Netflix has unveiled a savage new trailer for upcoming anime sci-fi series Terminator Zero, providing a brutal glimpse into the intense battle between humanity and machines. Take a look above.
This new addition to the long-running franchise is looking to offer a fresh perspective while staying true to the franchise’s roots. Visually, this thing looks fantastic. Fingers crossed it kicks butt.
What ‘Terminator Zero’s plot?
The year is 2022, and a devastating war between humans and machines has been waged for decades. This relentless conflict traces its origins back to 1997 when Skynet, a powerful AI, became self-aware and initiated its catastrophic war against humanity. Amid this chaos, a soldier from the future is sent back to 1997 with a mission: to protect Malcolm Lee, a scientist on the brink of launching a new AI system designed to counter Skynet’s impending assault. However, as Malcolm grapples with the ethical dilemmas of his creation, he and his three children become the targets of a merciless assassin from the future.
Creator and executive producer Mattson Tomlin (Project Power, The Batman II), who also serves as the series’ writer, sheds light on the underlying themes of Terminator Zero. “I was looking at the franchise and the first two movies in particular,” Tomlin explained to Netflix site Tudum. “And why are we still talking about this franchise 40 years later? You strip away killer robots, you strip away Judgment Day, what do you have left? You have stories about families.”
Who’s in the Voice Cast?
The voice cast for Terminator Zero includes Timothy Olyphant (Justified, Deadwood) as The Terminator, a relentless character with a fresh twist that Tomlin describes as “new and wholly its own thing.”
Rosario Dawson (Ahsoka, Common Ground) voices Kokoro, Japan’s answer to Skynet, who must decide if humanity is worth saving. André Holland (Moonlight, The Knick) plays Malcolm Lee, a genius programmer haunted by apocalyptic visions, creating an AI he hopes will save humanity. Sonoya Mizuno (House of the Dragon, Crazy Rich Asians) is Eiko, a resistance fighter sent back from 2022 to prevent Malcolm’s AI from launching.
And Ann Dowd (The Handmaid’s Tale, MASS) voices The Prophet, the philosophical guide of the human resistance, a role Tomlin wrote specifically for her, saying, “Her performance just rocks.”
When will ‘Terminator Zero’ be released?
All eight episodes of Terminator Zero will be hitting Netflix on the anniversary of Judgment Day, August 29th.
