Terminator: Genisys Information

Terminator: Genisys is an upcoming American science fiction action movie directed by Alan Taylor and written by Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier. It is the fifth installment in the Terminator series. Arnold Schwarzenegger reprises his role as the titular character, along with newcomers Emilia Clarke, Jason Clarke, Jai Courtney, Matt Smith, Lee Byung-hun, Dayo Okeniyi, Courtney B. Vance, Sandrine Holt, and J. K. Simmons. The film is scheduled to be released by Paramount Pictures on July 1, 2015.

Premise

The year is 2029. John Connor, leader of the resistance, continues the war against the machines. At the Los Angeles offensive, John's fears of the unknown future begin to emerge when TECOM spies reveal a new plot by Skynet that will attack him from two fronts, past and future, and will ultimately change warfare forever.

On the verge of winning the war against Skynet, Connor sends his trusted lieutenant Kyle Reese back through time to save his mother's life and ensure his own existence. But what he finds on the other side is like nothing he ever expected. After being orphaned at age nine by a Terminator, Sarah Connor has been brought up by another Terminator programmed to protect her. This Terminator has then trained her to face her destiny, which she adamantly tries to reject.

The movie will take advantage of a more comprehensive grandfather paradox that includes a parallel universe. In Terminator Genisys, Kyle Reese traveling from Universe A will end up in a Universe B, created when Skynet attempted to kill Sarah Connor during childhood. Together, Reese and Sarah will attempt to create a Universe C that would obliterate both Universe A and B, and in which the events of Judgment Day (Skynet's launching of World War III, devastating humanity) would have never happened.

Cast

• Arnold Schwarzenegger as The Terminator (original T-800 model)
• Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese The Terminator (new T-800 model)
• Emilia Clarke as Sarah Connor
• Jason Clarke as John Connor
• Jai Courtney as Kyle Reese
• Matt Smith
• Lee Byung-hun as the T-1000
• Dayo Okeniyi as Danny Dyson
• Courtney B. Vance
• Sandrine Holt
• J. K. Simmons
• Michael Gladis
• Douglas Smith

Production

Development

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 bankruptcy protection under Chapter 11. By late September 2009, the rights to the franchise were once again up for sale as The Halcyon Company tried to emerge out of bankruptcy. Late the following month, Halcyon announced it would auction off the rights to future Terminator material and was seeking $60 million to $70 million, although the only offer was made by filmmaker Joss Whedon for $10,000. In December 2009, Halcyon issued a statement saying that it was 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 for the Terminator rights. After studios Sony Pictures and Lions Gate Entertainment bid separately, Pacificor, the hedge fund that pushed Halcyon into bankruptcy, made a deal for $29.5 million. In May 2010, Pacificor hired an agency to sell off the rights to the franchise.

By August 2010, a new Terminator film was being developed. It was not to be a direct sequel to Salvation, but rather a 3D animated reboot of the series, titled Terminator 3000 and to be shot by Hannover House. However, Pacificor had not given any official license to Hannover House to develop a film. In February 2011, Universal Studios was considering a fifth Terminator film, with Arnold Schwarzenegger returning in the title role, Justin Lin directing, and Chris Morgan as screenwriter. Within two months, a Terminator project with Schwarzenegger, Lin and producer Robert W. Cort attached, but no screenwriter, was circulating among studios including Universal, Sony, Lions Gate Entertainment, and CBS Films.

By May 2011, Megan Ellison and her production company Annapurna Pictures had won the rights at auction to make at least two more Terminator films, including Terminator 5. On December 4, 2012, the deal was finally closed, with possible merchandise to include TV projects and video games. Ellison said she and her brother David Ellison were "starting from scratch as they seek out a screenwriter to plot the end". Now titled Terminator: Genesis, the film was being produced by Megan Ellison, with David Ellison of Skydance Productions. The executive producers were Dana Goldberg and Paul Schwake. Laeta Kalorgridis and Patrick Lussier were commissioned to write the screenplay.

Paramount Pictures was negotiating to distribute the film with Laeta Kalogridis (screenwriter of Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (screenwriter of Dracula 2000 and Jason X) writing the script. The film was left without a director as Justin Lin, who was originally in discussions to direct, chose to direct Fast & Furious 6 instead. By June 27, 2013, Paramount had pushed the film's release date back from June 26, 2015, to July 1, 2015. By September 2013, Alan Taylor was in talks to direct the film, after Rian Johnson and Denis Villeneuve had been considered and after a deal with Ang Lee could not be reached. By January 2014, Annapurna was no longer funding the film and Megan Ellison, instead, will serve as executive producer.

During an interview, the director of the first two Terminator films, James Cameron, admitted that he had been asked to be involved in the film by Megan Ellison. Cameron later had held several meetings with David Ellison, where they discussed Arnold Schwarzenegger's role and how to stay true to the original T-800 character. On August 6, 2014, Schwarzenegger posted a picture on his Twitter account of himself sitting in a production chair on set. The picture revealed the correct spelling of the movie's title Terminator Genisys.

Casting

On June 13, 2013, Arnold Schwarzenegger said he would be back for his fourth film as the Terminator/T-800. By early November 2013, Garrett Hedlund, Tom Hardy, Taylor Kitsch, and Nicholas Hoult were being tested for the role of Kyle Reese. By the following month, Jason Clarke had entered talks to play John Connor. In November 2013, it was reported that Emilia Clarke, Tatiana Maslany, and Brie Larson were the finalists for the role of Sarah Connor. The next month, Emilia Clarke was announced as having won the role of Sarah Connor. In February 2014, the studio was considering Jai Courtney and Boyd Holbrook for Reese, and planning for the character to be in at least two films. Later that month, it was confirmed that actor Jai Courtney was cast as Reese. On March 13, 2014, it was reported that J. K. Simmons was in talks for a role as a weary and alcoholic detective who has followed a bizarre case involving Sarah Connor and robots for more than three decades. On March 25, 2014, Schwarzenegger revealed that he is indeed playing a Terminator character, in which human tissue has aged. On March 28, 2014, it was announced that Dayo Okeniyi was cast as Danny Dyson. On March 31, 2014, it was announced that Lee Byung-hun was cast in a lead role, also Michael Gladis and Sandrine Holt joined the cast. On May 2, 2014, Matt Smith joined the cast of the film in a major role. On July 10, 2014, Douglas Smith joined the cast of the film.

Filming

Principal photography began on April 21, 2014 in New Orleans, and ended on August 6, 2014 in San Francisco. Legacy Effects, successor to Stan Winston Studio, created the Terminator robotic and make-up effects, led by John Rosengrant who had worked on the previous four Terminator films. However, Jeff Dawn, who was the lead make-up artist on the first three installments, did not return.

Marketing

On December 2, 2014, Paramount released the first motion poster for the film, showing a T-800 disintegrating into dust before the logo appears. A trailer preview was released the following day, showing brief clips. The full trailer debuted on December 4.

Sequels

In September 2014, Paramount announced a new trilogy with two sequels set for May 19, 2017 and June 29, 2018.