Terminator Anime Heading For Netflix

A Terminator anime series has been greenlit at Netflix, according to Variety. Details are still pretty sparse at this early stage for the project, but given the franchise's humble cyberpunk roots with the 1984 original film, an anime adaptation of the series and its world makes sense.

Variety reports that Netflix has partnered with Skydance, the company that holds the rights to the long-running sci-fi franchise, for the series. Mattson Tomlin, who worked on the screenplay for Matt Reeves' upcoming The Batman, will serve as showrunner and executive producer for this upcoming series.

"Terminator is one of the most iconic sci-fi stories ever created--and has only grown more relevant to our world over time," said John Derderian, Netflix's vice president of Japan and anime. "The new animated series will explore this universe in a way that has never been done before. We can’t wait for fans to experience this amazing new chapter in the epic battle between machines and humans."

How, what, or when (as is important in the Terminator series, which regularly involves time travel in its storytelling) this universe is being explored is unnanounced--but if Derderian's promise of this being a truly new approach, the anime should be interesting. Tomlin also hinted in a statement, "Anyone who knows my writing knows I believe in taking big swings and going for the heart. I'm honored… [to have] the opportunity to approach Terminator in a way that breaks conventions, subverts expectations, and has real guts."