In 2015, Emilia Clarke was riding one of the highest waves in modern television history. As Daenerys Targaryen on Game of Thrones, she had become a global icon—powerful, beloved, and seemingly untouchable. Hollywood, eager to capitalize, offered her the ultimate blockbuster upgrade: the role of Sarah Connor in Terminator Genisys, a reboot meant to resurrect one of cinema’s most legendary franchises.
Instead, Clarke walked straight into chaos.
What was pitched as the first chapter of a new Terminator trilogy quickly devolved into what Clarke would later describe as “a complete mess.” The production, directed by Alan Taylor—who had previously worked with Clarke on Game of Thrones—was plagued by constant interference, tonal confusion, and a grinding studio machine that left little room for creative clarity.
Clarke later recalled watching Taylor, a director she deeply respected, get “chewed up” by the system. “He was not the director I remembered,” she said. “He didn’t have a good time. No one had a good time.” For an actor coming from a tightly bonded TV set, the atmosphere was a shock. The days were long, the mood bleak, and the sense of direction constantly shifting.
The dysfunction became such an open secret that it turned into gallows humor across Hollywood. While Terminator Genisys was filming in New Orleans, another famously troubled production was happening nearby: Fantastic Four. Despite their own behind-the-scenes implosion, members of that crew reportedly made jackets reading, “AT LEAST WE’RE NOT ON TERMINATOR.” For Clarke, that joke perfectly summed up the experience.
Financially, the film wasn’t a total disaster—but it was a franchise killer. With a budget of around $155 million, Terminator Genisys earned approximately $440 million worldwide, largely driven by international markets. Domestically, however, it severely underperformed, and critically it collapsed, landing near the bottom of the franchise’s reputation. Paramount quietly abandoned plans for sequels.
That failure turned out to be Clarke’s escape hatch.
Bound by a multi-picture contract, she would have been obligated to return had the reboot succeeded. Instead, the box office disappointment freed her completely. When asked whether she would ever reprise Sarah Connor, Clarke didn’t hesitate. “No,” she said. “Uh-uh.” Not bitter—relieved.
The franchise itself later reset again, with creator James Cameron returning as producer for Terminator: Dark Fate, which ignored Clarke’s film entirely. By then, she had already moved on, choosing projects on her own terms.
For Emilia Clarke, the collapse of Terminator Genisys wasn’t a failure—it was a clean break. In an industry obsessed with sequels, sometimes the greatest victory is being spared one.