Terminator: Dark Fate first reactions from surprise fan screenings

Terminator fans from around the country were surprised when screenings of Terminator 2: Judgment Day on Sunday night turned out to secretly be a screening of the upcoming film in the franchise, Terminator: Dark Fate.

Most of the comments were very positive, with several comparing the film to the 2015 Star Wars reboot The Force Awakens, and some saying its the best of film in the troubled franchise since 1991’s blockbuster T2.

Kerry Brown/Skydance Productions/Paramount Pictures
Kerry Brown/Skydance Productions/Paramount Pictures

Alamo Drafthouse orchestrated the event at 15 theaters, complete with an introduction by Linda Hamilton (who reprises her iconic role as survivalist Sarah Connor) and Arnold Schwarzenegger (as the aging yet still nearly unstoppable cyborg T-800). The film also returns franchise creator James Cameron to the team as producer and co-writer and adds star Mackenzie Davis (Halt and Catch Fire) as a new brand of terminator (the latest trailer is below).

Here are some of the first reactions to the film — including several from critics now the film’s social media embargo has lifted:

The latest trailer:

Terminator: Dark Fate opens wide on Nov. 1.

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