Terminator Franchise (1984-∞)

[Murdoch]

Helena Bonham Carter may be joining the cast.

[flyonthewall2983]

Teaser. Not quite goosebumps, but I got a thrill out of hearing Bale as John Connor.

[mfunk9786]

I am still unbelievably confused as to why Bale, on a seemingly non-stop career up-escalator, would even consider this project.

[Antoine Doinel]

$$$

[domino harvey]

McG is our generation's Woody Allen-- when he picks up the candy-colored phone, you answer it!

[mfunk9786]

He could make a lot of money working on a good project now. He's become one of the most bankable names in Hollywood.

[moviscop]

Teaser. Not quite goosebumps, but I got a thrill out of hearing Bale as John Connor.

Trailer makes it look a lot better than Terminator 3. This one seems darker and more serious.

[Fletch F. Fletch]

Teaser. Not quite goosebumps, but I got a thrill out of hearing Bale as John Connor.

Trailer makes it look a lot better than Terminator 3. This one seems darker and more serious.

Yeah, it looked pretty good for what little it showed. Hey, I'm just psyched that we get to see Bale do his thing in a Michael Mann film!

[flyonthewall2983]

This is just crazy talk, but if this is any good, I could see how it would lead to a 5th and final film set further in the future. John Connor is still fighting the good fight, much older of course, and is a Patton-like general. Dream casting would be Bruce Willis.

[Antoine Doinel]

Though it's not much to base it on, I'm not surprised that the trailer is fairly generic in terms of look and feel. T2 was so iconic in terms of how it played out was filmed, that anything afterward feels somewhat tepid. Though improving on Terminator 3 shouldn't be too hard. One thing that concerns me is there is a brief clip in the teaser that seems to have filmed in the handheld style that seems to be en vogue following the Bourne films. I really hope that's kept to a minimum as it's extraordinarily difficult to pull off with any panache at all, and the last thing this already too long franchise needs is a bunch of rapid cutting chase sequences. What made Cameron's films so thrilling and worthy of repeated viewing, were the elaborate, choreographed action sequences.

[Street Dude]

On director MCG:

His music video resume reads like a compilation album of ubiquitous summer hits: Sugar Ray's "Fly" and "Every Morning" (both of which he also co-wrote), Fastball's "The Way", Smash Mouth's "Walkin' On the Sun" and "All Star", The Offspring's "Pretty Fly (For a White Guy)" and "Why Don't You Get a Job" and Barenaked Ladies' "One Week" are among his credits.

[MCG] brought a fun-loving and free sensibility to his projects, which were all marked by bright beachy colors and a serene but energetic mood.

MSG sounds like the beach dude of 2009

[Mr Sausage]

This is just crazy talk, but if this is any good, I could see how it would lead to a 5th and final film set further in the future. John Connor is still fighting the good fight, much older of course, and is a Patton-like general. Dream casting would be Bruce Willis.

This series had better end exactly when John Conner sends Reese back in time, closing the loop. Not because this is clever, but because I smile whenever I recall that John Conner's only purpose in life is to stay alive long enough to engineer his own birth, at which point he ceases to matter and everything starts all over again (Reese: "their defense grid was smashed. We'd won"). Forget the apocalypse; the real hell is being suffered by an eternally looping, pointlessly restarting, John Conner, whose life has less purpose than a dragonfly (it at least has a second imperative, reproduction).

I find all of this very funny. The most pointless hero in film?

[MyNameCriterionForum]

Wow, it's Reign of Fire with robots instead of dragons.

[moviscop]

New Still From The Film

[flyonthewall2983]

I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but I can see how they can continue the series with Arnold. Artificial intelligence in human disguise is less conspicuous pre-Judgment Day, and in a time when the cat is out of the bag it's rather pointless.

[Mr Sausage]

I don't know how anyone else feels about it, but I can see how they can continue the series with Arnold. Artificial intelligence in human disguise is less conspicuous pre-Judgment Day, and in a time when the cat is out of the bag it's rather pointless.

The future scenes in the first film showed they were using human disguised Terminators well into the war (none of which looked like Arnold). They used them for infiltration/surprise attacks. According to Reese, the first series used rubber skin, but since they were so easily spotted the machines upgraded to real flesh. God, I think I have these movies memorized.

