TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY Re-Scored For 35th Anniversary Live Cinema Experience At Hamer Hall

In celebration of the 35th anniversary of James Cameron’s Terminator 2: Judgment Day, Arts Centre Melbourne will host a groundbreaking live cinema and music experience at Hamer Hall from February 26–28, 2026.

The event will feature a new electronic score by acclaimed Belgian composer Peter Van Hoesen, performed live with the Melbourne Electronic Sound Studio (MESS) Synthesiser Orchestra, alongside a laser performance by Australian artist Robin Fox.

Presented by Hear My Eyes, the re-imagined screening transforms Cameron’s landmark film into an immersive sound and light experience, exploring its enduring themes of technology, humanity, and survival. Rather than replacing Brad Fiedel’s iconic score, the new composition reinterprets the film’s tension and emotion through a contemporary electronic lens.

“This is our 21st original production set to a feature film, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day will mark our 52nd screening since the inception of Hear My Eyes in 2015,” said Haydn Green, Artistic Director of Hear My Eyes. “Audiences resonate with the idea of re-contextualising a film with a new score because we curate powerful cinema that demands your full attention.”

Van Hoesen’s score will be entirely electronic, built from live hardware instruments and modular synthesizers. “Everything starts with aligning the musical storytelling with what’s on screen,” said Van Hoesen. “From there I explore ways to heighten the experience. The score will move away from traditional orchestral sounds and embrace the raw texture of analogue synthesis.”

The performance expands Van Hoesen’s solo live set into an ensemble collaboration with the MESS Synthesiser Orchestra, blending precision electronic composition with the unpredictability of vintage machines. “MESS provides an incredible collection of synths,” Van Hoesen said. “The instruments we select will shape the tonality of the score. Performing with MESS musicians in a live setting will make this something truly special.”

Robin Fox’s laser choreography will envelop the hall in living light, reflecting and expanding on the film’s exploration of artificial intelligence. “Sound is essential to how we receive cinematic images,” said Fox. “What I love about Hear My Eyes is their respect for the original score—it’s not about making a ‘better’ soundtrack but about reimagining meaning through sound.”