Screen Rant » terminator

Terminator Rights Hit Auction Block; Whedon Bids 10K

Kofi Outlaw — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 21:35:57 +0000

About a month ago I wrote about how the Terminator franchise rights were up for grabs now that the company who owns the rights, Halcyon Co., has filed for bankruptcy. Well, the rights to the beloved sci-fi franchise are now officially on the auction block and we already have a wild opening bid that’s making news.

The man behind the bid? Joss Whedon, creator of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Dollhouse.

According to the LA Times, The Halcyon Co. hopes to have the Terminator rights sold off by January, 2o1o, if only to start recouping some of the money they lost on the failed venture that was this summer’s Terminator Salvation (that title suddenly holds a lot of irony, doesn’t it?). There is also the possibility that Halcyon will hop on a “stalking horse,” which is basically a motivated buyer who bids early (and high enough) to have the property put on hold while the buyer then performs full due diligence on said property. To boil it even further down into layman’s terms: If some high-pockets out there thinks there is enough juice left to be squeezed out of the Terminator franchise, they’ll pay to be able to look deeper into just how much money they can make off it.

Sony and Warner Bros. are being floated as the studios circling the property right now, as is independent studio Summit Entertainment (the Twilight guys). But studios are not the only ones interested, apparently; rich guys from the private sector “…have expressed strong interest” said Kevin Shultz, senior managing director of FTI, Halcyon’s hired financial advisors. Ironically enough, one of those private sector guys making an early bid is none other than Joss Whedon, who in the last 24 hours posted a whopping $10,000 bid for the Terminator rights on fan site whedonesque.com, sparking off rumors galore.

Since that initial “bombshell,” Whedon has explained his out-of-left-field bid to Entertainment Weekly:

“Here’s the thing: It’s not a slam on The Terminator. I love The Terminator. That part’s totally true. I was thinking to myself, ‘Not since they auctioned off frames from The Little Mermaid have I wished I had more money this much. So you know what, never hurts to ask.’ I loved the movies, even the later movies. I loved the mythology. I loved the TV show [The Sarah Connor Chronicles]–like, really loved. Not for pretend. And not just because of [star] Summer [Glau].”

The most surprising thing I read in that quote is that Joss Whedon is actually a fanboy for The Sarah Connor Chronicles – that show certainly didn’t do any favors for the first season of Whedon’s Dollhouse last year!

Needless to say, I’m sure The Halcyon Co. will get a better offer than Whedon’s for the Terminator rights – but wouldn’t be cool if by some chance Joss Whedon became the master of the Terminator universe (or would that be more of a disaster)? Anyhoo, Halcyon bought the rights for $25 million and now figures their worth – after all the great, great, work they did on Terminator Salvation – to be up around the $60 million range. Whoever nabs said rights gets to call the shots on how any other sequel films or TV spin-offs will go down (hopefully far removed from McG’s terrible plans for T5), and will inherit whatever money can still be squeezed out of Salvation when it hits DVD in December.

Do you have a strategic business plan for who should hold the rights to the Terminator franchise? Should it be a studio or an independent investor who just has that much love for the series?

Sources: LA Times, Entertainment Weekly

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SR Pick [Video]: How ‘Terminator’ Should Have Ended

Paul Young — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 22:24:21 +0000

Screen Rant seriously has some of the best readers anywhere. They are always on the lookout for new and interesting things to share with us, which we in turn share with you. Today we bring you a video courtesy of long time reader/commenter/troublemaker Lencho -- Thanks Bro!

Today’s SR Pick was created by a very talented group of individuals over at HowItShouldHaveEnded.com, and after watching a handful of their previous videos I can safely say “they put their foot in this one” (I know someone has heard that saying before). They have some excellent Flash animators and have chosen to share their skill with the world. They take some great movies that had less than great endings and then, well, show us how it should have ended.

They just put out episode 20 and it addresses how the Terminator franchise should have ended. It’s odd that they bring this up now because the Terminator franchise is currently up for sale. Maybe if they pool together enough couch cushion money, they can buy it. Anyways, watch the video below and enjoy a great take on the Terminator story:

Funny stuff right? If you get a chance watch the Superman episode, might be my second favorite. My wife wants them to change the ending to Nights in Rodanthe so that Richard Gere doesn’t die…Dammit! Did I just give away a spoiler? I’m pretty sure I’m safe with the spoilers for that movie on this particular site. I, however, would get ripped to shreds on the Lifetime Network blog.

