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The biggest anime convention in New York hosted a panel for the upcoming Netflix series Terminator Zero, an anime set in the universe of the James Cameron sci-fi films. Attendees were given a treat when the panel premiered the first two episodes of the series. Showrunner Mattson Tomlin along with director Masashi Kudo and production design coordinator Haruka Watanabe from anime studio Production I.G. joined the panel to talk about the new Terminator series. Hosted by actor and online personality Khleo Thomas, the discussion was full of surprises for those in attendance as they got a special behind-the-scenes look at the series before it premieres to the rest of the world later in August.
After some opening remarks from Ambassador Mikio Mori with the Consulate General of Japan, attendees got to see the first two episodes in their entirety. After the screening, the panel kicked off with some remarks on how each of the panelists got involved in the new Terminator series. Mattlin talked about how this was four years in the making since he was hired to work on the anime project back in 2021. The showrunner expressed his excitement for the rest of the world to see the series. Masashi jokingly added how much of a frenzy it was during production to make the show and hoped everyone was hyped for what was to come. Haruka expressed how she wants the audience to feel, live, and enjoy the series once it drops the entire season on the streamer.
A video looking at the production of Terminator Zero was shown, revealing some of the work that went into the anime. In the clip, Mattlin discusses just how much of an advantage animation has over live-action to make this new series special. The team at I.G. said how much of an influence the first film was in creating that horror aspect of Terminator Zero while also being set in Japan. Since the country’s customs are different from the West regarding firearms, the team discussed the challenges of having different weapons be used for the Terminator. They added that this would also be a multi-generational story going through different periods.
Going back to the panel, much of the discussion was on what kind of story Terminator Zero is telling. Mattson clarified that this was a tale on Judgment Day and praised the Japanese team on how well they crafted this story and the characters. The show’s director chatted about how much of a fan he was of the franchise as he wanted to keep the thriller aspect of the films into the series. Haruka added that elements of the Japanese culture were preserved in the series while also keeping the knowledge of Skynet as part of the story as it integrates into society.
With AI being much more prominent in real life, Mattson discussed how that impacted on Terminator Zero as much of the franchise portrayed AI as a major threat to humanity. He went on further to say how scary AI has become on a personal level. He expressed how the tools of humanity can sometimes become a weapon. However, he hopes there is a balance or a better way to function in the world as audiences get to see first-hand the dangers of AI through Terminator Zero. Mattson also talked about the music and how it blends the classic movie theme with a new score to showcase the birth of Kokoro, the new AI that the main character Malcolm Lee builds in the series to combat Skynet. The writer also spoke about the incredible cast and getting to work with them, including Rosario Dawson who plays Kokoro, and Timothy Olyphant as the Terminator.
With the series taking place in 1997, the design is perhaps the biggest draw for Terminator Zero as it goes into that period in Japan. Musashi says he got to explore this unique time in Japan’s history. He added that it took some work to make it right to recreate that era and have a strong foundation. Haruka went into the design of robots like 1NNO, saying that the design was inspired by Honda’s Asimo. She explained that some modifications were made to reflect the time. With the robot, she said it was to make the machine look uncomfortable and scary for the audience. With Kokoro, Haruka said the design was inspired by Japanese deities and their respect for their spirituality.
At the end of the panel, Mattson and the team expressed their excitement for the show and hope the audience gets to watch it when it drops on Netflix.
Terminator Zero drops on Netflix on August 29th, 2024.
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