Some notable progress has been made with regards to the fifth installment in the Terminator franchise, which is currently titled Terminator 5. After a stretch of inactivity on the project, Paramount Pictures is currently in negotiations that are nearing an end to distribute the latest in the world renowned series.
Last December, David Ellison, CEO of Skydance Productions, became a financial and creative partner of the project after his sister Megan Ellison acquired producing rights at auction. Megan Ellison, with her company Annapurna Pictures, was the executive producer for True Grit, The Master and Zero Dark Thirty, among other films. David Ellison has produced blockbusters such as Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol, Star Trek Into Darkness and the upcoming World War Z. His production company is closely partnered with Paramount.
As of now, the Ellisons have approached Laeta Kalogridis and Patrick Lussier to begin work on the screenplay. Kalogridis previously served as a screenwriter for Shutter Island while Lussier directed the grindhouse confection Drive Angry. While many fans express concerns over adding yet another movie in the Terminator series, such a mix of talent suggests that we can look forward to a very interesting script. Arnold Schwarzenegger is also anticipated to make a return, so that’s another plus.
Some may cringe at the thought of stretching the storyline ever further, however, another Terminator could not have come at a better time. The series has always been referenced to when commenting on society and as our own technology grows, so do the themes of technocracy in our entertainment.
The recent sci-fi actioner Oblivion, for example, bravely played off of our current concerns of unmanned drones. All Kalogridis and Lussier would have to do is take a look at the day’s headlines for inspiration to create a Terminator 5 that both excites and chills us like the original ’84 classic.