John David Washington in The Creator
(Image credit: 20th Century Studios)

When the ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:first trailer for The Creator was released, some viewers pointed oą¦“ut that the movie looks like director Gareth Edwards' version of Terminator 2: Judgment Day – both feature war against AI, a nuke, and a child under threat. 

But Edwards, a huge fan of ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:James Cameron ("I grew up watching his films to death"), gently quashes those theories, saying the trailer communicates the first few minutes of The Creator; the movie takes different turns from there. More of an influence, he explains in the new issue of , which is out on newsstands on Thursday, July 20, is StšŸ’§ephen Frears' 1984 thriller Thā™Še Hit.

"Like, 'This isn’t real; this is just a laptop, justšŸŒŒ turn it off.' You know what I mean? That is kind of what the movie is about. There are all š“€those questions." Edwards offers his biggest grin yet. "And there’s no easy answer."

Set in 2070, the movie takes place in a world where AI has detonated a nuclear warhead on Los Angeles, sparking all-out war. John David Washington’s ex-special- forces agent Joshua ventures into New Asia ("It’s what we call a collection of countries in Southeast Asia, where this war is going on," explains Edwards) and locates the ultimate AI weapon... which turns out to be a child, played by newcomer Madeleine Yuna Voyles. "Execute her, or we go extinct," Joshua is told, as seen in š“†the skin-prickling trailer. But can he do it?

The Creator releases on September 29. For more, check out our guide to the rest of the most exciting ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:upcoming movies on the way in 2023 and beyond.

This is just a snippšŸ¼et of our interview in the new issue of , which features Gareth Edwards' new movie The Creator on the cover. The magazine hits shelves this Thursday, July 20. Check out the covers below:

If you're a fan of Total Film, whyš“† not so that you never miss an issue? You'll get the magazine before it’s in shops, with exclusive subscriber-only covers (likešŸŒ¼ the one pictured above). With our latest offer, you can get an Alexa speaker worth £49.99 when you take out a print/bundle subscription. Head to to find out more (Ts and Cs apply).

ę¾³ę“²å¹øčæ5开儖号ē åŽ†å²ęŸ„čÆ¢:Jamie Graham
Editor-at-Large, Total Film

Jamie Graham is the Editor-at-Large of Total Film magazine. You'll likely find them around these parts reviewing the biggest films on the planet and speaking to some of the biggest stars in the business – that's just what Jamie does. Jamie has also written for outÜ«lets like SFX and the Sunday Times Culture, and appeared on podcasts exploring the wondrous worlds of occult and hšŸŒœorror. 

With contributions from