by [[Skydance Productions]] and distributed by [[Paramount Pictures]]. The story takes place in an alternate reality resulting from a chain of events related to Skynet's ([[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]]) actions throughout a previous timeline. Prior to this alteration, on the verge of winning the war against Skynet, John Connor ([[Jason Clarke (actor)|Jason Clarke]]) sends his trusted right-hand officer Kyle Reese ([[Jai Courtney]]) back through time to save his mother's life and ensure his own existence. However, Kyle arrives at an alternate timeline where Skynet had never launched its initial attack in 1997 and Sarah Connor ([[Emilia Clarke]]) was brought up by a reprogrammed Terminator (Schwarzenegger), sent by an unknown party to be her guardian ever since childhood. Now Sarah, Kyle and the Guardian need to escape the T-800 Model 101 (Brett Azar with CG-rendered likeness of Schwarzenegger from the first film), the T-1000 ([[Lee Byung-hun]]) and Skynet's [[T-3000]], in an attempt to stop Judgment Day from ever happening; while trying to uncover the secrets behind Cyberdyne Systems' new [[application software]]: ''Genisys''. Assisting the trio is O'Brien, whose investigation into time travelers (especially Terminators) leads him to learn about Skynet and helps the protagonists in their mission to avert Judgment Day.

Cameron was consulted for the film during its early development.<ref>{{cite web |last=Cook |first=Tommy |title=James Cameron Talks Terminator: Genesis and Spider-Man |url=https://collider.com/james-cameron-terminator-genesis-spider-man/ |website=Collider |access-date=June 21, 2024 |date=June 1, 2014}}</ref> It was released in the U.S. on July 1, 2015 and grossed $440.6 million worldwide. Its commercial performance was lower than anticipated, resulting in two planned sequels and a spin-off television series being cancelled in favor of ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' (2019).

===''Terminator: Dark Fate'' (2019)===
{{Main|Terminator: Dark Fate}}
''Terminator: Dark Fate'' is the sixth installment of the franchise and a direct sequel to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''. It is directed by [[Tim Miller (director)|Tim Miller]] and was released in the U.S. on November 1, 2019. It stars Linda Hamilton and Arnold Schwarzenegger, reprising their roles as Sarah Connor and the Terminator, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/linda-hamilton-set-return-terminator-franchise-1040948 |title=Linda Hamilton Set to Return to 'Terminator' Franchise (Exclusive) |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=2017-09-19 |access-date=2017-10-03}}</ref> The film also stars [[Mackenzie Davis]], [[Natalia Reyes]] and [[Gabriel Luna]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Terminator 6 Gets Blade Runner 2049 Star Mackenzie Davis |url=https://movieweb.com/terminator-6-cast-mackenzie-davis/ |date=March 8, 2018 |website=MovieWeb |access-date=April 13, 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2018/04/the-terminator-gabriel-luna-tim-miller-james-cameron-skydance-paramount-1202364049/|title=Gabriel Luna is New Terminator, Natalia Rayes & Diego Boneta Set To Star Tim Miller-Jim Cameron Reboot |website=Deadline Hollywood |date=April 13, 2018 |access-date=April 13, 2018}}</ref> Jude Collie and Brett Azar were also cast as a young John Connor and a younger T-800, respectively.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://bloody-disgusting.com/movie/3502421/photo-shows-return-young-john-connor-terminator-will-take-us-back-90s/ |title=Photo Shows Return of Young John Connor In 'Terminator', Which Will Take Us Back to the '90s! |website=Bloody Disgusting |date=June 5, 2018 |access-date=June 6, 2018}}</ref>

The previous film, ''Terminator Genisys'', had been intended as the first in [[#Terminator Genisys trilogy|a new stand-alone film trilogy]], but the planned sequels were canceled following the film's disappointing box-office performance. The producer of that film, David Ellison, recruited James Cameron to produce a new film with him, which would become ''Terminator: Dark Fate''.<ref name=Fox>{{cite news |last=Haas |first=Mariah |title='Terminator: Dark Fate' to be rated R |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/terminator-dark-fate-rated-r |work=Fox News |agency=Associated Press |date=July 20, 2019 |access-date=July 24, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://deadline.com/2017/01/terminator-james-cameron-deadpool-tim-miller-david-ellison-skydance-1201890848/|title=He's Back! James Cameron To Godfather 'Terminator' With 'Deadpool' Helmer Tim Miller|magazine=Deadline|author=Mike Fleming Jr|date=January 20, 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1638270/whats-actually-happening-with-the-terminator-franchise-according-to-the-producer|title=What's Actually Happening With The Terminator Franchise, According To The Producer|publisher=Cinema Blend|date=21 March 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|author=Alex Leadbeater |url=https://screenrant.com/terminator-6-arnold-schwarzenegger-james-cameron/ |title=Terminator 6: Schwarzenegger Says He's Back |website=Screen Rant |date=2017-05-20 |access-date=2017-10-03}}</ref>

In the film, the machines send a Terminator, [[Rev-9]] (Luna), back in time to eliminate Dani Ramos (Reyes), whose destiny is linked to the Human Resistance's war against them. The Resistance sends one of their soldiers, Grace (Davis), back to protect her, and a chain of events leads Grace and Dani to join forces with Sarah Connor and the T-800.

The writers' room included [[Josh Friedman]], creator of the television series ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]''. Other writers included [[David S. Goyer]], Justin Rhodes and [[Billy Ray (screenwriter)|Billy Ray]].<ref>{{cite magazine|last1=Kroll|first1=Justin|last2=Lang|first2=Brent|url=https://variety.com/2017/film/news/terminator-new-movie-writer-billy-ray-1202617746/|title=''New Terminator Film'' Writers Room Adds Billy Ray To Polish The Script|date=November 17, 2017|magazine=Variety|access-date=November 18, 2017}}</ref> The creative team stated that the new film would feature a young 18- to 21-year-old, who could potentially lead the franchise should the first film be successful. Miller made mention of creating a theme park attraction akin to ''[[T2 3-D: Battle Across Time]]'' should the film prove successful.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theterminatorfans.com/terminator-6-writers-room/ |title=Terminator 6 Writers Room |publisher=TheTerminatorFans.com |date=2017-09-20 |access-date=2017-10-03}}</ref> Because the series deals with time-travel, the film ignores the premise of the last three films and the TV series and is not titled ''Terminator 6'', as it is also a direct sequel to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day''.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theterminatorfans.com/exclusive-schwarzenegger-talks-terminator-6/ |title=EXCLUSIVE: SCHWARZENEGGER Talks TERMINATOR 6 |publisher=TheTerminatorFans.com |date=2017-09-21 |access-date=2017-10-03}}</ref> Filming began in [[Isleta del Moro]], [[Almería]]<ref>{{cite news |last=Martínez |first=D. |title='Terminator' ya se rueda en la playa del Rinconcillo en la Isleta del Moro |url=http://www.diariodealmeria.es/ocio/Terminator-rueda-Rinconcillo-Isleta-Moro_0_1249975105.html |date=30 May 2018 |access-date=30 May 2018 |newspaper=[[Diario de Almería]] |language=es |publisher=[[Grupo Joly]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Martínez |first=D. |title=La Isleta acoge unos decorados para el rodaje de la película 'Terminator' |url=http://www.diariodealmeria.es/ocio/Isleta-decorados-rodaje-pelicula-Terminator_0_1246075952.html |date=17 May 2018 |access-date=30 May 2018 |newspaper=[[Diario de Almería]] |language=es |publisher=[[Grupo Joly]]}}</ref> on June 4, 2018, shooting for a month there, before shooting the rest in the United States.

This film was intended as the first in [[#Terminator: Dark Fate trilogy|a new trilogy of ''Terminator'' films]],<ref>{{cite web|last=Libbey |first=Dirk |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1685210/where-the-terminator-franchise-is-going-next-according-to-james-cameron |title=Where The Terminator Franchise Is Going Next, According To James Cameron |publisher=Cinemablend.com |date=2017-07-26 |access-date=2017-10-03}}</ref> but these plans were canceled due to very mixed audience reactions and the film's underperforming box office record.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/nov/05/darkest-fate-how-the-terminator-franchise-was-finally-terminated |title=Darkest fate: how the Terminator franchise was finally terminated |work=The Guardian |last=Lee |first=Benjamin |date=5 November 2019 |access-date=21 July 2021}}</ref><ref name=Ice/>

==Television==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" | Series
! scope="col" | Season
! scope="col" | Episodes
! scope="col" | First released
! scope="col" | Last released
! scope="col" | Showrunner(s)
! scope="col" | Network(s)
|-
! scope="row" rowspan="2" | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]''
| 1
| 9
| {{Start date|2008|1|13}}
| {{End date|2008|3|3}}
| rowspan="2"| [[Josh Friedman]]
| rowspan="2"| [[Fox Broadcasting Company|Fox]]
|-
| 2
| 22
| {{Start date|2008|9|8}}
| {{End date|2009|4|10}}
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Zero]]''
| 1
| 8
| colspan="2"| {{Start date|2024|8|29}}
| [[Mattson Tomlin]]
| [[Netflix]]
|}

===''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' (2008–2009)===
{{Main|Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles}}
''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'' follows Sarah ([[Lena Headey]]) and John Connor ([[Thomas Dekker (actor)|Thomas Dekker]]) as they try to "live under the radar" after destroying Cyberdyne in ''Terminator 2''. [[Summer Glau]] plays a Terminator named [[Cameron (Terminator)|Cameron]] and [[Brian Austin Green]] plays Derek Reese, the brother of [[Kyle Reese#Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles|Kyle Reese]], both sent back in time to protect the Connors and prevent another Judgment Day.

