Filmstalker: New Terminator franchise

I am a huge fan of the Terminator films, so to hear that there are going to be more is a mixed bag. Mainly because the rights have been sold from the original creators so we won't be seeing Arnold Schwarzenegger or James Cameron involved.

Halcycon Company has purchased the rights from Andy Vajna and Mario Kassar, two of the names behind the original who have held onto the rights for so long.

The franchise will begin anew with the Terminator 4 story from Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines writers John Brancato and Michael Ferris, a film that poked so much fun at the film that left some great action sequences and hastily spoken plot catch-ups. To be fair it had a great ending, but the journey was a mere shadow of a Terminator film with silliness in abundance. Let's hope it wasn't the writers to blame.

The company are openly speaking about a franchise from the Terminator series, not just one film. Terminator 4 is under tight wraps though and no one really knows that much about it, although Variety does tell us that it will see John Connor picking up with the remainder of humanity and getting together some form of resistance against the machines. Thankfully they also say that a Director isn't yet secured, perhaps there's still hope then...

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All I hope, from a fan's point of view, is that 4 is better than 3. Now I liked Rise of the Machines a lot. I think there is a strong story in that film, but sadly its hidden away so deep and made thin by action and sillyness, that there might as well not have been one in there.

Don't get me wrong I think the third film is good, but its not brilliant, which it could of been. I remember the day it came out and paying for mye and my brother to go and see it. I don't remember blinking I was so engrossed in it.

We all know Cameron's two are classics, so it was sad that he didn't return with Rise of the Machines. Let's face it, everytime Cameron works with Schwarzenegger success happens.

Lets hope this new film in the works is better than the last. Also if someone could fix 3 then that would be good as well, because to make it work it should of been more voilent, darker and scarier, with less 'comdey' and stronger plot.

I just hope this new company doesn't milk the franchise for what its got/had(?).

Anyway enough ranting... :D

Posted by: Billy | May 10, 2007 8:59 AM

Films like Terminator tell a story worth watching. The original film and it's sequel were fine films. It felt complete to watch them.

Given the storyline in Terminator it makes sense that it can just go on forever.

But to deliberately open the end of the film up for future stories is generally marketing and capitalist movie moguls interfering with the process of storytelling.
I hate them.

In short - I don't like the idea of future Terminator films. Part of the appeal of the original was it's position in time. It was a proper 80's film shot with the technology of the day. That in itself is romantic.
Anything that gets churned out now will be 90% CGI and lifeless.

Posted by: Wilf | May 10, 2007 9:54 AM

The thing with these news is that I'm actually more interested in seeing the TV show than any additional movies. I just don't have faith in the production.

Posted by: Marina | May 10, 2007 5:39 PM

Billy I'm so glad you commented, someone who agrees with me on the third film. You are right, there's a cracking story in there, but it is lost. Or rather when we do get it it's in spurts being blurted out by characters or a few clever scenes at the end.

I agree Marina, the TV series is getting great reviews, and as Wilf points out, it's set in the right timeframe.

That's a great point, following the Terminator story now brings us into a straight war against the machines in the far future. The appeal of Terminator was it was now and near future.

Posted by: Richard Brunton | May 10, 2007 6:28 PM