Over the the last twenty-five years The Terminator franchise has set the standard for science fiction films - smart, action packed and filled with ground breaking special effects. The (first two) films are iconic and idolized by millions around the world. So when it was announced that the franchise would have a television spin-off many fans were unhappy, (myself included,) as it would not star Arnold Schwarzenegger (for obvious political reasons.) We feared that a TV series, sans Schwarzenegger, would cheapen the previous entries that had gone before it.

However, there is no need to fear Ye Terminator faithful: although the series does not equal the greatness of T1 and T2, it does expand on the characters, adding new twists, as well as some key references to the films.

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Helena Bonham Carter has signed on to McG’s Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins.

Tim Burton’s squeeze will star in a “small but pivotal role” in the action franchise reboot/prequel/sequel (choose whichever floats your boat).

The casting of this film is getting stranger and stranger by the day. First Christian Bale was a total left-field choice for John Connor and now Bonham Carter- an actress known more for costume dramas and Tim Burton films.

There must be a really cool script floating around out there.

I just have to ask the question - How is McG doing it?

Oh, I can’t stand the suspense! This week, the 34th annual Saturn Awards handed out their usual fare of achievement recognizing statues.

In the event you aren’t aware of what they are, the Saturn Awards are the honors handed out by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films. The Academy has been delivering their awards for over thirty years and they look to recognize cinematic achievement.

It’s a recognized validation of the genre we so fervently appreciate.

Some of the more noteworthy recipients of the awards:

Walt Disney Studios picked up three awards, ABC’s Lost snagged four awards, and 300 picked up 2 awards.

You can definitely list this one under, “What the…?!?”

Incredible Love, the first Bollywood film to be made at Universal Studios, has lined up the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger (The Terminator franchise), Sylvester Stallone (Rocky and Rambo series), Brandon Routh (Superman Returns and the upcoming sequel Man of Steel) and Linda Hamilton (also from The Terminator series) to appear.

But don’t get ahead of yourselves excited at the prospects of them in full-on action-mode blowing stuff up. They’re only walk-on parts (i.e. playing themselves).

[UPDATE: Click here for to watch the first Terminator 4 teaser trailer!]

We all know that the teaser trailer for Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins will be running before The Dark Knight (that’s a lot of Christian Bale for one night), but until now we didn’t know what footage would be featured in the trailer.

Ain’t It Cool was given the lowdown on the trailer from a spy who attended a marketing focus group. I can’t imagine that they have much footage in the can for this, as they have only been shooting for a few weeks, but it’ll be interesting to see what sort of visuals McG will be presenting.

What follows includes spoilers for the trailer (if there is such a thing as “spoiling” a trailer).

[Blame me for this story not being posted sooner, it was lost in the shuffle - Vic]

Word hit the web recently that moviegoers will get their first look at Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (T4 we like to call it) when the teaser trailer premieres on July 18, before The Dark Knight.

For those not already in the know, T4 is the franchise’s first PG-13 offering, set during the post-apocalyptic future of 2018 after the terminators, led by evil super-computer Skynet, have conquered the world. Christian Bale stars as John Connor, leader of the human resistance and alleged savior of mankind. The plot thickens when a mysterious stranger (Sam Worthington) appears, with little memory other than being imprisoned on death row. Is this stranger from the past? The future? And what fate does his appearance portend? J.C. tries to unravel the answers in time to save humanity from Skynet’s final strike.

It’s funny how one little news item will sometimes lead to even bigger ones.

Case in point: The Hollywood Reporter informs us that Bryce Dallas Howard (who was utterly wasted as Gwen Stacey in Spider-Man 3) is being sought after to replace Charlotte Gainsbourg in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins for the role of Kate Connor - the wife of John Connor (i.e. Batman himself Christian Bale).

Filming has already started in New Mexico and Gainsbourg apparently had to bow out due to scheduling conflicts with a French comedy she’d previously committed to. Fair enough and that’s certainly not uncommon in the film industry.

Above is the first concept art from the Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins (which I think should be shortened to just Terminator Salvation).

If you’ve followed the development of the movie here you’ll know that it’s been a love/hate thing with good news followed by bad and then by good. Well McG, seemingly plugged in to what’s being said about the film online has chimed in with and initial post on what I assume will be the production blog for the film.

Every time I hear something new about Terminator 4, I change my mind about the film.

McG = Bad
Christian Bale = Good
No Arnold Schwarzenegger = Bad
Paul Haggis scripting = Good
PG-13 rating = Bad

Some days it’s good news, other days it’s bad. This movie is making me schizophrenic.

Today is a bad day. It has been announced that Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins will be rated… PG-13. This will be the first time that a film in the franchise hasn’t had an R rating.

The reason?

Money, of course!

Last week news made the rounds that the plug had been pulled on McG’s new Terminator film. However we at Screen Rant don’t like to jump to quick and easy conclusions (well…unless they involve werewolves), and now news comes via The Hollywood Reporter that Moon Bloodgood is in final negotiations to star as the female lead in McG’s Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins or Terminator: The Return of the Terminator, whatever it ends up being called!

Moon Bloodgood - yes that is a real name - was most recently in the Screen Rant favorite TV series Journeyman and she is currently filming Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li (but we don’t want to talk about that).

So what is going on with this Sci-Fi sequel/spin-off/restart/sequel/cash-in (delete where applicable).

So is the film in trouble?