Terminator Information

Terminator is an upcoming new installment in the Terminator franchise, planned for release in 2015.

The film, the fifth in the series, would again feature Arnold Schwarzenegger (who was absent in the previous installment in the series) and would serve as a T-boot to the franchise.

Conception

While Terminator Salvation was initially intended to begin a new trilogy, production of a fifth film was halted by legal trouble, as well as The Halcyon Company filing for Chapter 11 Bankruptcy protection. While some anonymous sources insisted that Terminator 5 will be moving forward, the majority of analysts predicted that its future was in jeopardy.

In late September 2009, it was announced that the rights to the franchise were once again up for sale as The Halcyon Company tried to pull itself out of bankruptcy. In late October 2009, Halcyon announced it would auction off the rights to future Terminator material and was seeking $60"70 million, although the only offer was made by director Joss Whedon for $10,000. In December 2009, Halcyon issued a statement saying that they were looking at various options including sale and refinancing of the rights with an announcement on the outcome no later than February 1, 2010. On February 8, 2010, an auction was held to determine the owner of the Terminator rights. After studios Sony Pictures and Lionsgate bid separately from 3 PM to 8 PM, Pacificor, the hedge fund that pushed Halcyon into bankruptcy, made a deal for $29.5 million. In June 2010, Pacificor hired an agency to sell off the rights to the franchise.

In August 2010, it was reported that a new Terminator film was being developed. The new film was not to be a direct sequel to Salvation, but rather an animated T-boot of the series. It was to be entitled Terminator 3000 and was to be shot by Hannover House. However, Pacificor, the owner of the rights to the Terminator franchise, had not given any official license to Hannover House to develop a new film.

On February 16, 2011, it was announced that Universal Studios was considering a fifth Terminator film with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning as the title role and with Fast Five's Justin Lin directing along with Chris Morgan as the screenwriter.

On April 27, 2011 it was announced that a rights package to a Terminator movie, to which Schwarzenegger, Lin, and producer Robert W. Cort were attached, but no screenwriter yet, was circulating among the studios and Universal, Sony, Lionsgate, and CBS Films were reported as some of the interested companies.

On May 13, 2011 it was reported that Megan Ellison and her production company Annapurna Pictures had won the rights to make at least two more Terminator films, including Terminator 5, in an auction deal that was rumoured to have hit the $20 million mark.

On December 4, 2012 a year and a half after negotiations were entered, the deal was finally closed, with the possible merchandise including possible TV projects and video games. Ellison has said that she and her brother David Ellison were "starting from scratch as they seek out a screenwriter to plot the end".

On June 14, 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed that he would be playing a Terminator in the film, and that filming would start in January 2014.

Paramount Pictures was negotiating to distribute the film with Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier writing the script. The film was left without a director as Justin Lin who was originally in discussions to direct, decided to direct Fast & Furious 6 instead.

It was announced on June 30, 2013 that the next film would be titled simply Terminator and would be a T-boot and the start of a new trilogy to be released between 2015 and 2018 which would not be connected in any way to the previous films.

In June 27, 2013 it was revealed that the film, now in the hands of Paramount, had been pushed back to July 1, 2015 after being initially scheduled for release on June 26, 2015.

Terminator will be produced by Megan Ellison of Annapurna and David Ellison of Skydance. Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake of Skydance will serve as executive producers. Laeta Kalorgridis (Avatar, Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (Drive Angry) are attached to write the screenplay.

On September 5, 2013, it was rumored that the studio was going to select Alan Taylor to direct the films (after considering Ang Lee, Rian Johnson and Denis Villeneuve).

Casting

From the film's beginnings, Schwarzenegger's name had been considered for inclusion after he was absent in the franchise's previous installment, Terminator Salvation. In April 2011 it was reported by sources close to Schwarzenegger, that he would only commit to the film if a good script was written.

In May 2011, when Annapurna Pictures acquired the rights to the film, it was reported that while Schwarzenegger was up for a substantial role, the film would not be anchored by him and instead a young male actor would take the lead.

On June 14, 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger confirmed that he would be back for his fourth film as the Terminator/T-800. Paramount Pictures was negotiating to distribute the film with Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier writing the script. The film was left without a director as Justin Lin, who was originally in discussions to direct, decided to direct Fast & Furious 6 instead.

On June 20, 2013, it was revealed that Dwayne Johnson was being considered for the film. Additionally, it was revealed that the new film could be set before the birth of Sarah Connor and focus on her parents in the 1940s and 50s.

Contradicting Schwarzenegger's declarations, Ain't It Cool News reported that Schwarzenegger might not play a Terminator and instead would play a human character in the film who has close connections to the Connor family, and whose likeness would have been later used by the machines to mold the appearance of the T-800s.