Are there any movies HISHE haven’t done that you would like to see the ending changed on? Personally, I would like to see a different ending to 3 Ninjas: High Noon at Mega Mountain -- what? I said it! Bring the pain boys!

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Terminator Franchise Rights Up For Grabs

Kofi Outlaw — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:02:25 +0000

Somebody over at The Halcyon Co. should’ve been listening when Linda Hamilton’s Sarah Connor told us that the future isn’t certain in Terminator 2. Just a few months ago, a sequel to Terminator Salvation was all but guaranteed; then came the lawsuits between Halcyon (owner of the Terminator franchise rights) and Pacificor, the hedge-fund that sponsored Halcyon’s purchase of the Terminator rights.

Now, it seems that The Halcyon Co. (headed by Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek) is so far in the red – between Terminator Salvation’s underwhelming returns at the box office, the venture capital needed to buy the franchise rights and alleged manipulations by Pacificor to ensure Halcyon’s financial ruin – that the company is reportedly looking to sell off the Terminator rights to make a buck.

If you want to read details of The Halcyon Co.’s financial quagmire, go here. If you want to know about the convoluted history of the Terminator franchise rights, go here.

When word of this Halcyon/Pacificor legal battle emerged back in August, we here at Screen Rant wondered what kind of effect the legal fallout would have on Terminator 5, which Salvation director McG was already prepping. Now that this new report has surfaced, it seems that Sarah Connor’s prophetic words of “No Fate” are coming to pass; until the rights to the Terminator franchise are secure in SOMEBODY’s hands, whatever time-traveling, future-warring plans there may have been should be considered wiped clean off the slate.

I for one am indifferent about all this: after I heard McG’s plans for Terminator 5 (hint: abandoning the future war storyline and returning to the present), I was like “I could live happily without that film EVER being made.” So, if the franchise rights DO get pushed out into the open market, I just pray that whoever snags them has a better plan in mind than Halcyon and McG did. I was NOT a fan of Terminator Salvation and was fearful that the franchise was well on the way to having whatever past greatness it had strangled out of it.

What do you think of these latest developments in the war over the Terminator franchise? Do you see an opportunity here, or should this franchise put set back on the shelf until (inevitably, if current trends are any indication) it’s time for a remake/reboot of Cameron’s vision?

Source: Film Junk

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The Technology Of Science Fiction Is Here Now

Bruce Simmons — Sat, 06 Jun 2009 20:20:10 +0000

Terminator Salvation came to theaters on May 21st. It sparked an idea in my head about technology in our society and if it’s really possible get to the point of what the Terminator franchise projects for our future.

When I presented the idea to a co-worker, he dissed it immediately. When a scientist or engineer starts to immediately diss the possibility of an idea, it’s a good clue that it might be a good idea for us to wrap our imaginations around. Hence, the birth of this article.

This was going to be a short piece… but unfortunately, like the technology in Terminator, the more I looked into the subject matter, the more the article grew on me. It got bigger than the original idea. It took me over and I found myself inexorably abducted into having to write it.

It became just a wee bit more than it’s original design. Huh? Where have we heard that before?

Technology In Science Fiction

When we watch our favorite Sci-Fi or fantasy movies, we love the idea of what could be compared to what is. Despite the science community who nit-picks the details of science fiction in movies, we’re starting to see more and more real technology or science premises coming out of our beloved movies. Odd isn’t it?

It’s not that odd. Writers are sparked by imagination and are not limited by budgets, funding sources or the hassle of having to actually discover the math that underlies the technologies or premises they pitch.

Generally speaking, the first sci-fi film that predicted something “impossible” was from the French visionary Georges Melies and his milestone 1902 silent sci-fi film, A Trip To The Moon (Le Voyage dans la lune). The general consensus was that it was silly. Well, as we know, it wasn’t, but he was daring enough to envision it and create it.

A popular theme we continue to see is humanity fighting against the odds and fighting against out of control computer programs. We love seeing our heroes prevailing over these obstacles to survive. It also helps that we have super cool stars and awesome music and futuristic ideas that are easily digestible to help us devour the magic of these movies.

And yet science fiction or the imagination of science fiction writers and movie makers seem to pre-echo our real technological achievements or nightmares. But really, give me a break. Perfectly animated humanoid robots standing up against humanity?

