Sci-Fi Film and Television Developments

Terminator 5

5/13/11 - Producer Megan Ellison has beat out Lionsgate in a bid to buy the Terminator package that will mark Arnold Schwarzenegger’s return.  The package includes director Justin Lin, producer Robert Cort and rights to make two movies.  Ellison, who heads Annapura Pictures, was heading to Cannes Friday. Details of the winning bid were not immediately available, but distributors are now expected to circle Annupura to lock up a further deal.

4/27/11 - Arnold Schwarzenegger is attached to star in a new Terminator movie being shopped to Hollywood studios, an industry source said.  Schwarzenegger, 63, who played the killing machine cyborg in three of the blockbuster movies with the catch phrase "I'll be back", is on board to reprise a role that helped make him one of Hollywood's most successful and recognizable stars, the source said.  Industry website Deadline Hollywood reported that Schwarzenegger's talent agency Creative Arts Agency (CAA) was presenting a proposal regarding the "Terminator" this week to major Hollywood studios that would revive one of the industry's most successful franchises.  CAA declined to comment on the report.  Deadline Hollywood said there was no screenwriter attached so far.

8/13/10 – Blastr.com reported that The Terminator will be back.  Terminator 3000, which will begin filming in January 2011, is being developed by Hannover House, the entertainment distribution division of Target Development Group Inc., and Red Bear Entertainment. The companies are promising a 3-D feature film based on the characters from the first Terminator movie, with a proposed budget of $70 million.  Terminator 3000 is planned as an animated picture.  Not much is known about the planned plot of the film, as all that's been revealed is that violence will be minimized so the film can be released with a PG-13 rating.  (Dumb asses.  You don’t know your audience!)

2/9/10 - Pacificor has outbid Lionsgate and Sony Pictures for the rights to the Terminator franchise.  The hedge fund prevailed in an auction of the rights by Halcyon Holding Corp., which had been pushed into bankruptcy by the very fund that ended up winning the rights, according to Deadline Hollywood.  As the deal is subject to approval by the federal bankruptcy court handling Halcyon's case, not much will happen in the short term.  It's likely that the case will be tied up in court for at least a while.  While Lionsgate was reportedly planning to reboot the franchise, what the hedge fund wants to do is anyone's guess.

2/5/10 - According to Variety, Sony has joined Lionsgate in bidding for the rights to the Terminator franchise.  Last month, Lionsgate was the first bidder, offering $15 million and a 5 percent cut of future gross receipts. Sony submitted its own bid for an undisclosed amount on Thursday, the final day for submitting offers.  The auction for the Terminator assets—which include the rights to future films, TV series, DVDs and merchandise—will be held Monday at the offices of FTI Consulting in Los Angeles, followed by a bankruptcy court hearing two days later.

12/15/08 - A fifth Terminator movie is being developed by Halcyon Co., with Terminator Salvation director McG, the company's executives Derek Anderson and Victor Kubicek announced at the Dubai International Film Festival, Variety reported.  McG was in Dubai for the announcement.  No decision has been made as to where to film the next Terminator, although the Middle East was mentioned as a locale.  Salvation, the fourth Terminator film, was envisioned as the start of a new trilogy of films; Christian Bale signed on in the role of John Connor for all three movies. The fifth movie is tentatively slated for a 2011 release.  No decision has been made yet on whether the fifth Terminator will be once again split by Warner and Sony. Terminator Salvation opens May 22, 2009.

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