Football fans from around the country are in for a sneak preview of the next installment of the Terminator franchise during this year’s Super Bowl. The 30-second trailer has a whopping two Schwarzeneggers amidst the glorious action, along with Game of Thrones star Emilia Clarke as the new Sarah Connor.
Paramount and Skydance Productions intend to press the reset button on the franchise, razing the original plot and resurrecting an alternate universe in which Connor, the terminator, and Kyle Reese form an alliance against a new robot threat. Like Connor says in the trailer, “everything’s changed.:
In the year 2029, military leader John Connor (played by The Great Gatsby and Child 44 actor Jason Clarke) sends Kyle Reese (Jai Courtney) back into the 20th century to rescue his mother Sarah Connor, destroy the terminator programmed to kill her, and ensure the survival of humanity. The catch? The terminator has already been terminated by…well, the terminator (Arnold Schwarzenegger). A more threatening futuristic machine (Lee Byung-hun) lurks in the shadows, and together the trio must unite to combat the state-of-the-art terminator.
The plot shares distinct similarities with the original sci-fi thriller, and the more action-packed sequel, Terminator 2: Judgement Day. Schwarzenegger, despite the vastly altered storyline, still gets to deliver one of his trademark lines… albeit while jumping headfirst out of a helicopter.
Yet another symptom of Hollywood’s reboot fever, kicking off a brand new trilogy with Terminator: Genisys seems to be an easy and lucrative investment for Paramount. The original 1984 Terminator raked in over $1 billion at the box office worldwide, and its exalted sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day is not only a specimen in special effects (it won Best Make Up and Best Visuals Effects at the 1991 Oscars), but is widely considered an improvement on its predecessor.
The Genisys spot bares a resemblance to the original trailer for Terminator 2, complete with excessive explosions, destruction of property, and outrageous vehicle chases:
Terminator: Genisys will be released in theaters July 1st, 2015.