Summary
Terminator Zerofollows a soldier who is sent back in time from 2022 to change the fate of humanity. In 1997, a scientist named Malcolm Lee created a new AI system that was designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity, causing him to be hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.Terminator Zerofeatures anall-star leading voice castincluding Timothy Olyphant, Sonoya Mizuno, Rosario Dawson, Ann Dowd, and Andre Holland.
Masashi Kudo is not just a director, he is a Japanese animation artist who has created numerous character designs for the anime adaptation ofTite Kubo’s Bleach manga. He has also worked as a storyboard artist and episode director for Bleach, making him a great fit for the first-ever anime version ofTerminator. The eight-episode first season ofTerminator Zeropremieres on Netflix on August 29th.
When Terminator Zero Takes Place In The Terminator Timeline
Netflix’s Terminator Zero is set at a crucial point in the franchise’s complicated timeline — and makes great use of Terminator’s time travel trope.
Screen Rantcaught up with Director Masashi Kudo to discuss the new anime series,Terminator Zero. He talks about working with Production I.G., as well asbringing the horror aspect to the series. Kudo also reveals what it means to him to be able to play in such an iconic and well-loved franchise.
Being Involved In This Franchise Was “Very, Very Exciting” For Masashi Kudo
“I think the excitement was more than the nervousness.”
Screen Rant: What was it like for you, getting to play in such an iconic franchise?
Masashi Kudo: Obviously, I love Terminator, the franchise. I’ve seen all the films. So for me to be able to be involved in this, such an iconic franchise, was very, very exciting.
Screen Rant: Were you nervous at all?
Masashi Kudo: A little bit maybe, but I think the excitement was more than the nervousness.
Masashi Kudo Recalled His Childhood To Capture The Mood Of 1997 Japan
Screen Rant: In Terminator Zero we get to see what is happening in Japan. What was it like getting to explore that?
Masashi Kudo: So that was something new. I thought the challenge was interesting to explore Japan. So, it’s set in 1997 in Japan. I was already alive back then, so I was trying to capture the mood I remember from back then. Some of the team members are younger who don’t know the Japan back then, so we have to tell them that, “No, things used to be like this that time.” That was fun, too, to have the generation gap within the team.
Making Terminator Into An Anime Is “Fresh and New” For The Team
Screen Rant: I love the animation style of Terminator Zero. What was it like getting to put an anime spin on Terminator?
Masashi Kudo: That’s new, definitely. We were trying to figure out how we could bring the horror and the scariness of Terminator in an anime style. I don’t think that it brings something new to the franchise, but it’s a different form of expression. So, for the viewers, it’s something fresh and new. It comes from a different form of expression, so that should be something people could enjoy. Hopefully.
Screen Rant: You mentioned horror. Can you talk about getting to show that side of things?
Masashi Kudo: It was something very terrifying coming out from the dark. That’s the idea we wanted to capture. So the overall visual, the tone, of it, is very dark if you are looking at it on a small screen, you don’t know what is happening, so hopefully, people can watch it on a bigger screen.
Screen Rant: Can you talk about working with Production I.G. for this series?
Masashi Kudo: Production I.G., for me personally, they made really high quality anime that I grew up watching. So to be able to work with a very historic and popular quality studio was very, very exciting for me.
Terminator Zero Captures The Horror Of The First 2 Installments In Anime Form
Screen Rant: I know a lot ofTerminatorfans are excited to see this series, but they might also be a bit nervous because it is a franchise that they love. What would you say to them to get them to watch?
Masashi Kudo: I’m a Terminator fan myself. I especially love the first two installments, Terminator one and two. So this time around, working with Mattson [Tomlin], we discussed wanting to bring back that horror element that was there in the first two Terminator films, and trying to bring that in and capture that in anime. That was our hope, and there was a lot of trial and error, but I hope that the fans will look forward to this new Terminator and love it.
More About Terminator Zero
2022: A future war has raged for decades between the few human survivors and an endless army of machines. 1997: The AI known as Skynet gained self-awareness and began its war against humanity.
Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he is hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future which forever alters the fate of his three children.