===''Terminator Zero'' (2024)===
{{Main|Terminator Zero}}
''Terminator Zero'' is an anime series released on Netflix on August 29, 2024, notably referencing Judgment Day from the films. It is a co-production between Skydance and Production I.G. Unlike previous installments, the eight-episode series takes place in Japan without any ties to Sarah Connor or her son, John, instead focusing on new characters.

==Future==
In December 2022, while promoting ''[[Avatar: The Way of Water]]'', producer and director of the first two ''Terminator'' films James Cameron revealed that another series reboot was "in discussion, but nothing has been decided". The reboot would likely feature an entirely new cast and reset the continuity of the entire film series. Cameron suggested that in hindsight, bringing back both Arnold Schwarzenegger and Linda Hamilton for ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' had been a mistake.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Sharma |first1=Ruchira |title=James Cameron says another Terminator film is 'in discussion' |url=https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/culture/article/terminator-reboot-james-cameron |website=[[GQ]] |access-date=22 December 2022 |date=22 December 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Rowan |first1=Iona |title=James Cameron reveals discussions over new Terminator movie |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a42352527/james-cameron-new-terminator-movie/ |website=[[Digital Spy]] |access-date=28 December 2022 |date=28 December 2022}}</ref> In May 2023, Schwarzenegger stated in an interview that he would not appear in any future franchise installments after the last few films were "not well-written".<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bergeson |first1=Samantha |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger Is 'Done' with 'Terminator' Franchise After 'Dark Fate' Flop: 'Not Well-Written' |url=https://www.indiewire.com/news/breaking-news/arnold-schwarzenegger-done-with-the-terminator-franchise-1234863717/ |website=[[IndieWire]] |access-date=29 May 2023 |date=17 May 2023}}</ref> Later that month, it was reported that Cameron was developing a script for a ''Terminator'' reboot.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Cavanaugh |first1=Patrick |title=Terminator: James Cameron Reportedly Started Writing Script for New Installment |url=https://comicbook.com/movies/news/terminator-new-movie-james-cameron-sequel-script-plans-ai/ |website=ComicBook.com |access-date=29 May 2023 |language=en |date=25 May 2023}}</ref>

In February 2024, Hamilton stated in an interview that she would also not appear in any more future installments feeling that she did all she could in the franchise and thought the story had been "done to death". She also questioned the idea of rebooting the franchise again stating "Why anybody would relaunch it is a mystery to me."<ref>{{cite web |last1=Jacobs |first1=Eammon |title=Linda Hamilton says she wouldn't star in a 'Terminator' reboot: 'It's been done to death' |url= https://www.businessinsider.com/linda-hamilton-terminator-reboot-sarah-connor-wont-return-2024-2?r=US&IR=T |website=Business Insider |access-date=20 February 2024 |language=en |date=19 February 2024}}</ref> In September 2024, Cameron confirmed that he was working on more films, in which the core themes are kept but the "distinct iconography" of the previous films is to be discarded.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Travis|first1=Ben |title=James Cameron Has 'More Than A Plan' For Future Terminator Films – With One Major Difference |url= https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/james-cameron-terminator-future-films-one-major-difference/ |website=Empire (Magazine) |access-date=January 15, 2025 |url-status = live| language=en |date=September 19, 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250115165155/https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/james-cameron-terminator-future-films-one-major-difference/ |archive-date=January 15, 2025}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |date=2024-11-05 |title=James Cameron: The Ultimate Terminator Interview – Director’s Cut |url=https://www.empireonline.com/movies/features/james-cameron-ultimate-terminator-interview-directors-cut/ |access-date=2025-05-19 |website=Empire |language=en}}</ref>

==Web series==
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
|-
! scope="col" | Series
! scope="col" | Season
! scope="col" | Episodes
! scope="col" | First released
! scope="col" | Last released
! scope="col" | Showrunner(s)
! scope="col" | Network(s)
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series]]''
| 1
| 6
| {{Start date|2009|5|18}}
| {{End date|2009|6|24}}
| Andy Shapiro
| [[Machinima, Inc.|Machinima]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles''
| 1
| 3
| colspan="2" | {{Start date|2015|6|22}}
| [[Jay Bushman]]
| [[YouTube]]
|-
|}

===''Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series'' (2009)===
{{Main|Terminator Salvation: The Machinima Series}}
Set in 2016, years after Judgment Day, Blair Williams (voiced by [[Moon Bloodgood]]) is fighting the war against the machines in downtown Los Angeles, while tracking down the computer hacker named Laz Howard (voiced by [[Cam Clarke]]) and trying to persuade him to join sides with the resistance.

===''Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles'' (2015)===
''Terminator Genisys: The YouTube Chronicles'' was released in three parts on June 22, 2015 to promote the fifth film, produced by Heresy.<ref>{{cite news|title=YouTube Stars Debut 'Terminator' Web Series With Arnold Schwarzenegger |publisher= Tubefilter |last=Brouwer|first=Bree |date=June 22, 2015|url= https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/06/22/terminator-genisys-youtube-chronicles-arnold-schwarzenegger/ |access-date= June 5, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=YouTube Stars Participate In 'Terminator'-Themed Campaign With Arnold Schwarzenegger At YouTube Space LA |publisher= Tubefilter |last= Brouwer|first= Bree |date= April 10, 2015 |url= https://www.tubefilter.com/2015/04/10/youtube-space-la-terminator-campaign-olga-kay-superwoman/ |access-date= June 5, 2019}}</ref> The web series was directed by Charles Paek and written by Jay Bushman. It features several popular [[List of YouTubers|YouTube stars]] appearing with Arnold Schwarzenegger as the T-800, as they stand together against the T-360 (played by fellow YouTube personality, [[Toby Turner]]).{{citation needed|date=July 2021}}

