To Terminator Or Not to Terminator?
More Terminator Films In Arnold's Future?

Reported By: AB King
Friday, September 15, 2006

Arnold Schwarzenegger will always be the TERMINATOR to millions of fans around the world. He has already starred in three hugely successful Terminator films and there could be a few more in his future if he decides to make them!

Plans for a new Terminator trilogy - T4, T5, T6 - are in the works and they should/must involve Arnie. When Terminator 4 hits cinemas in the summer of 2008, Arnold will most likely have a supporting role as a bad Terminator as well as a tough-as-nails resistance fighter --the one that they based his T-800 model from. If this comes to pass, Arnie might not be needed to play the Terminator anymore in a Terminator 5 or Terminator 6 if they happen.

Fans and audiences know that the Terminator character does not age so if the plot sets up Arnie's soldier character in T4, the next films can use that new Arnie soldier character as one of the main stars who must fight along-side John Connor to help bring down the endo-skeleton Terminators or the T-1000/T-X models. Wouldn't it be cool if Arnie was a war hero in the next trilogy?!? I think so.

Jonathan Mostow and Schwarzenegger already set up that storyline in 2003 with the T3 video game. Arnie used his voice and likeness for the game playing a resistance fighter of the future and it looked like he kicked some ass in destroying Terminators in said game. Also, some of the Terminator novels that were based on the events after T2 (before T3) had a German soldier whom the Terminators were based on. That would have been (and would have to be) played by Arnie of-course.

All of the above might not come to pass if Mario Kassar and Andrew Vajna foolishly think they can sell Terminator films without Arnold involved! If MGM (the studio which now owns distribution rights) as well as producers Kassar and Vajna are smart, they will get Arnie involved so he can always be apart of this continuing series that he helped to create. Andy and Mario new after the success of T1 and T2 that it was integral to sign Arnie for T3 or the movie would not work or get financing. Arnold IS the main factor of the Terminator franchise now. It was equally James Cameron and Schwarzenegger's creation. Cameron invented the world and character and Arnie brought him to life with his own idea's as well as helped Cameron get both his films completed when money issues arose.

Andy and Mario "desperately need" Arnie for Terminator 4 to work and to be successful. After all, they set up plot holes and storylines during the course of T3. Arnold's T-850 told John Connor "I assassinated you" and "we'll meet again". That much pretty says it all! After politics, Arnold won't have as many options as he once did for action films and the Terminator character is his legacy.

In 1984, James Cameron's The Terminator came out and surprised the world by becoming one of the greatest sci-fi action masterpieces. The film was hailed as the "best non Spielberg film" and made Time magazines top 10 list for the year. The Terminator cost 6.4 million to make, but opened with 4 million dollars in October 1984 and went on to gross 38 million dollars domestic, 40 million foreign and a impressive 78 million worldwide.

In July 1991, the mega budgeted sequel Terminator 2: Judgment Day came out and was hailed as a sequel that surpassed the original. It did in numerous ways: the stunts were bigger, the guns were bigger, the budget was bigger, the action was bigger...everything Cameron and Arnold did were bigger. That 4th of July weekend of it's opening, the 94 million budgeted T2 took in 31 million in three days and a then record 54 million in five days. T2 also broke numerous records around the world at the box-office and became one of the highest grossing films ever. By the end of its run, the action extravaganza grossed 204 million domestic, 315 million foreign and a powerful 519 million worldwide.

Terminator 3: Rise Of The Machines also came out on the 4th of July weekend and came very close to matching Terminator 2: Judgment Day's grosses. Even without James Cameron's name - which brings quality and high expectations to a film project- T3 opened bigger than T2! With a budget set at 175 million, T3 came out and blew everyone away with a spectacular 44 million in three days and 72 million in five days to become Schwarzenegger's biggest opening film ever at the box-office. By the end of it's run, the action packed thrill ride grossed 150 million domestic, 283 million foreign and an amazing 433 million worldwide.

TERMINATOR's universe keeps expanding. It is so big and successful that a new tv show titled THE SARAH CONNOR CHRONICLES got greenlit for a Fall 2007 release on the Fox network. It's said to be in the vein of THE X-FILES tv show. Maybe a future cartoon series can follow afterwards!

Because of T4 among others, the Lion in MGM will roar again. New MGM boss Harry Sloan plans a major revival of the once glorious studio, with the help of the TERMINATOR series. The studio plans to spend a reported 150-200 million for T4. You don't spend that much money on a film if you don't expect a return on investment. It's too big a risk not to have the name SCHWARZENEGGER in the credits!

Everyone here at TAFs has their own special pick as to who they would like to see direct the next Terminator film. My personal favorite is Paul Verhoeven. The Dutch filmmaker never got to work with Arnold again after the mega success of 1990's TOTAL RECALL and he has always wanted to direct another Oak production.

Verhoeven's latest film called BLACKBOOK for American audiences (in Holland it's known as ZWARTBOEK) is getting rave reviews and is said to be big on action and epic scale. It's a WWII action/adventure and brings Paul back to his Dutch roots. If T4 is the future war film like many anticipate it to be, then Paul Verhoeven is a great choice. He brought STARSHIP TROOPERS to life beautifully and his new film BLACKBOOK brings him back to war type films. T4 has the opportunity to become one of the greatest sci-fi war films up their with James Cameron's ALIENS!

Bottom Line: Schwarzenegger must be apart of the future of the TERMINATOR films! Without the name Arnold in a Terminator movie, it's like STAR WARS without the name George Lucas on it!