Netflix shares Terminator Zero sneak peek after data leak fallout and the new sci-fi show has the cyberpunk vibe nailed

The machines are born in stunning fashion in brand new Terminator Zero clip

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As the hype continues to build forTerminator Zero, Netflix’s new anime take on the franchise, the streamer has released a new clip that had my jaw on the floor. The new sneak peek follows the release of somegorgeous first-look imagesandan incredible trailer,and confirms that this might just be the best installment in the Terminatorsaga since the sequel, which weranked as the best Terminator movie.

The Terminatorfranchise has been a mixed bag in the past. Since James Cameron introduced the world to Arnold Schwarzenegger’s T-800 in the 1984 classic, only his own 1991 follow-up has received universal acclaim from fans, with Jonathan Mostow turning in a semi-worthwhile third film in 2003 and a trilogy of failed trilogy starters since then. The TV spin-off,The Sarah Connor Chronicles, starringGame of Thrones’ Lena Heady as the titular character, was just finding its stride when it was axed back in 2009. ButTerminator Zerolooks to overshadow them all with its visually stunning reworking of the saga, transplanting the action to Tokyo without a Connor in sight.

What can we expect from Terminator Zero?

Starring Timothy Olyphant, Rosario Dawson and André Holland,Terminator Zerowill be familiar to fans, but also refreshingly new. Netflix’ synopsis reads: “Caught between the future and this past is a soldier sent back in time to change the fate of humanity. She arrives in 1997 to protect a scientist named Malcolm Lee who works to launch a new AI system designed to compete with Skynet’s impending attack on humanity. As Malcolm navigates the moral complexities of his creation, he’s hunted by an unrelenting assassin from the future, which forever alters the fate of his three children.”

And the new sneak-peek gives us a glimpse of just what Malcom might need protecting from. Echoing the originalTerminator 2: Judgment Dayteaser, the clip shows an automated factory assembling one of the deadly machines, before human-like skin is applied and the new Terminator enters a time machine, assumes the iconic pose and is sent back to Japan circa 1997. During the assembly process, gorgeous abstract visuals show how the machine is assigned its target before it passes through a corridor showing hundreds of completed Terminators in stasis, ready for their own missions.

Ahead of its release on August 29 (Judgment Day, as per the Cameron films)Terminator Zerohas been one of many animated projects to be leaked in its entirety as a result of ahuge data breach at Netflixearlier in the month. The breach saw a number of shows, includingArcaneandHeartstopper, have episodes leaked potentially months before they were due to be released. The streamer didn’t hold back in it’s response, tellingThe Wrap: “One of our post-production partners has been compromised and footage from several of our titles has unfortunately leaked online. Our team is aggressively taking action to have it taken down.”

Judgment Day is almost upon us and when it arrives, not only could we be in store for one of thebest Netflix showsandbest Netflix animebut also theTerminatorstory that fans have been waiting for.

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Tom is a freelance writer, predominantly focusing on film and TV. A graduate of Film Studies at University of South Wales, if he’s not diving in to the Collector’s Edition Blu Ray of an obscure 80s horror, you’ll find him getting lost with his dog or mucking about in the water with his board.

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