Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: 'Terminator 4' Without Arnold

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Posted by Michael Coate (Member # 757) on 05-11-2007, 03:49 AM:

Yahoo!/E! Online news story

quote:

Terminator Will Be Back, Without Arnold
by Gina Serpe
Thu May 10, 8:08 AM ET

Los Angeles (E! Online) - The Terminator is making good on its coming-back word. The Governator, not so much.

The Halcyon Company has announced plans to revive the cyborg-battling movie series with at least three more films, after the production company purchased all rights to the dormant franchise for an undisclosed, though likely eight-figure, sum.

But while Halcyon founders Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson are looking to begin preproduction on Terminator 4 as soon as possible, they will do so without a leading man. Or man-machine.

Plot details for the fourth film have been kept under tight wraps, though are said to pick up with John Connor, heir to the rebellion, in his thirties, leading the remainder of the human race in its ever-worsening battle against the machines. As the film will mark the beginning of a new trilogy, rather than a continuation of the previous three installments, its unlikely that the Terminator himself, Arnold Schwarzenegger, will even take part in the film reinvention, other than perhaps a cameo.

Of course, there are other reasons why the Ah-nuld won't be featured on the big screen. He has a bit of a schedule conflict due to matters of a more gubernatorial nature.

T4 has already been fast-tracked for production, with Halcyon looking to get the installment in theaters by summer 2009. As it is, Schwarzenegger will be leading the state of California through 2011.

While a spokeswoman for the governor asserts that "no law says he couldn't" star in the reimagined flick if he wanted to, the project was nonetheless "not even on his radar."

Still, the franchise's new minders aren't worried about extending the brand beyond Arnie.

"With T3, we included many incidental details and plot points that, along with the ain narrative, set the stage for an entirely new set of inter-related stories covering the future adventures of John Connor and the Terminators," producer Moritz Borman said. "This new Terminator trilogy will build upon the already huge worldwide Terminator fan base, which was both revitalized and expanded with the global success of T3."

In fact, T3, along with T2 and, well, plain old T, have grossed just over $1 billion worldwide since Terminator was first released in 1984.

"The Terminator franchise represents by far the most popular and successful franchise not owned by a major studio," Kubicek said. "We see this global franchise as a cornerstone of Halcyon's future business plans."

A very large cornerstone.

In addition to the big-screen cyborg saga, the company snapped up all future merchandising and licensing rights to the franchise, future revenue generated by T3: Rise of the Machines and a portion of the rights to an almost guaranteed TV series based on the films.

Warner Bros. has already filmed a pilot for The Sarah Connor Chronicles, an hourlong show based around the Terminator character and mythology surrounding the movies. According to Variety, Fox has already expressed interest in the project, and could opt to pick up the series at next week's upfronts, when the fall prime-time schedules are unveiled.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-11-2007, 04:32 AM:

From the article...

quote:
In fact, T3, along with T2 and, well, plain old T, have grossed just over $1 billion worldwide since Terminator was first released in 1984.

There's a BIG reason for that. Arnold. He was a huge star with these films and he IS The Terminator. To do one without him and expect them to carry on a franchise would be like Indiana Jones without Harrison Ford.

Posted by Monte L Fullmer (Member # 2797) on 05-11-2007, 05:10 AM:

..but, by 2009, Arnie will be 62 yrs old, at least, and sorry to say, "it's time to pass the gauntlet." - not "Mr. Olympia" anymore...

I can see the new stories of "the Terminator" will be like the first three episodes of "Star Wars" - before there was a "Luke Skywalker"..and a "Darth Vader"....the "building up" stories.

-Monte

Posted by Anslem Rayburn (Member # 1267) on 05-11-2007, 05:57 AM:

Let's not forget that Arnold rose to fame via Conan and Terminator, just a few years apart. He wasn't a film star prior. The best way to carry on making Terminator films is to re-boot it, and start fresh, while still being respectful of the original(s). He simply can't return to the screen as the indestructible force he was in either of those franchises. Why not launch another career, as long as the film is well done?

Posted by Darryl Spicer (Member # 711) on 05-11-2007, 11:51 AM:

Remember anyone can be that terminator skin so long as they have the muscular structure. The question is who?