==Cast and crew==
{{main list|List of Terminator (franchise) characters}}

===Principal cast===
{{Cast indicator|appeared=the franchise|A|E|P|O|S|V|Y}}
* {{Cast indicator/note|model|M|a model with the actor or actress's likeness served as a body double}}
* {{Cast indicator/note|likeness|L|the actor or actress lent only their likeness for the film}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="4" style="width:13.9%;" | Characters
! colspan="6" | Films
! Theme park attraction
! colspan="2" | Television series
|-
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[The Terminator]]''
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day|{{small|Terminator 2:}}<br />Judgment Day]]''
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines|{{small|Terminator 3:}}<br />Rise of the Machines]]''
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[Terminator Salvation|{{small|Terminator}}<br />Salvation]]''
! rowspan="2" | ''[[Terminator Genisys|{{small|Terminator}}<br />Genisys]]''
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate|{{small|Terminator:}}<br />Dark Fate]]''
! rowspan="2" style="width:9%;" | ''[[T2-3D: Battle Across Time|T2-3D:<br />Battle Across Time]]''
! colspan="2" | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles|{{small|Terminator:}}<br />The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]''
|-
! [[List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes#Season 1 (2008)|Season 1]]
! [[List of Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles episodes#Season 2 (2008–09)|Season 2]]
|-
! 1984
! 1991
! 2003
! 2009
! 2015
! 2019
! 1996
! colspan="2" | 2008–2009
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color:silver;" | '''Machines'''
|-
! [[Terminator (character)|Terminator<br />{{small|T-800 Model 101}}]]{{efn|In the first three films, the characters portrayed by [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]] are each credited as '''Terminator'''. In ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]'', the character briefly uses the alias of '''Uncle Bob''' on the behest of [[John Connor]]. In ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]'', the character refers to itself as a '''T-101''' and is referred to in promotional materials as a '''T-850'''. In ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'', the character is referred to as '''Pops''' and credited as '''Guardian'''. In ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]'', the character goes by the name '''Carl'''.}}
| colspan="3" | [[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]
| Arnold Schwarzenegger{{ref|likeness|L}}{{ref|special|S}}{{efn|[[Arnold Schwarzenegger]]'s facial likeness was utilized via [[computer-generated imagery|CGI]], applied to Kickinger's body performance. The CGI model was made from a mold of his face made in 1984, scanned to create the digital makeup.<ref name="Digital"/>}}<hr />[[Roland Kickinger]]{{ref|young|Y}}{{ref|model|M}}
| colspan="2" | Arnold Schwarzenegger<hr>{{small|Brett Azar}}{{ref|young|Y}}{{ref|model|M}}
| Arnold Schwarzenegger
| colspan="2" {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
|-
! [[T-1000]]
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Robert Patrick]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Lee Byung-hun]]
| {{cEmpty}}
| Robert Patrick
| {{cEmpty}}
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
|-
! [[T-X]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Kristanna Loken]]
| colspan="6" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! [[Skynet (Terminator)|Skynet<br />{{small|Dr. Serena Kogan}}<br />{{small|Alex}}]]{{efn|In ''[[Terminator Salvation]]'', Skynet appears on a computer screen using the physical appearance of Dr. Serena Kogan (portrayed by [[Helena Bonham Carter]]). In ''[[Terminator Genisys]]'', Skynet makes a physical appearance under the disguise of a resistance soldier who is credited as '''Alex''' (portrayed by [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]]). In the latter film, Skynet, now known as '''Genisys''', makes additional appearances as a holographic human male ranging in age from 10 to 18 years old, and aged again into another form also portrayed by Smith.}}
| colspan="3" {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| [[Helena Bonham Carter]]
| [[Matt Smith]]<hr>{{small|Ian Etheridge}}{{ref|young|Y}}<hr>{{small|Seth Meriwether}}{{ref|young|Y}}<hr>{{small|Nolan Gross}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| colspan="3" {{N/A| ''No physical actor, network facility only''}}
|-
! Marcus Wright<br />{{small|Cyborg}}
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Sam Worthington]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! T-600
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Brian Steele]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" | Chris Gann
|-
! [[T-3000]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Jason Clarke]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Grace Harper<ref>{{cite web |title=Terminator Dark Fate Global Premiere - Part 1 |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FCbcB_ZLluI | archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211030/FCbcB_ZLluI| archive-date=2021-10-30|website=YouTube |access-date=February 2, 2020 |date=November 6, 2019 |at=11:00}}{{cbignore}}</ref><br />{{small|Augment}}
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Mackenzie Davis]]<hr>{{small|Stephanie Gil}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! [[Rev-9]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Gabriel Luna]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! [[Cameron (Terminator)|Cameron]]
| colspan="7" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" | [[Summer Glau]]
|-
! Cromartie / John Henry<br />{{small|T-888}}
| colspan="7" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Owain Yeoman]]<hr>[[Garret Dillahunt]]
| Garret Dillahunt
|-
! [[Catherine Weaver|Catherine Weaver<br />{{small|T-1001}}]]
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Shirley Manson]]
|-
! colspan="10" style="background-color:silver;" | '''Humans'''
|-
! [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]]
| [[Linda Hamilton]]
| Linda Hamilton<hr>{{small|Leslie Hamilton}}{{ref|model|M}}
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| {{N/A|Linda Hamilton}}{{ref|voice|V}}
| [[Emilia Clarke]]<hr>{{small|Willa Taylor}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| Linda Hamilton<hr>{{small|[[Maddy Curley]]}}{{ref|young|Y}}{{ref|model|M}}
| Linda Hamilton
| colspan="2" | [[Lena Headey]]
|-
! [[Kyle Reese]]
| [[Michael Biehn]]
| {{N/A|Michael Biehn}}{{ref|extend|E}}{{efn|[[Michael Biehn]] reprised his role as Kyle Reese in a cameo scene in which he visits Sarah in a dream of hers. His scene was cut from the theatrical release,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?id=fgoxAAAAIBAJ&pg=5536,51262&dq=michael+biehn+terminator+2&hl=en|title=Biehn out of 'Terminator 2'|work=Reading Eagle|date=July 1, 1991|access-date=August 24, 2010}}</ref> but was later restored when the film was re-released in 1993 and 1997 under the name ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day#Extended Edition|Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Special Edition]]''.}}
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Anton Yelchin]]
| [[Jai Courtney]]<hr>{{small|Bryant Prince}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Jonathan Jackson (actor)|Jonathan Jackson]]<hr>{{small|[[Skyler Gisondo]]}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| Jonathan Jackson
|-
! Dr. Peter Silberman
| colspan="3" | [[Earl Boen]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| {{N/A|Earl Boen}}{{ref|archive|A}}
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Bruce Davison]]
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
|-
! Lieutenant Ed Traxler
| [[Paul Winfield]]
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Vukovich
| [[Lance Henriksen]]
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! [[John Connor]]
| {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
| [[Edward Furlong]]<hr>{{small|[[Michael Edwards (actor)|Michael Edwards]]}}{{ref|old|O}}<hr>{{small|Dalton Abbott}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| [[Nick Stahl]]
| [[Christian Bale]]
| [[Jason Clarke]]
| Edward Furlong{{ref|likeness|L}}{{ref|special|S}}<hr>{{small|Jude Collie{{ref|young|Y}}{{ref|model|M}}}}<hr>{{small|Aaron Kunitz}}{{ref|voice|V}}
| Edward Furlong
| colspan="2" | [[Thomas Dekker (actor)|Thomas Dekker]]<hr>{{small|John DeVito}}{{ref|young|Y}}
|-
! [[Miles Dyson]]
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Joe Morton]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Courtney B. Vance|Courtney Vance]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Phil Morris (actor)|Phil Morris]]
| rowspan="2" {{N/A|''Mentioned''}}
|-
! Danny Dyson
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[DeVaughn Nixon]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Dayo Okeniyi]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| Shawn Prince
|-
! Tarissa Dyson
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[S. Epatha Merkerson]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Charlayne Woodard]]
| {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Enrique Salceda
| {{cEmpty}}
| [[Castulo Guerra]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Tony Amendola]]
| {{cEmpty}}
|-
! [[List of Terminator (franchise) characters#Kate Brewster|Katherine "Kate" Connor (née Brewster)]]
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Claire Danes]]
| [[Bryce Dallas Howard]]
| colspan="6" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Robert Brewster
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[David Andrews (actor)|David Andrews]]
| colspan="6" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Scott Mason
| colspan="2" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Mark Famiglietti]]
| colspan="6" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Blair Williams
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Moon Bloodgood]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Lieutenant Barnes
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Common (rapper)|Common]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! General Ashdown
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Michael Ironside]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Dr. Serena Kogan
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Helena Bonham Carter]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Star
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Jadagrace Berry]]
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Detective O'Brien
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| [[J. K. Simmons]]<hr>{{small|[[Wayne Bastrup]]}}{{ref|young|Y}}
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Lieutenant Matias
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Michael Gladis]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Detective Cheung
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Sandrine Holt]]
| colspan="4" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Daniella "Dani" Ramos
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Natalia Reyes]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Diego Ramos
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Diego Boneta]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Felipe Gandal
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Tristán Ulloa]]
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Major Dean
| colspan="5" {{cEmpty}}
| Fraser James
| colspan="3" {{cEmpty}}
|-
! Derek Reese
| colspan="7" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" | [[Brian Austin Green]]
|-
! James Ellison
| colspan="7" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" | [[Richard T. Jones]]
|-
! Charley Dixon
| colspan="7" {{cEmpty}}
| colspan="2" | [[Dean Winters]]
|-
! Allison Young
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Summer Glau]]
|-
! Jesse Flores
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Stephanie Jacobsen]]
|-
! Riley Dawson
| colspan="8" {{cEmpty}}
| [[Leven Rambin]]
|}

===Additional crew===
{| class="wikitable sortable" style="text-align:center"
|-
! rowspan="3" | Crew
! colspan="6" | Film
|-
! width=15%| ''[[The Terminator]]''
! width=15%| ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day|Terminator 2:<br />Judgment Day]]''
! width=15%| ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines|Terminator 3:<br />Rise of the Machines]]''
! width=15%| ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
! width=15%| ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
! width=15%| ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate|Terminator:<br />Dark Fate]]''
|-
! 1984
! 1991
! 2003
! 2009
! 2015
! 2019
|-
! Executive Producer(s)
| John Daly, Derek Gibson
| Gale Ann Hurd, Mario F. Kassar
| Moritz Borman, Guy East, Nigel Sinclair, Gale Ann Hurd
| Peter D. Graves, Bahman Naraghi, Mario F. Kassar, [[Andrew G. Vajna]], Joel B. Michaels, [[Dan Lin]], Jeanne Allgood.
| Bill Carraro, [[Robert Cort]], [[Megan Ellison]], Laeta Kalogridis, Patrick Lussier
| Dana Goldberg, [[Don Granger]], Edward Cheng, [[Tim Miller (director)|Tim Miller]], John J. Kelly, [[Bonnie Curtis]], Julie Lynn
|-
! Composer
| colspan="2" | [[Brad Fiedel]]
| [[Marco Beltrami]]
| [[Danny Elfman]]
| [[Lorne Balfe]]
| [[Tom Holkenborg]]
|-
! Cinematography
| colspan="2" | [[Adam Greenberg (cinematographer)|Adam Greenberg]]
| [[Don Burgess (cinematographer)|Don Burgess]]
| [[Shane Hurlbut]]
| [[Kramer Morgenthau]]
| Ken Seng
|-
! Editor
| [[Mark Goldblatt]]
| [[Conrad Buff IV]]<br />Mark Goldblatt<br />[[Richard A. Harris]]
| Nicolas De Toth<br />[[Neil Travis]]
| [[Conrad Buff IV|Conrad Buff]]
| [[Roger Barton (film editor)|Roger Barton]]
| [[Julian Clarke]]
|-
! Production companies
| [[Hemdale]]<br />[[Valhalla Entertainment|Pacific Western Productions]]<br />Cinema '84
| [[Carolco Pictures]]<br />Pacific Western Productions<br />[[Lightstorm Entertainment]]<br />[[StudioCanal]]
| [[Intermedia (production company)|Intermedia]]<br />[[C2 Pictures]]
| [[The Halcyon Company]]<br />[[Wonderland Sound and Vision]]
| [[Skydance Productions]]
| [[Skydance Media]]<br />[[20th Century Fox]]<br />[[Tencent Pictures]]<br />Lightstorm Entertainment<br />[[TSG Entertainment]]
|-
! Distributor
| [[Orion Pictures]]
| [[TriStar Pictures]]
| [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]<br />[[Columbia TriStar Film Distributors International]]
| Warner Bros. Pictures<br />[[Sony Pictures Releasing International]]
| [[Paramount Pictures]]
| Paramount Pictures<br />20th Century Fox
|}

