Why James Cameron Spoiled Terminator 2's Twist In The Trailer
As "Avatar: The Way of Water" inches closer to its theatrical premiere 13 years after the debut of the box-office record-breaking "Avatar," a press tour featuring a very vocal James Cameron comes with it. The marketing for the upcoming blockbuster has had Cameron at the forefront, likely because the director hasn't helmed a film since 2009 and has had plenty of time to formulate talking points. Moreover, the director has never shied away from his beliefs as a filmmaker. Not only has he continued to champion the 3D format, but Cameron has also been adamant that he's aware of the pressure for the sequel and potential problems audiences may have with the runtime. At this point in the director's career, he seems unafraid to defend any creative decisions involved with his movies.
Looking back at some of the creative decisions involved with Cameron's filmography, one marketing decision is interesting retrospectively. The first trailer for "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" took all the preconceived notions from the first film and threw them out the window. The reveal that Arnold Schwarzenegger's T-800 model is the protagonist of the sequel feels like a revelation that could have been omitted from the film's marketing. In a recent Q&A session, James Cameron revealed if that decision was made by him or was the result of studio interference trying to attract audiences to the sequel.
The marketing was not a battle
James Cameron received questions from different writers and directors in a Q&A feature from the January 2023 issue of Empire magazine. One question came from "The Lord of the Rings: The Rings of Power" showrunner Patrick McKay, who asked about the "Terminator 2" trailer's big reveal, and if that was the result of a losing battle with the Marketing department:
"All of us have had our battles with the Suits, but the case you mention was not a battle. The Carolco guys, Mario Kassar and Andy Vajna were good partners with me on 'T2', and I led the charge on marketing, including showing Arnold [Schwarzenegger] as the good guy."
When looking at "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" 30 years later, the plot point of the T-800 protecting John Connor can quickly be taken for granted. However, when looking at the film with fresh eyes, especially only knowing about the original "Terminator" film, this plot development is entirely unexpected. Schwarzenegger's performance in the original movie was so menacing and frightening that it'd be hard to imagine the T-800 as anything other than an evil force.
Revealing the dramatic shift in roles for Schwarzenegger's character was easily something that could've been saved for the film. However, Cameron had his reasons for instead showing it in the trailer. According to the director, the exciting development was one placed early on in the film's structure.
Attracting a potential audience
Elaborating on his answer, James Cameron believed that because the reveal occurs in the first act, there's no need to hide a potential selling point:
"It wasn't a 'Sixth Sense' kind of twist that's revealed only at the end of the film. He's revealed as the Protector at the end of Act One. And I always feel you lead with your strongest story element in selling a movie."
James Cameron isn't only a talented filmmaker, but he also clearly understands how to market a story, especially a sequel:
"I believed our potential audience would be more attracted to seeing how the most badass killing machine could become a hero than they would be to just another kill-fest in the same vein as the first film. Sequels have to strike a delicate balance between honoring the most loved elements from the first film but also promising to really shake things up and turn them upside down. Our marketing campaign was exactly that promise, and it worked."
Looking at Cameron's view on creating a sequel and marketing it to audiences, you can't help but have a little more faith in "Avatar: The Way of Water." There's a fundamental understanding that a sequel shouldn't just rehash what made the movie work, but to try and be inventive. "Avatar: The Way of Water" certainly looks to be "shaking things up" as Cameron puts it. Time will only tell if the director properly puts his beliefs into practice with the upcoming "Avatar" sequels.