Hardware And Software Conjoined To Make Trouble

There are two components to this nightmare: Machines and the software that operates them. Software isn’t that hard to construct. It’s a collection of logic that when run, appears autonomous. Or as I see it, can be instilled pre-learned behavior.

Walk. See Wall, turn. If wall on right, turn left. Else, turn right.

That’s a silly and rudimentary example of software code for a walking robot. I could spend hours writing out all the different options and opportunities just for walking. Or better yet, I could just create logic that would ask the robot to write its own software. It isn’t hard. It’s just a bookkeeping nightmare to create and sort out conflicting code.

In Fritz Lang’s 1930’s science fiction film Metropolis we see one of the earliest imaginations of robots. We’ve seen the autonomous and independent Robby the Robot in one of my all time faves, Forbidden Planet. There was the incredible tale of robot self awareness and growth in I, Robot. On May 21st we saw the ultimate nightmare in Terminator Salvation, where they take 1983’s War Games just a step further with Skynet making it’s tools – machines in the form of different types of robots to kick our own butts.

But really, it’s pretty fantastic. Right?

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Four New Terminator: Salvation Images

Ross Miller — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 15:44:47 +0000

Little by little, trailer by trailer, image by image we are getting an idea of what the new film Terminator: Salvation is going to turn out like. More than most movies set to be released this year this is one where movie fans will pounce on every little trailer, image and bit of info to try and figure out how they fit into the movie and what they could possibly mean.

Well today we have yet more images from the film, although this time we get a look at a couple of the people from the film and not the machines. Yeah, I know, not nearly as exciting but nonetheless it gives us another few glimpses of aspects of the movie:

Although I still don’t like this trend of putting established rappers into movie roles, significant or otherwise, I must admit Common in the last two images above doesn’t look too bad. Unlike something like Transformers, Terminator has always been about human survival against the attacking machines so we can expect and should accept a few significant human characters and for a lot of the film to involve them.

As I said above I know images of the human characters are far less exciting than those of the machines but I still think these four are pretty cool. Both characters look bad-ass (as we’ve all hoped for), particularly Moon Bloodgood (without a doubt one of the most unique names I’ve ever heard of) in the one where she’s shooting through the holes in that wall.

It’s no secret this new Terminator film is highly anticipated around these parts but let your anticipation be known in the comments section.

Terminator Salvation is set to open on May 22nd 2009.

Source: Screen Week

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Awesome Terminator Salvation Poster

Niall Browne — Tue, 25 Nov 2008 21:42:26 +0000

Opinion on the forthcoming Terminator: Salvation has been mixed to say the least. However, with each new bit of news it would appear that director McG has done the unthinkable – firstly he may have finally made a decent film, and secondly (and more importantly) he may also have made a damn good Terminator film.

Who’d have thunk it?

And now we have the first look at the film’s poster and guess what?

It looks fantastic!

Check it out below:

Pretty damn impressive!

However, this is also a “motion poster” and if you check here you can see that it really is smoking hot.

If McG has made a Terminator prequel that not only holds a candle to Cameron’s first two films and manages to reignite the franchise; then we could have many years of cool destruction ahead of us!

Also if any eagle eye’d fans noticed the Sony Pictures logo and thought “wait a minute – isn’t this a Warner Bros. release?” Don’t worry – Sony is handling overseas distribution. Breathe easy, this is the real deal.

The Christian Bale and Sam Worthington starring Terminator Salvation opens May 22, 2009

Source: Sony Pictures

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Review: Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles Season One

Niall Browne — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 17:35:03 +0000

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.

All in all it’s enough to satisfy fans old and new alike.

The first season of The Sarah Connor Chronicles is set after the events of Terminator 2: Judgement Day, but in an alternate timeline from Terminator 3: Rise of The Machines (though they do keep the Sarah Connor cancer subplot mentioned in T3). The pilot starts in 1997 when a new Terminator named Cromartie (since when did they give these things names?) gets sent back from the future for another attempt at John Connor, this time when he is a teenager. Of course another protector for John also gets sent back: a female Terminator that appears to be around John’s age, (sixteen or so,) named Cameron (geddit).

