Terminator Zero has garnered a lot of popularity on Netflix since its release on August 29 and the showrunner has already addressed the future prospects of the series.
The anime series takes place in Japan just prior to Judgment Day in the Terminator universe. It follows a scientist named Malcolm who is developing an A.I. that could compete with the tyrannical Skynet - until a deadly robot assassin from the future appears to stop him.
All eight episodes of the first season of Terminator Zero have been released on Netflix and have already left a positive impression on audiences.
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Terminator Zero Season 2 Prospects Shared by Mattson Tomlin
Behind the execution of Terminator Zero is showrunner Mattson Tomlin, who is also attached to Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman sequel.
While Terminator Zero answers a lot of its season-long questions in its eighth episode, the series does leave things open for more, which is something Tomlin is hoping to expand on.
In an interview, reported by Anime Corner, the showrunner confirmed that Season 2 is not currently greenlit for development or release, as that is all dependent on the viewership numbers of the first season. Tomlin then said he'd love to see Terminator Zero release well beyond Season 2 into "five, six seasons:"
"What I’ll say is that right now it’s just this: people have to show up, they’ve got to watch the first season and hopefully those numbers will grant me an opportunity to keep on going. I would love to go five, six seasons."
The creator has also been vocal on his social media about his hopes for the future of Terminator Zero, saying on X (formerly Twitter) that he would "love to see this story through to the end:"
"If audiences show up then there will be an opportunity to keep going. I would love to see this story through to the end."
Terminator Zero's director, Masashi Kudō, echoed Tomlin's hopes in an interview with Collider saying "if this story is a success, I would hope to continue, yes."
Tomlin's approach for future seasons would seemingly involve telling a decades-long story. The creator said he was drawn to animation so he could tell a "generational story" in a way that hasn't been done before:
"I have a story — because one of the questions that you have to ask yourself when you’re doing something that was live action as animated is why does this have to be animated? For me part of that answer was telling a generational story. There’s this family and these children at the center of the story and being able to see them grow up, get older, endure the war, go through the war, and then see how all of that wraps up — that’s very appealing to me and its something that hasn’t quite been done not just in this franchise but the way I want it done hasn’t quite been done, period."
The writer added in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter that he was personally drawn to the family's endurance of war following his personal experience with the Romanian Revolution.
He also revealed that the themes of any future seasons would follow Malcolm's children and "how their various relationships to humans and machines are evolving:"
"Telling a story about a family that goes through Judgment Day and see seeing the effects of war. I always have to make it personal. It always kind of comes back to being adopted and the Romanian Revolution and all of this stuff that’s built into me.
In the event that I get to do multiple seasons, it will be a story that follows these three kids as they grow up through this war that eventually evolves into the future war, and how their various relationships to humans and machines are evolving and are radically different from each other."
As reported by Anime Corner, Tomlin said that whether or not Terminator Zero is granted multiple seasons or not he already knows "what the last episode is," meaning the creator has a solid plan in mind should his Netflix series be renewed.
Will Terminator Zero Be Renewed By Netflix?
When it comes to TV season renewals, nothing is guaranteed and Netflix is certainly not afraid to cut a series after the first season. However, in Terminator Zero's case, the signs of a Season 2 renewal look positive.
The anime series currently has an average 92% positive rating on Rotten Tomatoes and, after only a few days, it's already appearing in Netflix's Top 10 charts around the world. There's also the fact that animation is much cheaper for a studio like Netflix to commission, which works in Terminator Zero's favor.
While Terminator Zero's first viewerships numbers won't be released for at least a week after its release, these early indications are positive that a Season 2 could happen.
Terminator Zero's first season is available to watch on Netflix now.
