Terminator 2: Judgment Day Stars Reunite After 35 Years, With a Surprising Easter Egg for Fans
Terminator 2: Judgement Day first hit theaters on July 3, 1991, and changed the game. The sequel to James Cameron’s 1984 horror-thriller upped the ante in every way, expanding the franchise and story into a sci-fi-horror-thriller blockbuster that earned a whopping $520 million (equivalent to approximately $1.27 billion when adjusted for today) to become the highest-grossing movie of that year. It also revolutionized movie technology, with Cameron making one of his first (but certainly not last) leaps forward with computer-generated imagery and visual effects.
Of course, spectacle alone wouldn’t have been enough to make T2 the milestone success it became: a talented cast of actors and stunt performers all had to step up to the challenge of Cameron’s ambitious vision. The Judgement Day cast is still one of cinema’s most iconic ensembles, and now two of them are reuniting after more than three decades, for a perfect reunion moment!
John Connor Finally Gets Caught By the T-1000
Terminator 2 stars Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong reunited in London, where they are both attending For the Love of Sci-Fi’s Excel London event. As the pair of actors were presumably being shuttled from the airport, Patrick (who is wonderfully active on socials) made sure to snap a selfie with Furlong to get fans hyped. The caption, Found John Connor in London. Turns out the T-1000 just needed a plane ticket”, was also perfectly on-brand to excite the T2 diehards out there.
Will, Robert Patrick can consider his mission accomplished: the reactions on social media say it all: Fans are loving seeing this bit of nostalgia. “Looking great fellas! Thanks for the shot of nostalgia; a real present!” one fan posted, while another said, “Hi guys!👋. Looks like a wonderful reunion! Have a blessed day!💕”
Other fans were far more cheeky, leaning into the meta-humor of the moment and posting things like “He forgave you for attempting to terminate him?”
One thing that a lot of fans almost immediately focused in on was the fact that Furlong truly came to play, sporting a Guns N’ Roses t-shirt as a deliberate Easter egg nod to the diehard T2 fans. You had to be there back in ’91, but Terminator 2 helped kick off the decade by featuring one of the biggest hit songs of the early ’90s, “You Could Be Mine” by Guns N’ Roses. The track is emblematic of that era – as was Edward Furlong’s entire look an deameanour as a young John Connor, the future leader of the human resistance.
Off-screen, Robert Patrick and Edward Furlong have been on very different journeys. Patrick has continued to work steadily in TV and film for the 35 years since his breakout performance as the T-1000; meanwhile, Furlong has only had a few screen roles and has struggled with serious addictions, including drugs and compulsive eating. However, in the 2020s, the former child actor has seemed to be getting to a much better place in life – which makes seeing him come around to this moment with Robert Patrick all the more endearing.
You can stream Terminator 2: Judgement Day on Paramount+ and Pluto TV.