EDIT: anyone else think the wording of the title makes it sounds like it's the salvation of the terminators?

[flyonthewall2983]

I agree on the title, it's a little confusing. As far as the logic of all of this, I don't have the knowledge you have (I only really have the 2nd one memorized) of the trilogy so you have more ground on the issue than I do.

Not sure how anyone else feels, but I must say that Christian's involvement is both exciting and leaving me scratching my head.

[moviscop]

I agree on the title, it's a little confusing. As far as the logic of all of this, I don't have the knowledge you have (I only really have the 2nd one memorized) of the trilogy so you have more ground on the issue than I do.

Not sure how anyone else feels, but I must say that Christian's involvement is both exciting and leaving me scratching my head.

I'm just shocked at his reasoning for joining the cast. He would probably have to have some reason to join the franchise. Perhaps the script is decent and he will do something cool for it.

He was able to re-ignite the Batman franchise, maybe he will do the same with Terminator.

[rs98762001]

What a crap teaser. Aren't these things meant to make you WANT to see the film? I, too, am confused why Bale is part of this project. I suppose he's trying to work with as many of the leading auteurs in the world while he can (Herzog, Malick, McG).

[flyonthewall2983]

Clip unveiled at Comic-Con

SAN DIEGO - "Terminator Salvation" won't hit theaters until next summer, but thousands of fans got an early look at a portion of the film Saturday.

Director McG presented never-before-seen footage during a Comic-Con panel and offered a few hints about what to expect from the highly anticipated fourth installment in the "Terminator" franchise.

For example, Arnold Schwarzenegger could be back.

"The T-800 model indeed is part of the mythology of Terminator," McG said coyly, referring to the machine model California's governor played in the first three films.

James Cameron, who directed the first two "Terminator" films, and special-effects master Stan Winston, who died in June, also each had a hand in the film, McG said, adding that Winston made a cameo appearance.

"He wrestles one of the hydrobots," the director said.

The movie, now shooting in New Mexico, could end up with an R rating rather than the rumored PG-13, McG revealed.

"We put the picture first at all times," he said. "If it's an R-rated picture, it's an R-rated picture and that's that."

He acknowledged that the studio is responsible for some of the online rumors.

"We release, like everyone else does, misinformation campaigns," McG said. "One of the joys of going to the movies is not knowing what's going to happen."

The brief clip shown Saturday was filled with explosions, tanks, gas masks, guns and crushed skulls.

Set in 2018, the film is dark and apocalyptic, "exploring what the world is like after a nuclear holocaust," the director said. "We wanted everything to feel like giant Soviet tanks crushing all comers."

"Terminator Salvation," a Warner Bros. release, is set to hit theaters in May.

Take it for what it's worth, but I find that quote very promising.

[Antoine Doinel]

It's funny watching McG pretend that Warner's isn't going to make sure the theatrical release is PG-13.

Here is the thoroughly boring one sheet.

Apparently, the film is a prequel to The Terminator and for whatever it's worth, Ahnold didn't think much of the footage he's seen (but then again, he liked Wanted and loves Will Ferrell).

[Mr Sausage]

Apparently, the film is a prequel to The Terminator and for whatever it's worth, Ahnold didn't think much of the footage he's seen (but then again, he liked Wanted and loves Will Ferrell).

It can only be a prequel to the Terminator in the sense that Terminator 2 and 3 are prequels: any point on a loop both antecedes and precedes any other point. So that was a needlessly confusing thing for McG to say.

[Antoine Doinel]

Apparently, the film is a prequel to The Terminator and for whatever it's worth, Ahnold didn't think much of the footage he's seen (but then again, he liked Wanted and loves Will Ferrell).

It can only be a prequel to the Terminator in the sense that Terminator 2 and 3 are prequels: any point on a loop both antecedes and precedes any other point. So that was a needlessly confusing thing for McG to say.

So true! As I was reading the article something about that statement didn't quite sound right to me. Hopefully, McG figures out what he means by the time he hits the editing room.

[flyonthewall2983]

McG SuicideGirls interview.

[Antoine Doinel]

I had no idea Jonah Nolan was/is involved. So I guess there is some hope yet, but when a director can only reference films made this century, it doesn't particularly excite me.