With Cromartie relentlessly pursuing them, John, Sarah and Cameron use a device left behind by ‘time-agents’ to jump a decade into the future. (I guess that’s how they manage to discount T3.) Arriving in 2007, the Connor family, along with their new “household appliance,” charge themselves with the mission to destroy Cyberdyne Systems, along with anyone who helped create the super computer, Skynet, before the machine uprising can begin. There’s just one tiny problem – Cromartie follows them through the time portal, and will stop at nothing to terminate John.

While I was skeptical about the quality of the show before I watched The Sarah Connor Chronicles, I was pleasantly surprised by how enjoyable it was. Lena Headey (300) makes a good replacement for Linda Hamilton, who was sorely missed in T3. Thomas Dekker is a pretty decent John Connor; for the first time we see that he could actually be a military leader, even if he still (on occasion) acts like a whiny teen. The one weak link in the series is Summer Glau as Cameron, the protector Terminator sent from the future. She just doesn’t feel like a Terminator; at times she manages it – but more often than not she appears like a cast member from the OC, acting tough.

The effects for the show are pretty good, and the future scenes due to their (relative) low budget mirror those in Cameron’s 1984 film. The music score is also first rate, bringing in themes and motifs from Cameron’s original features. For fans there is also the return of Kyle Reese (and the introduction of his brother,) which wasn’t as bad as I anticipated; the presence of Dr. Silberman (played this time around by Bruce Davision); with enough action, plot twists and continuity “Easter eggs” to keep Terminator fans (and avid TV watchers) entertained over the course of nine episodes.

I’m aware that the US Region 1 DVD has some pretty good documentaries, but they weren’t available for my review copy. However, there are a few good smatterings of deleted scenes that add to the texture of the show.

The Sarah Connor Chronicles is a decent addition to the Terminator cannon, surpassing T3 in terms of quality and story. The show is a must for fans, and it should keep you ticking until Terminator: Salvation hits next year. Check it out.

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Terminator 4 Gets Helena Bonham Carter!

Niall Browne — Tue, 01 Jul 2008 18:57:13 +0000

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?

I honestly have no idea.

I mean – I love The Terminator series as much as the next man, I even have some love for T3, but even I wouldn’t want to go near this movie without Arnold Schwarzenegger, but McG seems to be pulling some top talent.

I think either a lot of stars want a big paycheck, they think that they need the exposure, the script is a fantastic piece of literature or McG has intimate pictures with certain actors and farm yard animals.

I don’t even want to know which is true. Although I do hope that the script is good.

We should get a glimpse of what is in store soon – when the trailer premieres in front of The Dark Knight.

If there’s anymore news – I’ll be back!

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins opens May 22, 2009

Source: scifi.com

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The Saturn Awards: And The Winner Is…

Bruce Simmons — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 13:40:19 +0000

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.

More specifically, some of the categories that caught my eye were:
Best Science Fiction Film: Cloverfield
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: 300
Best Actor: Will Smith (I Am Legend)
Best Special Effects: Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier (Transformers)
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series: Dexter
Best Supporting Actress on Television: (TIE): Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles)
/ Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)

The complete list of winners for the 34th Annual Saturn Awards including the above:

Best Science Fiction Film: Cloverfield
Best Fantasy Film: Enchanted
Best Horror Film: Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.
Best Action/Adventure/Thriller Film: 300
Best Actor: Will Smith (I Am Legend)
Best Actress: Amy Adams (Enchanted)
Best Supporting Actor: Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men)
Best Supporting Actress: Marcia Gay Harden (The Mist)
Best Performance by a Younger Actor: Freddie Highmore (August Rush)
Best Direction: Zack Snyder (300)
Best Writing: Brad Bird (Ratatouille)
Best Music: Alan Menken (Enchanted)
Best Costume: Colleen Atwood (Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet St.)
Best Make-Up: Ve Neill, Martin Samuel (Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End)
Best Special Effects: Scott Farrar, Scott Benza, Russell Earl, John Frazier (Transformers)
Best Animated Film: Ratatouille
Best International Film: Eastern Promises
Best Network Television Series: Lost
Best Syndicated / Cable Television Series: Dexter
Best Presentation on Television: Family Guy: Blue Harvest
Best International Television Series: Doctor Who: Sci Fi Channel
Best Actor on Television: Matthew Fox (Lost)
Best Actress on Television: Jennifer Love Hewitt (Ghost Whisperer)
Best Supporting Actor on Television: Michael Emerson (Lost)
Best Supporting Actress on Television: (TIE): Summer Glau (Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles) / Elizabeth Mitchell (Lost)
Best DVD Release: The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari (remix)
Best DVD Special Edition Release: Blade Runner (5 Disc Ultimate Edition)
Best DVD Classic Film Release: The Monster Squad
Best DVD Collection: Mario Bava (Box Sets 1 & 2)
Best Television Series Release on DVD: Heroes (Season 1)
Best Retro Television Series Release on DVD: Twin Peaks (Definitive Gold Box Ed.)
The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Sr.
The Life Career Award: Robert Halmi, Jr.
The George Pal Memorial Award: Guillermo del Toro
The Filmmakers Showcase Award: Matt Reeves
The Special Achievement Award: Tim & Donna Lucas
The Service Award: Fred Barton