==Reception==
===Box office performance===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! rowspan="2" | Film
! rowspan="2" | U.S. release date
! colspan="3" | Box office revenue
! colspan="2" style="text="wrap"| Box office ranking
! rowspan="2" | Budget
! scope="col" rowspan="2" class=unsortable | {{nowrap|{{Abbr|Ref(s)|References}}}}
|-
! North America
! International
! Worldwide
! North America
! Worldwide
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Terminator]]''
| October 26, 1984
| $38,371,200
| $40,000,000
| $78,371,200
| #1,917
| style="background:#d3d3d3;"|
| $6.4 million
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=terminator.htm|title=The Terminator (1984)|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
| July 3, 1991
| $205,881,154
| $312,106,698
| $517,987,852
| #152 (#106)<sup>'''(A)'''</sup>
| #136
| $94–102 million
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=terminator2.htm|title=Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
| July 2, 2003
| $150,371,112
| $283,000,000
| $433,371,112
| #288
| #188
| $170–$187.3 million
|<ref>{{cite web |title=Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (2003) - Financial Information |url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Terminator-3-Rise-of-the-Machines#tab=summary |website=The Numbers}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://slate.com/culture/2005/05/how-schwarzenegger-raked-in-the-bucks-on-terminator-3.html|title=How Schwarzenegger raked in the bucks on Terminator 3.|last=Epstein|first=Edward Jay|date=2005-05-09|website=Slate Magazine|language=en|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
| May 21, 2009
| $125,322,469
| $246,030,532
| $371,353,001
| #418
| #242
| $200 million
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=terminatorsalvation.htm|title=Terminator Salvation (2009)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 5, 2012}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
| July 1, 2015
| $89,760,956
| $350,842,581
| $440,603,537
| #706
| #186
| $155–158 million
|<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/movies/?id=terminator2015.htm|title=Terminator: Genisys (2015)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=September 23, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/summer-box-office-whats-behind-790318|title=Summer Box Office: What's Behind Warner Bros.' Risky Move to Release Nine Movies|author=Pamela McClintock|work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher=([[Prometheus Global Media]])|date=April 25, 2015|quote= David Ellison's Skydance took the lead on the $170 million Terminator reboot|access-date= November 1, 2019}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]''
| November 1, 2019
| $62,253,077
| $198,866,215
| $261,119,292
| #1,368
| #602
| $185–196 million
|<ref>{{cite web|title=Terminator: Dark Fate (2019)|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt6450804/?ref_=bo_se_r_2|website=[[Box Office Mojo]]|access-date=December 1, 2019}}</ref>
|-
! colspan="2" | Total
! ${{formatnum:{{#expr:38371200+205881154+150371112+125322469+89760956+62253077}}}}
! ${{formatnum:{{#expr:40000000+312106698+283000000+246030532+350842581+198866215}}}}
! $2,102,805,994
! #30
! #27
! $810.4–832.4 million
!<ref name="num-franchise">{{cite web |title= Terminator Franchise Box Office History - The Numbers |url= https://www.the-numbers.com/movies/franchise/Terminator#tab=summary |website= [[The Numbers (website)|The Numbers]]}}</ref>
|-
| colspan="9" style="text-align:left;"| {{smalldiv|'''List indicator(s)'''
* A dark gray cell indicates the information is not available for the film.
* <sup>'''(A)'''</sup> indicates the adjusted totals based on current ticket prices (calculated by [[Box Office Mojo]]).}}
|}

===Critical and public response===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Film
! [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
! [[Metacritic]]
! [[CinemaScore]]<ref name="CinemaScore">{{cite web |url=https://www.cinemascore.com/ |title=CinemaScore |publisher=[[CinemaScore]] |access-date=April 16, 2022 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20220413083139/https://www.cinemascore.com/ |archive-date=April 13, 2022 |url-status=live}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Terminator]]''
| 100% (8.80/10 average rating) (71 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator/ | title=The Terminator | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>
| 84 (21 reviews)<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/terminator |title=The Terminator (1984): Reviews | website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date=January 29, 2020}}</ref>
| B+<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=Terminator|title=''The Terminator'' — CinemaScore|access-date=March 8, 2025|work=[[CinemaScore]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20020330075015/http://www.cinemascore.com/find_a_movie.epl?id=Terminator|archive-date=March 30, 2002|url-status=dead}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''
| 91% (8.50/10 average rating) (90 reviews)<ref name="rt-t2">{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator_2_judgment_day/ | title=Terminator 2: Judgment Day | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>
| 75 (22 reviews)<ref name="mc-t2">{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/terminator2 |title=Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991): Reviews|website= Metacritic |access-date=August 24, 2021}}</ref>
| A+
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines]]''
| 70% (6.50/10 average rating) (207 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator_3_rise_of_the_machines/ | title=Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=October 24, 2022}}</ref>
| 66 (41 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/video/titles/terminator3 |title=''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' (2003) Reviews|website= Metacritic |access-date=July 10, 2023}}</ref>
| B+
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Salvation]]''
| 33% (5.10/10 average rating) (280 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator_4/ | title=Terminator Salvation | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>
| 49 (46 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/film/titles/terminatorsalvation |title=Terminator Salvation (2009): Reviews|website= Metacritic |access-date=January 29, 2020}}</ref>
| B+
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Genisys]]''
| 26% (4.70/10 average rating) (278 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator_genisys/ | title=Terminator Genisys | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]] | access-date=July 27, 2023}}</ref>
| 38 (41 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/terminator-genisys | title=Terminator Genisys | website= [[Metacritic]] | access-date=July 10, 2023}}</ref>
| B+
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate]]''
| 70% (6.20/10 average rating) (352 reviews)<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator_dark_fate|title= Terminator: Dark Fate |website=[[Rotten Tomatoes]]|access-date=September 1, 2024}}</ref>
| 54 (51 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.metacritic.com/movie/terminator-dark-fate | title= Terminator: Dark Fate Reviews |website= [[Metacritic]] | access-date= July 10, 2023}}</ref>
| B+
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Television
! [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
! [[Metacritic]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' <small>(season 1)</small>
| 76% (6.95/10 average rating) (34 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/terminator_the_sarah_connor_chronicles/s01 | title=Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 1 | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
| 74 (24 reviews)<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/terminatorthesarahconnorchronicles|title=Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles: Reviews | website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= January 29, 2020}}</ref>
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles]]'' <small>(season 2)</small>
| 94% (7.40/10 average rating) (16 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/terminator_the_sarah_connor_chronicles/s02 | title= Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season 2 | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
| 67 (4 reviews)<ref>{{cite web |url= https://www.metacritic.com/tv/shows/terminatorthesarahconnorchroniclesseason2 |title= Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season Two: Reviews| website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= January 29, 2020}}</ref>
|}

{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
|-
! Web series
! [[Rotten Tomatoes]]
! [[Metacritic]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Zero]]'' <small>(season 1)</small>
| 86% (7.30/10 average rating) (29 reviews)<ref>{{cite web | url= https://www.rottentomatoes.com/tv/terminator_zero| title=Terminator Zero Season 1 | website= [[Rotten Tomatoes]]}}</ref>
| 69 (11 reviews)<ref name="meta2">{{cite web|url= https://www.metacritic.com/tv/terminator-zero/|title=Terminator Zero: Reviews | website= [[Metacritic]] |access-date= September 6, 2024}}</ref>
|}

===Cultural impact===
The ''Terminator'' franchise, most notably James Cameron's original films, ''The Terminator'' and ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', has had a significant impact on popular culture. The film franchise placed #17 on the top 25 greatest film franchises by [[IGN]]<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2006/12/04/top-25-movie-franchises-of-all-time-17|title=Top 25 Movie Franchises of All Time: #17|work=IGN|date=December 4, 2006|accessdate=November 23, 2021}}</ref> and is also in the top 30 highest-grossing franchises. According to [[Rotten Tomatoes]], the ''Terminator'' franchise is the sixth highest rated franchise on the site behind the [[Toy Story (franchise)|''Toy Story'' franchise]], the ''[[Dollars Trilogy]]'', [[The Lord of the Rings (film series)|''The Lord of the Rings'' film trilogy]], the [[Mad Max (franchise)|''Mad Max'' franchise]] and the [[Star Wars|original ''Star Wars'' trilogy]], but in front of the [[Indiana Jones|''Indiana Jones'' franchise]].

