'Terminator' back for a new trilogy

[voivod]

• New producers intend to make new "Terminator" films
• Original series, with Arnold Schwarzenegger, very successful
• Script for "Terminator 4" in hand

LOS ANGELES, California (Hollywood Reporter) -- The Terminator is coming back.

A nascent film company has acquired the franchise rights to the popular movie series from producers Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna, intending to make a new trilogy. The deal is said to be in the tens of millions of dollars.

The Halcyon Co. -- a privately financed firm -- plans to begin immediate preproduction on "Terminator 4," with hopes that it will be ready for release in the first half of 2009.

The script, by John Brancato and Michael Ferris, was part of the transaction. No distributor is on board, or any talent.

Halcyon -- headed by advertising veteran Derek Anderson and "Cook-Off!" producer Victor Kubicek -- pursued the "Terminator" rights aggressively for several months, knowing that the series is one of the few recognizable properties out there not in the hands of a major studio. Halcyon also is concentrating on a merchandising and licensing push for the property.

The rights to "Terminator" have changed hands several times.

Kassar acted as an executive producer for 1991's "Terminator 2: Judgment Day," and he and Vajna acquired interests from Gale Anne Hurd -- who produced the first one in 1984 and executive produced the second -- when the duo made 2003's "Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines."

[Little Dreamer]

I think I know the script for T4: The Terminator gets elected governor of California, in order to save the earth from aliens. Movie will be shot on location in Sacramento...

[ZeoBandit]

The Terminator story is told. I don't know where else they can go with it.

[billy007]

Guess they'll just delve more into where the machines have taken over and are hunting down the few remaining humans and the birth of the rebellion - kind of like "Star Wars: Episode III". Not sure how they're going to get three movies out of it, but you never know...

[Menlow]

This is the best idea since they decided to make Smokey and the Bandit III without Burt Reynolds.

[vhrocker]

Guess they'll just delve more into where the machines have taken over and are hunting down the few remaining humans and the birth of the rebellion - kind of like "Star Wars: Episode III". Not sure how they're going to get three movies out of it, but you never know...

That's what they probally do.

[LLFHS]

That's Hollywood for ya........fuck originality, let's rehash a cash cow!

[Infinite Cactus]

They still need to show the future battle, and Kyle Reese and the terminators getting sent back. And by need to, I mean have to in order to not suck. Plus, prequel-sequel what?

[AT]

I've got an idea... How about Hollywood taps some talented writers out there, take some risks, AND TRY SOMETHING NEW OR UNIQUE? Cameron did well with wrapping HIS story in T2. That stupid T3 fucked it with the one line: "You didn't stop it, you just delayed it." Oh, well why do I give a fuck about anything then?!

Hollywood sucks.

[darthadv]

somehow, i can't see arnold being on board for these films, and without him, there is no franchise... and besides, at this point, his model of terminator is now obsolete, and we've been used to seeing the liquid goo versions...

i wonder how this thing with the rights to the franchise works, though... i distinctly remember reading on www.aintitcool.com not that long ago about how a tv series is already cast that will cover the events between T2 & T3, which in and of itself is a bad idea considering that period doesn't cover any terminator interaction...

just my 2 cents...

[AT]

The Terminator deal is different because a studio doesn't own it. James Cameron lost (or gave up) some or all of the rights to the franchise in one of his divorces. It's been "out there" since, hence the T3 film.

[darthadv]

The Terminator deal is different because a studio doesn't own it. James Cameron lost (or gave up) some or all of the rights to the franchise in one of his divorces. It's been "out there" since, hence the T3 film.

actually, what i'm questioning is how can you have a proposed T4 movie and a tv series going on at the same time if only one studio owns the rights, and it doesn't sound like it's the same studio doing both tv and the movie...

[Raldo]

This is the best idea since they decided to make Smokey and the Bandit III without Burt Reynolds.

Hold on, he did have a cameo at the end.

Thankfully, Jackie Gleason was in it to add some intentional comedy into it.

[Steven B]

I think they need to have Marty McFly and Doc Brown meet up with the Terminator somewhere.

Marty! Come with me back to the future if you want to live!

[chefcraig]

...Thankfully, Jackie Gleason was in it to add some intentional comedy into it.

Wait a minute..."Smokey And The Bandit III" was a comedy? Show me the proof.