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Bollywood Epic Brings Together Action Heroes

Jamie Williams — Tue, 24 Jun 2008 22:08:50 +0000

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).

The actual plot involves “an Indian stuntman who takes Hollywood by storm but cannot find true love there.”

Its also the most expensive Bollywood production ever made. And that apparently comes from nabbing said actors. As producer Sajid Nadiadwala explained:

“As a producer, these stars are expensive. But as their fan I feel money is of no consequence.”

Personally, it seems like a waste to pay them a bunch of cash just to show up and say, “Hey, what’s up? I’m *fill in the blank*” I’d totally want to get my money’s worth and have a big musical dance number where Arnold and Sly compare their cinematic bad-ass-ness.

But maybe that’s just me…

Sources: The Times and Sify

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Terminator 4 Trailer Details

Niall Browne — Sat, 21 Jun 2008 18:44:10 +0000

[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).

This is what the scooper sent AICN:

“It opens with footage of people out in every day life. Christian Bale voiceover IS
something like:

“I always knew it would happen”…

Than a pause…

“They told me I could stop it.”

The same people begin looking to the sky….

“That I could save us”.

Looks of horror come across their faces as he says,

“They were wrong”.

Music rises as we cut to black for a second. The Terminator theme starts, with the duh duh,
duh, duh, duh.

NEXT SUMMER appears on the screen…

We get a quick shot looking out over a sunny desert, and then a shot of Bale, in badass commando uniform
and very recognizably the same guy who plays Batman, being lowered into a huge bunker
of weapons.

THE FIGHT FOR THE FUTURE

rolls across, and we get mixed clips from inside one of the survivor bunkers as seen in Terminator 1 – but they look more concentration campish; very crowded, shots of Bale walking with a large crowd. And then the word…

BEGINS.

The music quickly rises as we get shot of a huge truck racing down a high way, a shot or two of a helicopter flying mixed with more close ups of the actors when Bale whispers, “They’re coming”.

It all goes quiet.

Massive drums blare the beginning of the theme (again) but this time much louder, more pumped up, as we get a metallic silver T that morphs into a 4.

We then get the big money shot of the trailer. Its Bale on a motorcycle with some girl on the back.
They speed through a door of what looks like a warehouse toward us. As soon as they
pass the screen, a huge terminator on wheels, a lot like the one they battle in the
first one, smashes through the wall, chasing them. It looks awesome.

It then says:

Memorial Day 2009.”

It sounds quite interesting, however I’ll have to see it before I pass any judgement (day?) on this.

Bale seems to be a very, very busy man these days and he also appears to be taking the action franchise route to career stability. Between this and Batman he must have a secure future for about he next 10 years. Heck, he could even squeeze in a sequel to Nottingham – if he wanted.

On a side note, there a few words of remembrance for Stan Winston on the official site for the film.

More details on Terminator as we get them.

Source: AICN

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First T4 Trailer To Premiere Before ‘Dark Knight’

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 19 Jun 2008 05:23:53 +0000

[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.

The plot sounds flimsy, but the thought of seeing more Terminators for my buck is pretty cool. Just how much scorched-earth, skull-trampling, red-eyed mayhem can we expect from the teaser trailer? Probably not that much. Most likely it’ll be a the same old extreme close-up of a Terminator exoskeleton, accented by the familiar duh duh, duh, duh duh, music we know and love. But hey, maybe not. Either way, Dark Knight will start soon after and T4 will be just as quickly forgotten until the full trailer premieres.

Terminator 4 will costar Bryce Howard, Common, and Josh Brolin. The film is set for a May 22, 2009 release and will be directed by music video-turned-film director McG (let’s get this guy a full name already).