In 2008, ''The Terminator'' was selected for preservation in the [[National Film Registry]] by the [[Library of Congress]] as being "culturally, historically or aesthetically significant".<ref>{{cite news | url=https://www.sfgate.com/entertainment/amp/Library-of-Congress-adds-Terminator-to-archive-3178098.php | archive-url=https://archive.today/20120912022824/http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/30/DDB91515MB.DTL | archive-date=September 12, 2012 | work=The San Francisco Chronicle | title=Library of Congress adds 'Terminator' to archive | date=December 31, 2008|accessdate=November 23, 2021}}</ref> The [[American Film Institute]] (AFI) has also recognized both films on a number of occasions: the line "[[I'll be back]]" from ''The Terminator'' placed as the 37th-best movie quote, while "[[Hasta la vista, baby]]" from ''Terminator 2'' ranked 76th on the same list. The Terminator character from ''The Terminator'' was voted the 22nd-greatest villain; meanwhile, the T-800 (of the same likeness) in ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' was voted the 48th-greatest hero; this is the only time the same character has appeared on the two opposing lists. In the 100 Years...100 series list, the ''Terminator'' franchise was voted the 42nd most thrilling. In addition, ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' ranked 8th on AFI's top 10 list in the science fiction genre.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList |title=American Film Institute |publisher=Connect.afi.com |access-date=January 14, 2012 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110716070826/http://connect.afi.com/site/PageServer?pagename=100YearsList |archive-date=July 16, 2011 |df=mdy-all}}</ref> In 2023, ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' was also selected for preservation.{{cn|date=March 2024}}

Both films are the source of numerous pop culture references, such as the use of "I'll be back" in countless other media, including different variations of the phrase by Arnold himself in many of his subsequent films and, in cameo appearances by Robert Patrick, as the T-1000, in ''[[Last Action Hero]]'' and ''[[Wayne's World (film)|Wayne's World]]''. ''[[The Simpsons]]'' have also spoofed both films and the T-1000, in particular, on a number of occasions.<ref>Season 5 Episode 16 [[Homer Loves Flanders]]</ref><ref>Season 2 Episode 14 [[Principal Charming]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.duffzone.org/content.php?title=reft2|title=The Simpsons Gallery|website=www.duffzone.org|access-date=2019-12-17}}</ref>

''Terminator 2'' is the only film in the series to garner attention at the Academy Awards, with six nominations and four wins,<ref>{{cite news| url= https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0103064/awards |title=Terminator 2: Judgment Day: Awards |access-date=March 4, 2017}}</ref> and is rated highly among critics.<ref name="rt-t2" /><ref name="mc-t2" /> In 2006 the readers of ''[[Total Film]]'' rated ''The Terminator'' as cinema's 72nd best film and ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' the 33rd.<ref>{{cite web| url= https://lifevsfilm.blogspot.com/p/total-film-top-100.html | title= Total Film Top 100|via=Blogspot}}</ref>

The first five ''Terminator'' films have had very respectable box office gross, though after James Cameron left the series it saw diminishing returns in subsequent films. ''The Terminator'' made $78 million worldwide, far surpassing its $6 million budget and becoming a major [[sleeper hit]]. ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'' grossed approximately $520 million globally, becoming a major blockbuster and the top-grossing film of 1991. ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'' earned $433 million, making it the seventh highest-grossing film of 2003. ''Terminator Salvation'' grossed an estimated $371 million worldwide, a figure below industry expectations. ''Terminator Genisys'' grossed $440 million. ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' raised approximately $261 million worldwide with an estimated loss of $130 million, becoming the least successful film in the franchise and a [[box-office bomb]].<ref name="mojo-franchise">{{cite web|url=https://boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=terminator.htm|title=Terminator |website=Box Office Mojo|publisher=[[Amazon.com]]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191022183257/https://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=terminator.htm |archive-date=October 22, 2019}}</ref>

==Music==
===Soundtracks===
{| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;"
! Title
! U.S. release date
! Length
! Composer(s)
! Label
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[The Terminator: Original Soundtrack]]''
| style="text-align:left"| 1984
| style="text-align:left"| 35:32
| rowspan="2"| [[Brad Fiedel]]
| [[Enigma Records]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day (score)|Terminator 2: Judgment Day (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)]]''
| style="text-align:left"| July 1, 1991
| style="text-align:left"| 53:01
| rowspan="2"| [[Varèse Sarabande]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)''
| style="text-align:left"| June 24, 2003
| style="text-align:left"| 51:22
| [[Marco Beltrami]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (soundtrack)|Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles (Original Television Soundtrack)]]''
| style="text-align:left"| December 23, 2008
| style="text-align:left"| 63:54
| [[Bear McCreary]]
| La-La Land Records
|-
! scope="row" | ''Terminator Salvation: Original Soundtrack''
| style="text-align:left"| May 19, 2009
| style="text-align:left"| 50:27
| [[Danny Elfman]]
| [[Reprise Records]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator Genisys (soundtrack)|Terminator Genisys: Music from the Motion Picture]]''
| style="text-align:left"| June 24, 2015
| style="text-align:left"| 75:05
| [[Lorne Balfe]]
| [[Skydance Media]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''[[Terminator: Dark Fate (soundtrack)|Terminator: Dark Fate (Music from the Motion Picture)]]''
| style="text-align:left"| November 1, 2019
| style="text-align:left"| 58:00
| [[Tom Holkenborg]]
| [[Paramount Music]]
|-
! scope="row" | ''Terminator Zero''
| style="text-align:left"| August 30, 2024
| style="text-align:left"| 73:45
| Michelle Birsky & Kevin Henthorn
| [[Lakeshore Records]]
|}

==Other media==
===Video games===
{{Main|List of Terminator video games}}
Various video games have been released since 1991.

===Novels===
{{Main|T2 (novel series)}}
Various novels have been released since 1985.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/terminator | title=Terminator Books }}</ref>

===Comics===
{{See also|List of Terminator comics}}

====''The Terminator'' spin-off comics====
In 1988, [[NOW Comics]] published an ongoing series with John Connor as the main character in 2031, after sending Kyle Reese back to 1984 to protect his mother. The Terminators in this canon had more human-like endoskeletons and some issues would deal with subordinates of Connor's in the ruins of certain geographic areas. The seventeen issue series was followed by two limited series.<ref>{{cite comic | title = The Terminator | publisher = [[NOW Comics]] | date = 1988–1989 | issue = #1–17}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Ron Fortier]] | penciller = [[Alex Ross]] | title = [[Terminator: The Burning Earth]] | publisher = [[NOW Comics]] | date = March–July 1990 | issue = #1–5}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | title = Terminator: All My Futures Past | publisher = [[NOW Comics]] | date = 1990 | issue = #1–2}}</ref>

[[Dark Horse Comics]] acquired the rights in 1990. In ''The Terminator'' (with ''Tempest'' added in [[trade paperback (comics)|trade paperbacks]] to distinguish itself from other comics), a group of human soldiers and four Terminators come to the present, to stop Skynet in differing ways.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[John Arcudi]] | penciller = [[Chris Warner (comics)|Chris Warner]]| title = The Terminator | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = August–November 1990}}</ref> In the sequel, ''Secondary Objectives'', the surviving Terminator is reprogrammed to destroy another Terminator sent to aid him and kill Sarah Connor.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[James Dale Robinson]] | penciller=[[Paul Gulacy]]| title = The Terminator: Secondary Objectives | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = July–October 1991}}</ref> In its sequel, ''The Enemy Within'', a team of human assassins attempt to return to the past and kill a Skynet developer.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Ian Edginton]] | artist = [[Vincent Giarrano]] | title = The Terminator: The Enemy Within | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = November 1991 to February 1992}}</ref> The 1992 ''Endgame'' concludes this arc. Human colonel Mary Randall protects Sarah Connor as she goes into labor.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[James Dale Robinson]] | penciller=[[Jackson Guice]] | title = The Terminator: Endgame | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 3 issues | date = September–November 1992}}</ref>

Dark Horse published a 1992 [[one-shot (comics)|one-shot]] written by [[James Dale Robinson]] and drawn by [[Matt Wagner]]. Here, a female Terminator and a resistance fighter battle for the life of a woman named Sarah Connor, but not the correct one.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[James Dale Robinson]] | artist = [[Matt Wagner]] | title = The Terminator | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] |date=July 1991}}</ref> The comic book had the unusual feature of a physical "[[pop up book|pop-up]]" in one scene.