Posted by Mike Blakesley (Member # 26) on 05-11-2007, 11:54 AM:

They ought to find a new guy and make a star out of him, the way Superman happened for Chris Reeve.

Or here's an idea: Use that Borat guy.

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-11-2007, 12:53 PM:

I was not very impressed with the third Terminator movie.

The first one was one of my favorite 1980's films. The second one was very good and seemed like a good finale. The third one had the odor of a movie studio simply cashing in on a property.

These new movies, at least from first glance at the players involved, have the odor of a straight to video kind of endeavor.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-11-2007, 02:49 PM:

quote: Mike Blakesley
Or here's an idea: Use that Borat guy.

Oh wow now THAT would be awesome! Without Arnold, I can't imagine anyone else in the role.

Posted by Demetris Thoupis (Member # 833) on 05-11-2007, 03:23 PM:

The third one had good plot but terrible cast! Only Arnold and Loreana saved the day. John Connor was not so John Connor as Edward Furlong on T2 was so much better in being the rebel kid how could he grow in being this piss off John Connor he now became in T3!

For your information, Arnold trained for 6 solid months in order to get his body back to shape to look exactly as he looked T2 and I challenge anyone to sit and watch the T2 and T3 films in one day and tell if they see any age difference in Arnold.

James Cameron should have directed the T3 and use also Sarah Connor. It would have been a much better film.

Also for those who don't know, Arnold gave 1.3m off his payment for that Crane to Glass hit shot during the first chase in T3 because the studio did not want to shoot that scene while he insisted that it should be shot.

T4 without Arnold.. No thanks. Although in T4 if he was to play, he should actually play the Bad Terminator, while on T5 the Terminator programmed to go back to time to save John Connor and T6, the Terminator which *****SPOILER****** killed John Connor in the future and reprogrammed to go back to save John Connors' officers right before Judgement day so the had "meet again".

Well the main point is that the machines will take over at last and everyone will die and they will have no one to fill their batteries so they will die too and we will all end up dead
[evil]

Posted by Bobby Henderson (Member # 840) on 05-11-2007, 06:03 PM:

quote: Demetris Thoupis
I challenge anyone to sit and watch the T2 and T3 films in one day and tell if they see any age difference in Arnold.

Um, that really isn't a challenge because it's fairly easy to see the age difference.

Arnold Swarzenegger was 43 when he made Terminator 2: Judgment Day, just a few years past his physical peak.

12 years passed between the release of T2 and Terminator 3. There's a pretty noticeable difference between the age of 43 and 55.

Posted by Mark Gulbrandsen (Member # 72) on 05-11-2007, 07:11 PM:

No thanks... these will be right up there with the last three Star Wars stomach aches.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-11-2007, 08:12 PM:

Well Mark, they could always cast Tobey Maguire in the role of the Terminator. Joe would most certainly approve. [Razz]

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 05-12-2007, 12:15 AM:

Maybe Tobey could play EVERY role in the movie!

Posted by Cameron Glendinning (Member # 3516) on 05-12-2007, 12:40 AM:

No Toby please, he speaks far to good english. They need a hard to understand accent.

"Uk youse asole, youse erminated."

Whoever gets the part need to maintain the integrity of the character!

Posted by Frank Dubrois (Member # 3042) on 05-12-2007, 01:12 AM:

There can be a Terminator movie without Arnold. I think it could actually be good too. In the 1st Terminator movie, there were a lot of different looking Terminators (flashback scene). I think it would make for an interesting movie to not know who the Terminators are. I like Arnold, but I think his action hero days might be limited.

Posted by Brad Miller (Member # 2) on 05-12-2007, 02:05 AM:

quote: Mr. Redifer
Maybe Tobey could play EVERY role in the movie!

Like Eddie Murphy did in Norbit and Nutty Professor? That would be AWESOME! I want to see Tobey as a black woman.

Posted by John Wilson (Member # 269) on 05-14-2007, 02:01 AM:

Maybe Eddie Murphy could play Toby's role in Spiderman 4? [beer]