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Major Spoilers For Terminator 4

Jamie Williams — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 22:44:22 +0000

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.

Later that afternoon, Aint-It-Cool-News‘ Moriarty posts one Helluva major spoiler via a contact of his:

“Alright so the main character is a cyborg named Marcus. For some background, Marcus was a criminal who was executed in 2003. He donated his body to Project Angel which was involved with SkyNet. They take his body and make a terminator out of him so he’s a terminator skeleton but has living muscle/skin and a beating heart too. At the end of the movie John Connor is fighting a T800 model 101 and loses. He dies and the top resistance people come up with a plan to help the resistance keep fighting on. The resistance feels that it’s important to keep the image or idea that John Connor is still alive so the resistance keeps going. So they rip off Marcus’ skin and put John Connor’s on the skeleton so now Marcus is John Connor.”

Not too long later, CHUD’s Devin Faraci helped clarify the matter saying:

I can’t confirm that last part completely, but it gibes with everything I have heard from multiple sources. I wasn’t sure if that aspect was changing after the writer’s strike – Connor’s role has been beefed up considerably since I first got my information – but assuming that Moriarty’s source is talking about the latest drafts (and be aware that he could be talking about the same drafts I was talking about six or seven months ago, which may be very outdated at this point), this spoiler is right on the money.

And just a few minutes ago, guess who decides to add their $.02 into the matter? Why, the director of Terminator: Salvation: Mr. McG.

Posting on the film’s official blog, the director says only this about the recent rumors:

“By the way, there are only three people who know the ending.”

Even if it is true, do you think McG would just admit it? Of course not! He’s going to lie like crazy – understandably, I might add!

Moriarty and Devin are two guys who definitely know their stuff. So I’m going to take their word on this. For more details and their opinions on all this, check out their stories below.

Sources: Aint-It-Cool-News, CHUD, Terminator: Salvation Blog and The Hollywood Reporter

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Terminator 4: McG Wants To Assure Fans

Vic Holtreman — Sat, 24 May 2008 17:34:01 +0000

First concept art from Terminator Salvation. Go to the official blog for a larger version.

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.

On the blog he assures fans of the franchise that he has sat down and spoken with both James Cameron and Arnold Schwarzenneger regarding this latest installment. On the additional “good news” front, he’s enlisted the services of legendary visual effects man Stan Winston for the film. Stan is the guy who actually managed to design and build a wearable suit of Iron Man armor for that film.

While Christian Bale seems an awesome fit for John Connor, I just can’t wrap my head around a baby-faced Anton Yelchin as Kyle Reese. If you recall Reese was played by Michael Biehn whose face looked like it was carved out of granite.

He talks more about Bale, Yeltsin and the start of principal photography, but he doesn’t address the PG-13 issue. Click on the link below for more.

T4 is scheduled to open on May 22, 2009.

Source: Terminator Salvation production blog

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Terminator 4: Prepare For Another R to PG-13 Outcry

Niall Browne — Mon, 05 May 2008 18:40:30 +0000

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!

Derek Anderson head of Halcyon Co. says:

“Our merchandising program will be the largest to date for The Terminator. We won’t force it. We are carrying on in the tradition of the mythology, with an exciting approach to the action. If we can make a compelling film to reach the widest audience, why wouldn’t we do it?”

What does that really mean?

They want the teenage dollar.

After the large boxoffice “kerching” of Live Free or Die Hard (or as it was known here in the UK – Die Hard 4.0) after it scored over $380 million with a PG-13 rating, it seems that Halcyon feels they don’t need the graphic rating that drove the first three films in the franchise to a $1 billion worldwide gross.

Halcyon wants video games, action figures and different tie-ins when the film is released next May.

I say – didn’t they have all these things back in 1991 when Terminator 2 was released?

You bet your ass they did. I still have the video game, the board-game, the action figures and the collectors cards!

I feel that it’s just another way of covering all bets with these big budget films, and to make matters worse, they didn’t even discuss the possible rating with Warner Bros, the film’s domestic distributor.

While Christopher Nolan seems to be pushing the edges of PG-13 with the new Batman, I don’t think that McG has the same hard edge. Maybe I’m wrong, but I’d place my bets on the man behind Memento, The Prestige, Insomnia and Batman Begins before the dude behind Charlie’s Angels any day.