A 1993 limited series ''Hunters and Killers'', set during the war, has special Terminators created to impersonate leaders in the Russian resistance.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Toren Smith]] | cowriters = [[Adam Warren (comics)|Adam Warren]], [[Chris Warner (comics)|Chris Warner]] | penciller = [[Bill Jaaska]] | title = The Terminator: Hunters and Killers | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 3 issues | date = March–May 1992}}</ref> Another limited series, published in 1998, follows the misadventures of two malfunctioning Terminators in [[Death Valley]].<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] | artist = [[Guy Davis (comics)|Guy Davis]] | title = The Terminator: Death Valley | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 5 issues | date = August–December 1998}}</ref> This set up the following year's comic ''The Dark Years'', set in 2030. In ''The Dark Years'', a Terminator is sent to eliminate John Connor and his mother in 1999.<ref>{{Cite comic | writer = [[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] | penciller = [[Mel Rubi]]| copencillers = [[Trevor McCarthy]] | title = The Terminator: The Dark Years | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = #1–4 | date = September–December 1999}}</ref> In 2013, Dark Horse released a sequel comic based on the 2009 film ''Terminator Salvation'', entitled ''Terminator Salvation: The Final Battle''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=46690|title=SDCC EXCLUSIVE: JMS Explores Skynet in "Terminator: The Final Battle"|website=Comic Book Resources|date=July 17, 2013|access-date=2016-03-11}}</ref>

[[Malibu Comics]] published twin series in 1995. One was a sequel to ''Terminator 2: Judgment Day'', in which Sarah and John encounter two Terminators. The other was a prequel that explains the scenario. The conclusions to the series were published in one issue.<ref>{{cite comic | title = Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Cybernetic Dawn | publisher = [[Malibu Comics]] | date = November 1995 to February 1996, April 1996 | issue = #1–5}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | title = Terminator 2: Judgment Day – Nuclear Twilight | publisher = [[Malibu Comics]] | date = November 1995 to February 1996, April 1996 | issue = #1–5}}</ref>

[[Beckett Comics]] published three series to promote ''Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines'', each consisting of two issues.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Ivan Brandon]] | penciller = [[Goran Parlov]] | title = Terminator 3: Before the Rise | publisher = [[Beckett Comics]] | issue = 2 issues | date = July and August 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | writer = Miles Gunter | penciller = Mike Hawthone | title = Terminator 3: Eyes of the Rise | publisher = [[Beckett Comics]] | issue = 2 issues | date = September and October 2003}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | writer = Miles Gunter | penciller = [[Kieron Dwyer]] | title = Terminator 3: Fragmented | publisher = [[Beckett Comics]] | issue = 2 issues | date = November and December 2003}}</ref>

''Terminator 2: Infinity'' (later simply ''Terminator Infinity'' (2007) comic book series by [[Dynamite Entertainment]], was set in 2033. It was, for two issues, tied into another one of Dynamite's publications, called ''[[Painkiller Jane]]''.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Simon Furman]] | title = [[Terminator 2: Infinity]] | publisher = [[Dynamite Entertainment]] | issue = #1–5 | date = July–November 2005}}</ref>

Dynamite's continuation, ''Terminator: Revolution'' and [[IDW Publishing]]'s ''Salvation'' tie-in comic book were legally possible as the former was specifically based on the ''Terminator 2'' license.<ref>[http://www.comicbookresources.com/?page=article&id=18502 Furman on Making Dynamite's Terminator Revolutionary], [[Comic Book Resources]], October 20, 2008</ref>

====Crossover comics====
Terminators have crossed over with ''[[RoboCop]]'', ''[[Superman]]'' and ''[[Alien vs. Predator]]''. In ''[[RoboCop versus The Terminator (comic book)|RoboCop versus The Terminator]]'' (1992) and ''[[Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future]]'' (2000), the heroes must prevent the war-ravaged future.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Frank Miller]] | artist = [[Walt Simonson]] | title = [[RoboCop versus The Terminator (comic book)|RoboCop versus The Terminator]] | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = May–August 1992}}</ref><ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Alan Grant (writer)|Alan Grant]] | penciller = [[Steve Pugh]] | title = [[Superman vs. The Terminator: Death to the Future]] | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = January–March 2000}}</ref>

In 2000's ''[[Alien versus Predator versus The Terminator]]'' from Dark Horse, where Skynet, has reactivated [[Far future in fiction|farther in the future]] and is creating an [[Alien (creature in Alien franchise)|Alien]]-Terminator hybrid. [[Ellen Ripley]]'s clone (from ''[[Alien Resurrection]]'') and the [[Predator (fictional species)|Predators]] join forces to stop Skynet.<ref>{{cite comic | writer = [[Mark Schultz (comics)|Mark Schultz]] | penciller = [[Mel Rubi]] | title = [[Alien versus Predator versus The Terminator]] | publisher = [[Dark Horse Comics]] | issue = 4 issues | date = April–July 2000}}</ref>

In 2020, Dark Horse and [[IDW Publishing]] published ''[[Transformers vs. The Terminator]]'', in which the [[Autobot]]s and the [[Decepticon]]s are antagonised by the T-800 as Skynet sends the Terminator back through time to destroy the [[Autobot|Cybertronians]] and restore the future timeline.

===Collectible card game===
{{Main|The Terminator Collectible Card Game}}
The Terminator Collectible Card Game was released in 2000 by [[Precedence Entertainment|Precedence]].<ref name="MILLER2">{{Citation |last=Miller |first=John Jackson |title=Scrye Collectible Card Game Checklist & Price Guide, Second Edition | year=2003 |pages=596–597 |postscript=.}}</ref>

===Role-playing game===
First announced in 2020 by [[Nightfall Games]], ''The Terminator RPG'' was released in digital form on June 1, 2022, with a physical version following later in the year. The game is based on the first film and Dark Horse Comics line of graphic novels and comics.{{citation needed|date=September 2024}}

===Theme park attractions===
[[T2-3D: Battle Across Time]], a film ride based on the franchise, opened at [[Universal Studios Florida]] in 1996. The ride is presented as the original sequel to ''[[Terminator 2: Judgment Day]]''. It features Arnold Schwarzenegger, Linda Hamilton, Edward Furlong, and Robert Patrick reprising their roles as the Terminator, Sarah Connor, John Connor, and the T-1000, respectively. James Cameron was one of three directors on the attraction,<ref>{{cite news |last=Boyar |first=Jay |title='3-d' Is A True Continuation, Not A Rehash |url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1996/05/10/3-d-is-a-true-continuation-not-a-rehash/ |work=Orlando Sentinel |date=May 10, 1996 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160111192625/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1996-05-10/entertainment/9605080465_1_cyberdyne-t2-3-d-terminator-2 |archive-date=January 11, 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Hicks |first=Chris |title='Terminator' Series Wasn't Terminal After All |url=https://www.deseret.com/1996/6/2/19246013/terminator-series-wasn-t-terminal-after-all |work=Deseret News |date=June 2, 1996 |access-date=June 21, 2024}}</ref> which marked his last major involvement with the franchise until ''Terminator: Dark Fate''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Kennedy |first=Michael |title=The Forgotten Terminator 2 Sequel (That Was a Theme Park Show) |url=https://screenrant.com/terminator-2-movie-sequel-theme-park-show/ |website=ScreenRant |access-date=June 21, 2024 |date=June 4, 2020}}</ref>

[[Terminator Salvation: The Ride]] operated at California's [[Six Flags Magic Mountain]] from 2009 to 2010. [[Terminator X: A Laser Battle for Salvation]] operated at various locations beginning in 2009.{{citation needed|date=May 2023}}

==Canceled projects==
===''Terminator Salvation'' trilogy===
In May 2007, the production rights to the ''Terminator'' series had passed from the feuding of [[Andrew G. Vajna]] and [[Mario Kassar]] to [[The Halcyon Company]]. The producers of the company hoped to start a new trilogy based on the franchise.<ref>{{cite news|author=B. Alan Orange|title=There Will Be a Terminator 4!|url=https://movieweb.com/there-will-be-a-terminator-4/|work=[[MovieWeb]]|date=May 9, 2007|access-date=2007-05-09}}</ref> However, due to the box office failure of the fourth film and legal troubles, the ''Salvation'' trilogy was ultimately cancelled. [[William Wisher]], who co-wrote the first two films, had written material for a potential ''Terminator 5'' and ''Terminator 6'' that would follow on from the events of ''Terminator Salvation''. The two-part story would involve an element of time travel that brings back the deceased character of [[Sarah Connor (Terminator)|Sarah Connor]], allowing her to interact with [[Kyle Reese]] beyond their initial meeting in the first film. Schwarzenegger would also reprise his role for the sixth film. The films would also include new Terminator villains from Skynet. Wisher had written a 24-page [[film treatment]] for ''Terminator 5'' and a four-page concept outline for ''Terminator 6''.<ref>{{cite web |last=Fleming |first=Mike Jr. |title=Exclusive: Wisher's Take On 'Terminator' |url=https://deadline.com/2010/02/exclusive-wishers-take-on-terminator-5-6-25147/ |website=Deadline |access-date=November 1, 2019 |date=February 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Cresswell |first=Jackson |title=Terminator 5 and 6 Ideas From Terminator/T2 Scribe William Wisher |url=https://collider.com/terminator-5-and-6-ideas-from-terminator-t2-scribe-william-wisher/ |website=Collider |access-date=November 1, 2019 |date=February 11, 2010}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Eisenberg |first=Eric |title=How Terminator: Salvation's Sequels Could Have Gone Down, According To The Writer |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/1690829/how-terminator-salvations-sequels-could-have-gone-down-according-to-the-writer |website=CinemaBlend |access-date=November 1, 2019 |date=August 11, 2017}}</ref>

