Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins has had a rocky road on the way to production. Last we heard production may have been brought to a halt, and there seemed to be plot and script problems, with Paul Haggis coming in to work on it.

Well now it seems filming has started, with a 2009 release in mind, but those expecting the same level of violence as the previous films will be disappointed.

Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is to be filmed with a PG-13 rating in mind. It would appear they think the lower rating won't affect the Terminator franchise, and are trying to aim the new film at a wider audience. One of the owners of the company responsible for the new film told Variety:

The ratings have changed, The PG-13 has increased in intensity.

And the other had this to say about the marketing plan for the new film.

Our merchandising program will be the largest to date for The Terminator, We won't force it. We are carrying on in the tradition of the mythology, with an exciting approach to the action. If we can make a compelling film to reach the widest audience, why wouldn't we do it?

This worries me as it looks like the Halcyon Co., who bought the rights to the franchise last year, are mostly interested in making more money and selling action figures and lunchboxes. The two owners are an ex ad agency boss and a former broker, it sounds to me like they are using the franchise as a cash cow, with no real interest in the Terminator mythology.

I can't help but think that a watered down version of Terminator will be a disaster. It feels like they are taking a much loved franchise, and altering it for the wrong reasons. Die Hard 4.0 went for the PG-13 rating and whilst it made more money, even Bruce Willis hinted that it was frustrating to not be able to go as far as the previous films.

Do you think the rating change will make a huge difference to your enjoyment of the film? Can you really see a Terminator action figure?