Time will tell, but seeing as the film started production today, we should be seeing some on set snaps pretty soon.

Pray people, that one of the greatest Sci-Fi franchises isn’t cheapened further.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins opens on May 22, 2009.

Source: Variety

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What Is Going On With Terminator 4?

Niall Browne — Mon, 21 Apr 2008 18:36:24 +0000

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?

No, I don’t think that the film is trouble.
Warners and Halcyon have spent too much time and money on this film to pull the plug. They couldn’t hope to get a more geek-tastic cast than Christian Bale, Sam Worthington and Anton Yelchin – all of whom will be bigger stars a year from now.

Trust me… this isn’t another Justice League!

The shut down rumor came from UGO, which didn’t cite a reliable source… unless you believe this:

“…a crew member was recently overheard discussing his newfound free schedule due to the production shutting down.”

Not exactly a source that you would bet your life on. For all we know the dude could be talking about getting fired!

The Hollywood Reporter is a bit more reliable and let’s face it Terminator 4 was looking very under cast in the female lead department up until this point.

According to the trade:

“Bloodgood will play a no-nonsense and battle-hardened member of the resistance.”

It looks like the film is slowly coming together, but I won’t be excited until they start casting some serious Terminators. I mean that is what the film is called… and Worthington isn’t going to cut the mustard for me.

The film is set to begin shooting on May 5 and will open on May 22, 2009.

Sources: UGO and The Hollywood Reporter

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Even More Terminator 4 Updates

Jamie Williams — Fri, 21 Mar 2008 00:16:34 +0000

No less than 24 hours after our own Niall Browne reported the latest on Terminator 4, Cinema Blend has posted some new plot details (via their own longtime “insider”).

According to their source:

“Just like the ‘Star Wars’ prequels when it was the relationship between Anakin and Obi Wan that drove the three films, that’s the concept for the new Terminator films when its between the relationship of Kyle and John, who is really father and son but with the moral dilemma with John knowing what has to be done in order for him to be born.”

Hopefully, that doesn’t include wooden acting and corny dialog.

We can also expect an “evolution” of the terminator models (presumably including Sam Worthington; supposedly the lead character of the trilogy). Not to mention, McG & Co. might even go as far as to connect this new trilogy to the currently running Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles television series(!) Uh, no thanks guys – stick to the films.

And while long-time Terminator make-up artist Jeff Dawn revealed that he’ll be unavailable for the fourth installment. He nonetheless confirmed that effects-wizard (and longtime Terminator collaborator) Stan Winston will return!

I find myself amazed by how this film sounds more interesting by the day. Now if only they can come up with a better title.

Source: Cinema Blend and The Arnold Fans

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Anton Yelchin and Paul Haggis In Negotiations for Terminator 4

Niall Browne — Wed, 19 Mar 2008 16:20:49 +0000

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Anton Yelchin is in negotiations to star as Kyle Reese in Terminator 4: Who Knows What It Will Be Called?.

The young actor will be seen next as Chekov in J.J Abrams Star Trek reboot/remake.

Paul Haggis (of Crash and Casino Royale fame) is also in negotiations to rewrite the script by David Campbell Wilson, John Brancato and Michael Ferris.

I’ll just let that news sink in for a moment.

Is it good news or bad news? To use a phrase that I say all too often: “It’s a bit of both”.

Let us begin with the bad news: Anton Yelchin as a teenage Kyle Reese.

I just don’t see it.

To me, Michael Biehn is Kyle Reese – just like Arnold Schwarzenegger is the T-800. Reese is one of Biehn’s signature roles, like Hicks in Aliens – he is that character and I can’t see anyone else taking over the role. It’s just casting to get the kids to go to see the movie. The “if you cast a teen, then teens will come” sort of motto (and if that’s who they’re targeting, that’s a bad sign as well).

Not only that, but the producers of Terminator 4 seem to be “stealing” actors from upcoming science fiction films so that they can bolster the fan base. This was seen previously with the casting of Sam Worthington, who is also starring in Terminator creator James Cameron’s forthcoming Avatar.

The good news is Haggis. He was able to reboot James Bond and get quite a bit of critical acclaim for doing so (and bring in big box office to boot), so he might just be the man to help give the Terminator franchise some new respectability; something that is lacking because of the way the franchise’s producers are milking the brand name.

