Arriving soon as a Netflix original, "Terminator Zero" is a sci-fi anime series that draws inspiration from James Cameron's original Terminator series and is animated by renowned Japanese director Masashi Kudo.
Executive produced by David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger (Skydance Studios), the film blends the spirit of anime with the iconic Terminator, thanks to the support of Production I.G., the animation studio behind Ghost in the Shell.
A new poster for Terminator Zero has been released ahead of its premiere.
As depicted in the poster, the protagonist, Eiko, is sent back in time to protect Malcolm Lee, a scientist who can destroy Kokoro (Skynet). He tries to create an AI system that can compete with Kokoro's onslaught on humanity.
Meanwhile, Malcolm is tormented by a future assassin whose actions will determine the fate of his three children.
A Stellar Cast Takes the Stage
Mattson Tomlin (Batman's co-screenwriter) introduced new cast members and characters to the series, replacing Sarah Conor, John, and Kyle. Instead, Tomlin has replaced these characters with a fresh cast.
Further, he went on to say to Entertainment Weekly "There's a completely valid version of the 'Terminator' franchise where the Terminator is synonymous with Jason [Voorhees] and Freddy [Krueger], where he is this unrelenting serial killer,"
Tomlin says, "There's a little bit of Friday the 13th in here. There's a little bit of Michael Myers [from 'Halloween'] in here. I knew I wanted to tell a time-travel story, and I knew I wanted to tell an almost 'Godfather'- like multi-generational saga that would ultimately follow this family with these kids. What I wanted to do, if we get to do multiple seasons, is to see these kids grow up and see who they become."
According to the narrative, human survivors and an army of machines have been engaged in combat for years in 2022. However, the series is set in 1997 in Tokyo, Japan, when an Al (Kokoro) becomes conscious of itself and resolves to attack humans on Earth. Malcolm Lee, a genius, creates an artificial intelligence (AI) to compete with Japan's Skynet, Kokoro, to solve this issue.
A Terminator, Eiko, is sent from the future to protect Malcolm Lee from other Terminators that Kokoro (Skynet) sends to prevent Malcolm Lee from developing the AI. From that point on, a never-ending pursuit changes the course of events for Malcolm and his three children.
A Creative Powerhouse
Lead voice actor Timothy Olyphant (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood) oversees the program's voice cast, including Rosario Dawson portraying Kokoro (Japan's Skynet), and Ann Dowd voicing the Prophet.
Other actors in the cast include Sonoya Mizuno as Eiko, a machine warrior from the future assigned to guard Malcolm Lee, and Andre Holland as coder Malcolm Lee, a father of three children.
Terminator Zero premieres on Netflix on August 29. This series takes sci-fi and anime fans on a journey through time, technology, and bravery. Sit tight—the future is closer than you think.