Published September, 27th 2017 the above "conversation" with Cameron and Miller, hosted by The Hollywood Reporter's Matthew Belloni, gives an insight into the thinking, writing, and development that went into Terminator: Dark Fate. On the subject of how the movie exists in the already established timeline, Miller outright refutes that they will use alternate (reality) timelines, which together with the humorous inference in Cameron's earlier comment that Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation may exist within an alternate timeline suggests that Terminator: Dark Fate may have another in-universe explanation as to how its timeline, which differs from that of the two aforementioned sequels, can exist.
The Future Is Not Set?
As evidenced by its predestination paradox narrative, The Terminator was originally conceived as a closed story. This and his deal to make Aliens for 20th Century Fox is likely why Cameron sold the production rights to The Terminator so frivolously and for such a low price (for $1 to producer Gale Anne Hurd). However, when the possibility to return to the franchise arose in 1989 Cameron, reunited with William Wisher Jr. and conceived of an extension to the story explored in The Terminator.
The original intention of Terminator 2: Judgment Day, as exemplified in the deleted Future Coda scene (pictured above), was to explore a more optimistic narrative than that depicted in The Terminator, whereby the future war was to never happen. As explained in Time Travel Explained, had this ending been used this would have resulted in a grandfather paradox of impossible circumstance - How can John Connor exist if Kyle Reese was never sent back in time to father him. Understandably, such an impossibility unravels the entire narrative of the franchise. Unfortunately, with Cameron's involvement in Terminator: Dark Fate, it was likely that this scenario may have been revisited as the conclusion of the Terminator franchise. Thankfully this did not happen.
However, instead of concluding the franchise on a positive note or pertaining to the inescapable causal loop of events as depicted in The Terminator, Cameron instead decided to further complicate the narrative of the franchise.
Although events subsequent to The Terminator became somewhat convoluted, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did reinstate the predestination paradox narrative of the original movie by revealing that Judgment Day had not been stopped in Terminator 2: Judgment Day but merely delayed. Terminator Salvation added to this showing that a delay of Judgment Day had unforeseen repercussions, as shown with Skynet developing the series 800 "Terminator" 10 years earlier than Kyle Reese had stated when he was being questioned by Dr. Peter Silberman in 1984 in The Terminator.
While casual fans may not have enjoyed the aesthetic of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation, it can be argued that, on a narrative level at least, both of these movies addressed the issue presented by Terminator 2: Judgment Day that could have damaged the franchise irreparably, and as such, they should've remained within the franchise.
Although events subsequent to The Terminator became somewhat convoluted, Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines did reinstate the predestination paradox narrative of the original movie by revealing that Judgment Day had not been stopped in Terminator 2: Judgment Day but merely delayed. Terminator Salvation added to this showing that a delay of Judgment Day had unforeseen repercussions, as shown with Skynet developing the series 800 "Terminator" 10 years earlier than Kyle Reese had stated when he was being questioned by Dr. Peter Silberman in 1984 in The Terminator.
While casual fans may not have enjoyed the aesthetic of Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator Salvation, it can be argued that, on a narrative level at least, both of these movies addressed the issue presented by Terminator 2: Judgment Day that could have damaged the franchise irreparably, and as such, they should've remained within the franchise.
However, because of David Ellison's involvement it is highly unlikely that this will ever happen. What most fans want, and have desired since Terminator 2: Judgment Day, is a conclusion to the franchise set in 2029. However, David Ellison likely feels that he has not been recompensed for the $20 million his sister Megan bought the rights to the franchise for back in 2012, meaning that in all likelihood a concluding part to the franchise will instead become a reboot.
