Celebrating the milestone of 75 years, Arnold Schwarzenegger stands at a juncture where he can reflect upon his illustrious career and accomplishments. Known as the Austrian Oak, he carved his niche in the action film genre, with Conan the Barbarian serving as his breakthrough film. However, it was the iconic role in Terminator that truly propelled his career to soaring heights. But that doesn’t mean the actor is unaware of the flaws in the franchise.

As Arnold Schwarzenegger reminisces about the plethora of achievements he has amassed throughout his illustrious career, he found himself contemplating the misstep that resulted in the lackluster performance of the sequels to his magnum opus, The Terminator, at the box office.

Arnold Schwarzenegger’s response to Terminator sequels turning out flop

While enjoying the current chapter of his life, Schwarzenegger’s journey is not without its regrets. The celebrated actor, who recently ushered in his 75th birthday, took a reflective stroll down memory lane, particularly concerning the success of The Terminator franchise. While Schwarzenegger holds deep reverence for the franchise, his tone takes a somber turn when discussing the more recent entries, namely Genesys and Dark Fate.

Released in 2015 and 2019, Dark Fate and Genisys, unfortunately, failed to replicate the success of the original Terminator. These sequels languished far below the bar set by their predecessor, struggling to gain momentum. Schwarzenegger attributes their underwhelming performance partly to his absence during his tenure as the governor. But there was another, main, reason behind the failure.

“Because they were just not well written,” Schwarzenegger confesses to The Hollywood Reporter as the very reason behind the flop sequels.

Schwarzenegger shared his insights into the disappointing performance of the Terminator sequels at the box office. However, it is important to delve deeper into the reasons behind their lackluster reception.

Why were the sequels a flop at the box office?

When viewed independently from the original movie, the sequels are not inherently disappointing. It is their association and comparison with the original that casts them in a lesser light. The prequels effectively established a rich universe centered around the human-Skynet war, laying the groundwork for a captivating narrative. Shifting from his idea of sequels, Schwarzenegger did star in Terminator 2 which leveled up to its success. His absence in the sequels was one other prerogative for its turning flop.

Both of the sequels deviated from the established timeline. It resulted in a shift in character dynamics for Sarah and John Connor. This alteration introduced a level of risk and uncertainty to the narrative. Additionally, the incorporation of the time paradox concept in Dark Fate did not resonate well with audiences, and its attempt to emulate the structure of a Star Wars sequel trilogy proved to be unfavorable.

Did you also find the sequels unsatisfactory? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.