Is The Terminator a prequel to The Matrix? Exploring the truth behind Sophia Stewart's claim

In the vast world of movie fan theories, some of them are as intriguing (and contentious) as the one by author Sophia Stewart, which claims The Terminator is, in fact, a prequel to The Matrix. Stewart has long held that both franchises ripped off her work. She wrote an unpublished manuscript called The Third Eye back in 1981.

According to Sophia Stewart, The Terminator reveals the starting stage of a horrible war between humans and machines. The Matrix is an example where the story continues, carrying on in a world under the rule of AI. Fans find this exciting, but the claim that The Terminator is a prequel to The Matrix is not true.

A recent Instagram post by @beatsloveandharmony revived this theory to the extent of garnering more than 400,000 likes within three days. Some fans claim the key themes of people against machines in both movies support Sophia Stewart's theory.

For others, lawsuits, interviews, and behind-the-scenes stories reveal that it is absolutely the opposite.

Let's break down each component of this theory and the evidence, or lack thereof.

The claims by Sophia Stewart and the supposed connection between the two franchises

Sophia Stewart claims that The Terminator and The Matrix are two parts of the same story. In interviews, she has explained that The Terminator shows the rise of AI (Skynet) and the fight against it led by John Connor, while The Matrix shows how the machines eventually enslave humanity.

Stewart said to Playahata.com:

“The Terminator starts from the front of my book to the back. The Matrix starts from the back of my book and works its way to the front.”

But her legal battle has brought up questions about these claims. In 2003, Stewart filed a copyright infringement case against James Cameron and the Wachowskis. The case was dismissed in 2005 due to lack of strong evidence.

Court papers argue that Stewart has not proved to show enough similarities between her manuscript and the films in question. Critics claim that the manuscript, only partly completed in 1981, has insufficient detail to support claims by Stewart.

Moreover, it was only published in 2006, a long time after the two franchises had set out to create their identities.

Debunking Sophia Stewart's theory as we see what critics and experts think

Many people have closely observed Sophia Stewart's theory. One big complaint comes from where both franchises started. The Terminator was said to be inspired by the nightmare that James Cameron was having and science fiction stories by Harlan Ellison who later got credit in the movie.

In contrast, The Matrix uses many ideas from philosophy, anime-like Ghost in the Shell, and cyberpunk books.

This difference was noted by Rick Dagger on Instagram:

“The Terminator was based on a story by Harlan Ellison. There is no connection to The Matrix of any kind.”

Moreover, Yahoo Movies commented in 2014 that though both series portray humans against machines, the stories differ so much in mood, time, and reason. For example, Skynet's timeline does not align with the origin of The Matrix.

Above all, The Animatrix provides a context to The Matrix, showing situations that contradict the storyline of The Terminator.

Why are fans still keen on the concept of a shared universe as Sophia Stewart hinted at?

Even with contrary evidence, the theory persists because common themes exist between the two. Both stories explore how humans defend themselves against AI, various moral issues associated with developing technology, and how strong the spirit of man is.

Fan forums such as Reddit's r/FanTheories have discussed possible connections, including one user who argues:

“The machines defeated John Connor’s rebellion and enslaved humanity in the artificial Matrix.”

The fun is in the imagination: what if John Connor and Neo are linked? What if Skynet becomes The Matrix? These "what ifs" keep fans interested, even if they know the idea is unlikely.

Stewart's claims have not been proven, but they are interesting nonetheless. Both The Terminator and The Matrix show a different side of how humans fight against machines. For now, Sophia Stewart's is just a fun theory to rewatch the classics.