===''Terminator Genisys'' trilogy===
By December 2013, there were plans for ''Terminator Genisys'' to be the start of a new trilogy of films.<ref name=THR>{{cite news|url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/live-feed/new-terminator-tv-series-works-663447|title= New 'Terminator' TV series in the works|author= Lesley Goldberg|work= [[The Hollywood Reporter]]|publisher= [[Guggenheim Partners]]|date= December 6, 2013|access-date= August 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://screenrant.com/terminator-new-tv-series-movie-reboot-tie-in/|title= New 'Terminator' TV Series To Tie-In With Movie Reboot Trilogy|author= Ben Kendrick|website= Screen Rant|date= December 6, 2013|access-date= August 1, 2019}}</ref> In September 2014, Paramount announced release dates for the two ''Genisys'' sequels: May 19, 2017 and June 29, 2018.<ref name=Deadline2014>{{cite news |title=Paramount Carves Out Dates For Next Two 'Terminator' Pics, Sets 'The Gambler' Redo For Oscar-Qualifying Run |url= https://deadline.com/2014/09/terminator-sequels-release-dates-set-830260/ |access-date= August 1, 2019 |website=Deadline Hollywood |date= September 5, 2014}}</ref> ''Terminator Genisys'' producer David Ellison described the film and its intended trilogy as standalone projects based on Cameron's original ''Terminator'' films. Ellison stated ''Terminator Genisys'' is neither a sequel or a prequel to the previous films, saying: "For us this is Terminator 1, this is not Terminator 5".<ref name=io9>{{cite news |last=Woerner |first=Meredith |title=I Stared Into The Red Eye Of The T-800 On The Terminator: Genisys Set |url=https://gizmodo.com/i-stared-into-the-red-eye-of-the-t-800-on-the-terminato-1693524469 |work=Gizmodo |date=March 25, 2015 |access-date=November 23, 2021}}</ref> The sequels to ''Genisys'' were tentatively known as ''Terminator 2'' and ''Terminator 3''.<ref name=io9/><ref name=Deadline2014/><ref name=THR2016/> The two sequels were to be filmed back to back during nine months of continuous shooting.<ref name=SlashVisit>{{cite web |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |title=40 Things We Learned on the Set of 'Terminator: Genisys' |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/terminator-gensys-set-visit/ |website=/Film |access-date=August 1, 2019 |date=March 25, 2015}}</ref>

The storylines for the two sequels were devised by ''Genisys'' writers Kalogridis and Lussier.<ref>{{cite news |title='Terminator Genisys': Jason Clarke is a Different Type of John Connor |url=https://screenrant.com/terminator-5-genisys-jason-clarke-interview/ |work=ScreenRant |date=March 25, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref><ref name=io9/> The trilogy was being planned out before ''Terminator Genisys'' began filming, as producers David Ellison and Dana Goldberg wanted the full storyline finished ahead of time rather than having to "figure it out as you go along", stating: "We spent a lot of time breaking that down, and we do know what the last line of the third movie is, should we be lucky enough to get to make it".<ref name=Sciretta>{{cite web |last=Sciretta |first=Peter |title=Why a Trilogy Was Planned Before Making 'Terminator Genisys;' How Will the Terminator TV Series Connect? |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/new-terminator-tv-series/ |website=/Film |access-date=August 1, 2019 |date=June 26, 2015}}</ref> Production on the sequels was contingent on whether ''Terminator Genisys'' would be successful;<ref name=Sciretta/> development of the trilogy stalled in 2015 after the film's disappointing box-office performance.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/dangers-financiers-think-they-can-827843|title=The Dangers When Financiers Think They Can Produce Movies, Too|author=Kim Masters|work=The Hollywood Reporter|date=October 2015|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.thewrap.com/thegrill-2015-terminator-genisys-producer-on-franchises-future-not-on-hold-but-re-adjusting/|title=TheGrill 2015: 'Terminator: Genisys' Producer on Franchise's Future: Not on Hold but 'Re-Adjusting' (Video)|work=TheWrap|date=October 6, 2015|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2015/09/mission-impossible-rogue-nation-china-record-1201544867/|title='Mission: Impossible&nbsp;– Rogue Nation' Becomes Highest Grossing 2D Film in China|author=Anthony D'Alessandro, Nancy Tartaglione|website=Deadline Hollywood|date=September 23, 2015|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref> The planned sequels were ultimately cancelled,<ref name=Slash/> with ''Terminator 2'' being removed from Paramount's release schedule in January 2016.<ref name=THR2016>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/paramount-takes-terminator-sequel-release-857746|title=Paramount Takes 'Terminator' Sequel Off Release Schedule|author=Pamela McClintock|date=January 20, 2016|work=The Hollywood Reporter|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>

The new trilogy would have explained who sent Pops back in time to protect Sarah Connor.<ref name=Verge>{{cite news |last=Bishop |first=Brian |title=How the director of Terminator Genisys recreated James Cameron's 1984; "The best compliment would be a lawsuit". |url=https://www.theverge.com/2015/7/2/8874735/terminator-genisys-movie-director-alan-taylor-interview |work=The Verge |date=July 2, 2015 |access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref> In February 2015, Schwarzenegger stated he would reprise his role as Pops for the second film in the trilogy, with filming set to begin in 2016.<ref>{{cite news|title=Arnold Schwarzenegger Says He'll be Back for Terminator Genisys Sequel|url=https://www.comingsoon.net/movies/news/413433-arnold-schwarzenegger-says-hell-be-back-for-terminator-genisys-sequel#/slide/1|access-date=August 1, 2019|publisher=ComingSoon.net|date=February 24, 2015}}</ref> [[Jai Courtney]] and [[Matt Smith (actor)|Matt Smith]] would also reprise their respective roles as Kyle Reese and Skynet.<ref>{{cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |title=Jai Courtney Calls Terminator: Genisys a "Reset" for the Franchise; Says You Don't Have to Have Seen the Previous Films to Understand It |url=https://collider.com/terminator-genisys-sequels-jai-courtney/ |website=Collider |access-date=January 2, 2020 |date=October 13, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Reynolds |first=Simon |title=Doctor Who's Matt Smith cast in Terminator 5, role expands in sequels |url=https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a568512/doctor-whos-matt-smith-cast-in-terminator-5-role-expands-in-sequels/ |website=Digital Spy |access-date=January 2, 2020 |date=May 2, 2014}}</ref> J. K. Simmons would have had further involvement in the new trilogy,<ref name=Verge/> and [[Dayo Okeniyi]] would have a significant role reprising his character Danny Dyson in the second film,<ref name=Verge/><ref name=SlashVisit/> which would have focused on John Connor's life after becoming part machine. Jason Clarke said about the cancelled ''Genisys'' sequel:<ref name=Slash>{{Cite news|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/terminator-genisys-sequel/|title=Abandoned 'Terminator Genisys' Sequel Plot Focused on Cyborg John Connor|date=April 6, 2018|work=/Film|access-date=August 1, 2019}}</ref>
{{cquote|What I remember was that second one was going to be about John's journey after he was taken by Skynet…like going down to what he became; half machine, half man. That's where the second one was going to start, and that's about all I knew. It's such a bummer we didn't get to do that.}}

