We all know the image well: the metal endoskeleton of James Cameron’s terrifying Terminator rising from the flames, eyes glowing red as it lumbers toward Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese. It’s an iconic cinematic shot that’s instantly recognizable, even if you haven’t seen the 1984 film. And now, the team behind blockbuster productions like Mission: Impossible, Jurassic World, and Star Wars are bringing the T-800 back to life — or at least its menacing eyeball.
Starting today, Makinarium at Pinewood Studios UK, a major film prop, costume, and set company, is launching Makinarium Studio Edition, an exclusive new venture in premium collectibles that brings iconic moments from film, TV, and gaming into the hands of collectors everywhere. And the Terminator collaboration is its first major release.
The T-800Optics is an exclusive, limited edition piece officially licensed from the iconic 1984 hit movie The Terminator and its blockbuster sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day. I spoke with the team behind the T-800 Optics about what makes the exclusive collectible special and why only 800 people will be able to get their hands on one.
“We wanted something that had the cool factor,” says Lee Kirton, Chief Strategy Officer, Director, and Producer at Makinarium & Victory Films. “But we wanted to start with something that was small and portable enough that if you want to pop it in your pocket and take it out, you can do so.”
“We came up with a really lovely stand as a way to keep it on your desk,” adds Jet Cooper, who’s designed props for movies like Star Wars: The Force Awakens and Skyfall, and now serves as Creative Director and Head of 3D at Makinarium. “This is something that would be plugged into a T-800. [Like] a damaged unit. It was on the battlefield. The cradle is beautiful. It fits in. It’s not got batteries in or anything else like that. So it’s very incredibly well-developed. It also comes with a display of authenticity and inbuilt with an NFC chip.”
Every T-800 Optics is embedded with a secure encrypted NFC chip, powered by Fan Connect. Collectors can tap it with a smartphone to unlock a dedicated digital portal, unique to each individual piece. Through this portal, owners can verify the authenticity and provenance of their collectible with a digital certificate of ownership linked to its unique serial number.
“When you purchase one, you will be one of 800 people in the U.S., UK, and Europe to have a number identity for you only,” Kirton says. “So you are one of 800 people in the world [who owns a] highly regarded and well-made collectible. This has never been done before. It’s made by hand, produced here at Pinewood Studios. And it’s basically made by the people that make these things for screen.”
“The reason we chose this shape is it’s designed to be tactile,” Cooper says. “It’s designed to be picked up and feel that cold, the metal, roll around your hands. It’s almost like a fidget. It’s designed to be picked up, handled, and shown around.”
“We didn’t want to just go down the route of creating Disney lightsabers you can buy on the market,” Kirton says. “We want to make these items as high-end as possible, like opening a Rolex watch. Something that’s highly limited and very, very beautiful.”
“They’re all hand-finished,” Cooper adds. “Nothing’s made in a factory. The crews here that make props for the films will be making the individual pieces.”
Makinarium is part of the Victory Films Group, a collective of film professionals who’ve worked on the aforementioned Star Wars and Jurassic World, but also Ghostbusters, movies in the MCU, and more. In addition to creating one-of-a-kind collectibles and props for major movies, Kirton says the company is invested in making prop-making accessible to future generations. “Makinarium Academy helps those that are working within the prop space or film space in general to learn more by coming here to Pinewood and working closely with the Makinarium team,” Kirton says. “They can still learn skillsets from home through modules that we develop as well. For us, [it’s] downloading all of the experience [from] the team who has worked on Marvel films, Star Wars, and Bond to learn some of those techniques.“We wanted to create an online space for people that are in the film world, whether they are people that want to learn about the film world, people that are in the film world, or people that want to share what they’re creating. So Makinarium is a free space that people can talk to us directly. Between Jet, myself, and the extended team, we have a team of prop makers, 3D designers, producers, and marketers covering every area of the entertainment space as a collective group.”Cooper and Kirton are tight-lipped potential follow-ups to the T-800 Optics, but they did reveal that they have a few things in the works. “We have designed further things for Studio Canal along the same vein, but with a twist,” Cooper teases. “It’s very cool. It’s from that kind of world, but it’s a different take on it that you may not have seen presented before. We don’t want to regurgitate something that everyone else is doing. We want to honor the IP.”Pre-orders for Makinarium Studio Edition’s T-800 Optics are open now at www.makinariumstudioedition.com. Michael Peyton is the Senior Editorial Director of Events & Entertainment at IGN, leading entertainment content and coverage of tentpole events including IGN Live, San Diego Comic Con, gamescom, and IGN Fan Fest. He’s spent 20 years working in the games and entertainment industry, and his adventures have taken him everywhere from the Oscars to Japan to Buenos Aires, Argentina. Follow him on Bluesky @MichaelPeyton
