Netflix has unveiled the first trailer for its upcoming anime series Terminator Zero, a fresh reboot of the iconic Terminator franchise. The teaser gives us a glimpse into a dark future where humanity faces a bloody battle against the notorious fictional advanced artificial intelligence, Skynet.
Set in Japan, the trailer introduces Eiko, a resistance fighter voiced by House of the Dragon star, Sonoya Mizuno. Eiko travels back in time to safeguard Malcolm Lee, portrayed by André Holland, as he develops Kokoro, an advanced AI designed to challenge the malevolent Skynet. Mizuno’s character declares, “There’s only one thing standing between you and him… Me!” as she aims her gun at a futuristic cyborg assassin.
Terminator Zero, penned by Mattson Tomlin, the writer behind The Batman II, is slated to premiere on August 29, aptly named Judgment Day. This release date will see it go head-to-head with The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power on Amazon Prime Video.
The voice cast boasts impressive talent, including Timothy Olyphant as the Terminator, Rosario Dawson as Kokoro, and Ann Dowd as The Prophet, a guiding figure for the human resistance. The series features a narrative set in two timelines: 2022, where a war between humans and machines has raged for decades, and 1997, marking the rise of Skynet’s self-awareness and the beginning of its assault on humanity.
Directed by Masashi Kudo and produced by Japanese animation studio Production IG, Terminator Zero marks the franchise’s first foray into animation. Tomlin serves as the showrunner, writer, and executive producer, alongside David Ellison, Dana Goldberg, and Don Granger from Skydance.
This anime adaptation is part of a broader strategy by Skydance Animation, which signed a multiyear deal with Netflix in 2023 to produce animated content.
