He’s back (sorry I had to). It what was inevitable, Arnie has signed on for Terminator 5. Deadline tells us that Fast Five director Justin Lin and franchise icon Arnold Schwarzenegger are officially teaming up for Terminator 5. The rights package is going out to studios today and it will undoubtedly be picked up pretty quick. Universal, Sony, Lionsgate and CBS Films are all seriously considering the film and I’m sure we’ll hear more news on it shortly.
Apparently Universal was trying to get Lin on board for the film a while ago but he wasn’t a bankable name yet. But now with Fast Five (which is doing well overseas and will open strongly here this week), Lin is an acceptable name. The franchise is also facing a ticking clock as James Cameron gets the rights back in 2018, so if the plan for the franchise (which is calling for a Terminator 5 and 6), goes beyond 2018, Cameron will likely have to get involved again.
That being said, 2018 is still a ways away and they have enough time to squeeze out a fifth and sixth film. Furthermore, Deadline tells us that the “project price tag is at least $25 million upfront, against a purchase price near $36 million, not including paydays for Schwarzenegger or Lin.”
I like the Terminator franchise. Number 3 and 4 weren’t great but the series as a whole is still an enjoyable experience. It will be awesome to see Schwarzenegger back in the role that turned him into one of Hollywood’s biggest movie stars and I’m very interested to see what direction they take the series in.