Details are starting to emerge about the new Terminator film that was announced last week. Paramount Pictures and producing partners Skydance and Annapurna Pictures have announced a release date of June 26, 2015 for the film. But more interestingly was the announcement that the film would be the first of a new standalone trilogy of Terminator films.
Now it should be pointed out that the last Terminator film, Terminator: Salvation was also touted as being the first of a trilogy. But since it fared poorly at the box office and with critics, plans for two follow-up films were quietly discarded.
But if they do well enough to go ahead with sequels, they’ll have to work fast to get all three films made before 2019. That is the date when, thanks to a recent change in copyright that calls for copyrights to revert to their originator after 35 years, the rights to the franchise will return to James Cameron, who wrote and directed the 1984 original. It is possible that the producers are looking at filming the two sequels back to back in order to make that deadline.
Here is the complete press release –
Skydance Productions, Annapurna Pictures and Paramount Pictures have jointly announced they will partner on a rebooted “TERMINATOR” movie, to be released by Paramount Pictures on June 26, 2015.
The first in a stand-alone trilogy, “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.
Launched in 1984 with star Arnold Schwarzenegger as the title character, “TERMINATOR” spanned 3 subsequent films, which have earned over $1 billion at the worldwide box office.
David Ellison most recently executive produced, along with his partners at Paramount, “World War Z,” “Star Trek Into Darkness,” “G.I. Joe: Retaliation” and “Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol”. A 5th installment of in the “Mission: Impossible” franchise is in active development, along with a 3rd film in the “G.I. Joe” franchise, among other films.
Megan Ellison most recently produced the Academy Award®-nominated “Zero Dark Thirty,” “The Master” and executive produced “Spring Breakers” via her Annapurna Pictures banner and has David O. Russell’s “American Hustle,” Spike Jonze’s “Her,” and Bennett Miller’s “Foxcatcher” set for release later this year.
