Action star Arnold Schwarzenegger was in Beijing to promote his new movie from the "Terminator" franchise on Wednesday in Beijing.

With his return to China, Arnold Schwarzenegger has indeed made good on his famous "I'll be back" catchphrase, which is often associated with the Terminator franchise. This time, Schwarzenegger will star in the latest installment of the American science fiction action movie franchise - "Terminator: Dark Fate," directed by Tim Miller, along with his old partner Linda Hamilton and former director James Cameron, who this time served as producer and script writer for the new film.

Hamilton and Schwarzenegger returned in their roles as Sarah Connor and the T-800 "Terminator," respectively, reuniting after 28 years.

Cameron, who is working on his "Avatar" sequels, was absent at the China premiere, but he sent a video to greet the audience. He called the franchise a film that changed his life and said that he was grateful he could be back to create the new story for the franchise.

"Terminator: Dark Fate" is actually the sixth movie in the "Terminator" franchise and the first since "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" (1991) to have franchise creator James Cameron involved. Cameron considered this latest film a direct sequel to his films "The Terminator" (1984) and "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," while others like "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines" (2003), "Terminator Salvation" (2009), "Terminator Genisys" (2015) and the TV series "Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles" (2008–2009) are described as occurring in alternate timelines.

Hamilton said her life is so connected with her role as Sarah Connor that her ex-husband James Cameron eventually persuaded her to return for the project. She said she finally agreed because she was pleased with the development of the character, who is now stronger and even angrier in her fight against the robot killing machines.

Schwarzenegger thanked Cameron for casting him in the first "Terminator" movie, which only cost $6.4 million to make at that time, but which made him a big action star ever since. He revealed that "Terminator: Dark Fate" was actually an idea that sprung from a Harley-Davidson motorcycle ride with Cameron, who also loves riding motorcycles. The two agreed to revive the franchise and get Hamilton back on it too.

The megastar and former California governor said this time he will engage in the wildest and most furious battle in "Terminator: Dark Fate" for his role on screen along with other cast members.

Director Tim Miller added at the premiere that he was a fan of the "Terminator" franchise. He said that while planning for the film, he toyed with and incorporated many brilliant ideas after brainstorming with Cameron on how to make the film even more exciting.

The "Terminator" franchise is a classic in world sci-fi film history and Arnold Schwarzenegger plays an iconic role in it. The movies influenced generations of Chinese filmmakers and audiences and although the first two were never released in Chinese cinemas, people watched them on VHS or DVD. 

Frant Gwo, director of the Chinese sci-fi blockbuster "The Wandering Earth," was at the premiere last night and presented a vintage Terminator vinyl soundtrack record as a gift to Schwarzenegger. He said he was a big fan of the franchise and that both the movie "Terminator 2: Judgment Day" and Schwarzenegger's portrayal of the Terminator inspired him in his younger years. He said they had planted the seed, which eventually led him to create "The Wandering Earth" after more than 20 years.

"Terminator: Dark Fate" will open in China on Nov. 1, 2019, the same day that it will be released in America and other international markets. China's Tencent Pictures invested heavily in the film project and will handle the distribution of the movie in China.

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