Following James Cameron's comments about the metaphorical blood "still being scrubbed off the walls" due to "creative battles" with Terminator: Dark Fate director Tim Miller, Miller himself has shared his take on the behind-the-scenes differences of the fairly well-reviewed but monetarily disappointing franchise entry.
Speaking with KCRW's The Business podcast, as spotted in a report from IndieWire Monday, Miller said "a book" could be written on why the film ultimately "didn't work" as the team intended.
"I'm still not sure and I'm processing, but I'm very proud of the movie," Miller said before diving into those Cameron disagreements, which seemed to largely center on matters of story.
When Miller made the suggestion that the Legion AI at the center of the film would be so powerful that "the only way to beat it is going back in time and [strangling] it in the crib," Cameron had an opposite take.
"Jim says, 'What's dramatic about the humans losing?' And I say, 'Well, what's dramatic about the humans winning and they just need to keep on winning?' I like a last stand. It's not his thing," Miller said.
Furthermore, Cameron took issue with proposed lines Miller said were "poetic and beautiful," noting that Cameron and producer David Ellison had final cut.
"I still feel this obligation to fight because that is what the director is supposed to do," Miller explained. "Fight for the movie." Though these disagreements, Miller added, don't translate to any ill will toward Cameron or anyone else, he affirmed he's not interested in being in similar situations in the future.
As fans will recall, Miller also ran into creative differences–related issues with Ryan Reynolds before ultimately leaving Deadpool 2.