===''Terminator Genisys''–connected television series===
By December 2013, Skydance Productions and [[Annapurna Pictures]] were developing a new ''Terminator'' television series. [[Ashley Miller (screenwriter)|Ashley Miller]] and [[Zack Stentz]], who had worked together on ''Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles'', were named as writers and executive producers. The series was to deviate from the franchise's history at a critical moment in 1984's ''The Terminator'' and would also integrate with the planned sequels to ''Terminator Genisys''.<ref name=THR/><ref name=Sciretta/><ref>{{cite web |url=https://collider.com/terminator-tv-show-details-13-episode-cable-series/ |title=TERMINATOR: TV Show Still in Development; Skydance Heads Hint at 13-Episode Cable Series |first=Matt |last=Goldberg |work=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |publisher=[[Complex (magazine)|Complex]] |date=June 26, 2015 |access-date=July 27, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150731024819/http://collider.com/terminator-tv-show-details-13-episode-cable-series/ |archive-date=July 31, 2015 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===''Terminator: Dark Fate'' trilogy===
Plans for a new ''Terminator'' film trilogy were announced in July 2017.<ref>{{Cite news |url=http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/titanic-and-avatar-director-james-cameron-hoping-to-make-new-terminator-trilogy/news-story/27e00d478eeaf4c8b31c681a29bde13c |title=Titanic and Avatar director James Cameron hoping to make new Terminator trilogy |first=James |last=Wigney |date=July 23, 2017 |work=News Corp Australia Network |access-date=November 14, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170922002134/http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/movies/titanic-and-avatar-director-james-cameron-hoping-to-make-new-terminator-trilogy/news-story/27e00d478eeaf4c8b31c681a29bde13c |archive-date=September 22, 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> While working on the story for ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' that year, Cameron and the writers envisioned the film as the first in the new trilogy. They also worked out the basic storylines for each planned film.<ref name=Deadline>{{cite news |last=Boucher |first=Geoff |title='Terminator: Dark Fate': James Cameron On Rewired Franchise, Possible New Trilogy |url=https://deadline.com/2019/08/terminator-dark-fate-james-cameron-on-re-wired-franchise-possible-new-trilogy-1202707063/ |access-date=September 1, 2019 |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=August 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831031105/https://deadline.com/2019/08/terminator-dark-fate-james-cameron-on-re-wired-franchise-possible-new-trilogy-1202707063/ |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Chitwood>{{cite web |last=Chitwood |first=Adam |title=James Cameron Says 'Terminator: Dark Fate' Begins a New Trilogy; Talks R-Rating |url=https://collider.com/terminator-dark-fate-new-trilogy/ |website=Collider |access-date=September 1, 2019 |date=August 30, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190831045259/http://collider.com/terminator-dark-fate-new-trilogy/ |archive-date=August 31, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Anderton |first=Ethan |title='Terminator: Dark Fate' Intended to Kick Off a New Trilogy, Because That Worked So Well Before |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/new-terminator-trilogy/ |website=/Film |access-date=September 1, 2019 |date=August 31, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190901160939/https://www.slashfilm.com/new-terminator-trilogy/ |archive-date=September 1, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=IGN/>

In October 2019, Cameron stated that sequels to ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' would further explore the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence, while stating that a resolution between the two feuding sides would be the ultimate outcome.<ref name="IGN">{{cite web |last=Vejvoda |first=Jim |title=How Terminator: Dark Fate Sets Up Two Sequels |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/22/terminator-dark-fate-sequels-james-cameron-interview |website=[[IGN]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164234/https://www.ign.com/articles/2019/10/22/terminator-dark-fate-sequels-james-cameron-interview |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Weintraub |first=Steve 'Frosty' |title=James Cameron Reveals What Future 'Terminator' Sequels Will Explore |url=https://collider.com/what-future-terminator-sequels-will-explore/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164235/https://collider.com/what-future-terminator-sequels-will-explore/ |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> That month, Schwarzenegger stated that Cameron would write the ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' sequels and that Cameron would begin work on the next film in early 2020, for release in 2022.<ref>{{cite web |title=Arnold Schwarzenegger |url=https://www.pressreader.com/france/la-manche-libre-saint-lo/20191019/page/139 |website=La Manche Libre |access-date=October 25, 2019 |location=[[Saint-Lô]] |language=fr |date=October 19, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164235/https://www.pressreader.com/france/la-manche-libre-saint-lo/20191019/page/139 |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Although the events of ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' erase Schwarzenegger's T-800 character from existence, Cameron did not rule out the possibility of Schwarzenegger reprising the character: "Look, if we make a shit ton of money with this film [''Terminator: Dark Fate''] and the cards say that they like Arnold, I think Arnold can come back. I'm a writer. I can think of scenarios. We don't have a plan for that right now, let me put it that way".<ref>{{cite web |last=Weintraub |first=Steve 'Frosty' |title=Why James Cameron Didn't Want to Be on Set While 'Terminator: Dark Fate' Was Filming |url=https://collider.com/james-cameron-terminator-dark-fate-interview/ |website=[[Collider (website)|Collider]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 22, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191023150036/https://collider.com/james-cameron-terminator-dark-fate-interview/ |archive-date=October 23, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Natalia Reyes was to reprise her role for a sequel.<ref>{{cite web |last=Lussier |first=Germain |title=Terminator: Dark Fate's 'New Sarah Connor' Is Ready to Lead |url=https://gizmodo.com/terminator-dark-fates-new-sarah-connor-is-ready-to-lea-1839400130|website=Gizmodo |access-date=January 31, 2020 |date=October 28, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Davids |first=Brian |title='Terminator' Star Natalia Reyes on Training in Tom Cruise's "Pain Cave" and Earning Linda Hamilton's Blessing |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/terminator-star-natalia-reyes-training-tom-cruises-pain-cave-1252127 |website=The Hollywood Reporter |access-date=January 31, 2020 |date=November 4, 2019}}</ref> Hamilton stated in October that she would probably reprise her role as well,<ref>{{cite web |last=Shepherd |first=Jack |title=Linda Hamilton discusses revisiting Sarah Connor in Terminator: Dark Fate: "It was very painful" |url=https://www.gamesradar.com/terminator-dark-fate-interview-linda-hamilton-arnold-schwarzenegger/ |website=[[GamesRadar]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 24, 2019 |at=4:55 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025164234/https://www.gamesradar.com/terminator-dark-fate-interview-linda-hamilton-arnold-schwarzenegger/ |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> although she joked that she would fake her own death to avoid appearing in it, saying that making ''Terminator: Dark Fate'' "really was hard" because of the physical training she had to undergo.<ref>{{cite web |last=Napoli |first=Jessica |title=Linda Hamilton reveals she lost so much weight for 'Terminator' sequel, production had to 'build her a new butt' |url=https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/linda-hamilton-weight-loss-terminator-movie |website=[[Fox News]] |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 16, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191025064556/https://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/linda-hamilton-weight-loss-terminator-movie |archive-date=October 25, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Holmes |first=Adam |title=Would Linda Hamilton Return For A Terminator: Dark Fate Sequel? She'd Rather Fake Her Death |url=https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2483006/would-linda-hamilton-return-for-a-terminator-dark-fate-sequel-shed-rather-fake-her-death |website=CinemaBlend |access-date=October 25, 2019 |date=October 23, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024081024/https://www.cinemablend.com/news/2483006/would-linda-hamilton-return-for-a-terminator-dark-fate-sequel-shed-rather-fake-her-death |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref> Hamilton later said that she would be happy not to star in another ''Terminator'' film, but she kept the possibility open, with a potential exception being that a sequel be done on a smaller scale and budget.<ref>{{cite news |last=Davids |first=Brian |title=Linda Hamilton "Would Be Quite Happy to Never Return" to 'Terminator' |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/linda-hamilton-would-be-happy-never-return-terminator-1274687 |access-date=January 31, 2020 |work=The Hollywood Reporter |date=January 29, 2020}}</ref>

''Dark Fate'' director [[Tim Miller (director)|Tim Miller]] stated in November that he did not expect to return for a sequel.<ref>{{cite web |last=Schager |first=Nick |title=''Terminator: Dark Fate'' Director Tim Miller Explains the Film's Massive Twist and What Is Next for the Franchise |url= https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a29656397/terminator-dark-fate-director-tim-miller-john-connor-twist-franchise-sequel/ |work=Esquire |access-date=January 31, 2020 |date=November 1, 2019}}</ref> Production of a sequel was contingent on whether ''Dark Fate'' was a box-office success.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wakeman |first=Gregory |title=Will there be a sequel to 'Terminator: Dark Fate?' Here's what its cast and director told us |url=https://www.metro.us/entertainment/movies/will-there-be-sequel-terminator-dark-fate |access-date=January 31, 2020 |work=[[Metro New York]] |date=October 29, 2019}}</ref> Following the underwhelming performance of ''Dark Fate'' at the box-office (with an estimated loss of at least $120 million), sources close to [[Skydance]] told ''[[The Hollywood Reporter]]'' that there are no plans for further films, effectively cancelling the planned ''Dark Fate'' trilogy.<ref name=Ice>{{cite news |first=Pamela |last=McClintock |url= https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/terminator-dark-fate-puts-franchise-ice-faces-120m-loss-1251926? |title=''Terminator: Dark Fate'' Puts Franchise on Ice, Faces $120M-plus Loss |work=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 3, 2019 |access-date=November 3, 2019 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20191104145044/https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/terminator-dark-fate-puts-franchise-ice-faces-120m-loss-1251926 |archive-date=November 4, 2019 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==See also==
* [[Grandfather paradox]]
* [[List of the highest-grossing media franchises]]
* [[Temporal paradox]]
* [[Time travel in fiction]]

==Notes==
{{notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
* {{cite web | url = http://www.scifiscripts.com/scripts_n_z.html | title = Scripts N-Z | publisher = (Includes Terminator-franchise scripts) SciFiScripts.com | access-date = 2014-02-15 | url-status=dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20131229121316/http://scifiscripts.com/scripts_n_z.html | archive-date = December 29, 2013 | df = mdy-all}}
* {{cite web | url = https://gizmodo.com/a-whiteboard-that-explains-terminators-entire-history-5192446| title= A Whiteboard That Explains Terminator's Entire History | publisher = Gizmodo | first= Charlie Jane | last= Anders | date= March 31, 2009 | access-date= November 23, 2021}}

{{Terminator}}
{{James Cameron}}
{{Skydance Media}}
{{Arnold Schwarzenegger}}
{{Paramount Franchises}}
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