That said, I think that his greatest achievement was the television series Due South over ten years ago. No, I’m not kidding when I say that – go out and buy a series box set of the Canadian cop show!

However, I digress.

The trade paper also gives some “new” plot details:

“Reese, one of the children who survived a machine-driven nuclear holocaust, befriends Marcus (Sam Worthington), an early edition of the Terminator cyborg played in previous films by Arnold Schwarzenegger.”

This “new” plot point was first mooted by yours truly way back in January. Not to blow my own trumpet. Well, maybe a little bit.

It was also just the other day that I said that Christian Bale was was hoping on a new draft of the script, and we all know that Haggis works fast: He pumped out his Quantum of Solace rewrite in a matter of weeks. Expect him to do the same here, so that they can get that May start date.

Am I just showing my age here and my inability to embrace change, or is all this starting to seem like bad news? Please, make me feel better!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

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Terminator Title Terminated

Niall Browne — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 01:39:16 +0000

The Internet has great power, and as we all know, with great power comes great responsibility.

When Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins was first mentioned as the title to the new installment of the iconic franchise, there was much anger and confusion amongst film fans online.

It wasn’t just a bad title, it was a long, bad title.

In the past few years film titles have become ridiculously long. We’ve had the above titled Terminator film, The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull, not to mention the Harry Potters and The Lord Of The Rings films (however I am tempted to over look these as they are based on books – and it’s good to read… right?)

It seems like studio heads have finally listened to film fans and realized that you don’t need a long, complicated and frankly stupid, title. I mean, Stallone had it right with Rambo, why call it John Rambo 4: The Return of Rambo after Twenty Years in Burma, when a simple brand name will do!

The main problem is that Chud.com is reporting that Terminator 4 now has the long(ish), simple, but equally stupid title of Terminator: The Return of the Terminator.

Now, it is an improvement – Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins was a terrible, terrible title. It sounded like a straight to DVD title… but let’s be honest: Is Terminator: The Return of the Terminator any better?

Which Terminator is returning? It sure as hell ain’t Arnold Schwarzenegger! In fact it should be Terminator: The Birth of the Terminator, as this film is technically a prequel to the previous films. Now try and get your mind around that!

I don’t know what to think of this film, when I heard McG was directing I thought that the film was doomed, then Christian Bale signed on and it looked like it had a chance at being good. It’s just one step forward and two steps back. Maybe they should call Paula Abdul.

This title change, though better, is hardly a vast improvement.

What do you guys think?

Terminator 4 aka Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins aka Terminator: The Return of the Terminator is scheduled to be released on May 22 2009.

Source: CHUD

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WonderCon Terminator: Sarah Connor Chronicles Panel

Vic Holtreman — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 01:38:51 +0000

Just a few minor notes regarding the Sarah Connor Chronicles panel at WonderCon.

They showed a series of clips from the existing episodes combined into a montage. It looks like it may have actually gotten better since the pilot and I’ve been missing out. I may have to watch this in reruns, online, or however else.

Panelists present were Brian Austin Greene, Summer Glau, John Wirth, Craig Tomashoff, Josh Friedman, and Thomas Dekker (John Connor).

They talked about some of their wacky behind the scenes hijinks.

Josh Friedman wanted to bring back Kyle Reese, but they decided to bring back his brother instead. They figured the initial reaction would have been to have been stalked and killed by the fans of the movies. That last bit is mine, not what they said, but it’s essentially the gist.

The series does not tie in at all with the upcoming Terminator 4 movie. They are different universes and will continue to remain so.

Although the second season has not yet been officially approved as far as I know, they were speaking as if they assumed it was a done deal.

Friedman joked about how after the second episode people were asking whether they were going to hit a Terminator with a car in every single episode. This was actually one of the things that bugged the heck out of me when I got part way through that second episode.

Summer Glau said it’s easier to play Terminator Cameron than her character from Serenity, Summer because Cameron just throws things instead of using martial arts.

There was a small sneak peek of the season finale. It had to do with the chip Glau removes from the Terminators she kills, but not having seen the show it meant nothing to me.

One of the things they stated in the panel is how they refused to “dumb down” the show, despite requests from Fox to do so because they thought the audience was smart and could get subtleties in the series. Personally I found the pilot pretty dumb and containing a number of items I would classify as falling into that category.

So tell us, has the show in fact improved? Has it gotten “smarter?”

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