Universal to take over ‘Terminator’ franchise with Arnold Schwarzengger returning, Justin Lin directing?
Shortly after Arnold Schwarzenegger left the Governor’s Mansion and Tweeted his desire to resume his acting career, there seems to finally be some action on his signature franchise, The Terminator.
Deadline reports that Universal is an interested party, seeking a directing vehicle for Justin Lin. Lin helmed the last three installments of The Fast and the Furious franchise, including the latest Fast Five, which Universal releases April 29. The report says Lin will pair with Chris Morgan, who also worked on Fast Five, as well as the upcoming Keanu Reeves actioner 47 Ronin and Wanted.
Since being acquired in bankruptcy court last February by Santa Monica-based hedge fund Pacificor for $29.5 million, The Terminator has not come up in any news from the studio, who is seeking big project films to use with the advances in 3D technology.
Before the bankruptcy happened, McG had been expected to continue the apocalyptic storyline he started with the Christian Bale-Sam Worthington pic Terminator Salvation, but that attachment ended with the bankruptcy.
Right around the time the bankruptcy was settled, Deadline also reported that William Wisher–James Cameron’s collaborator on Terminator 2 and an uncredited co-writer on the original, wrote a 24-page treatment for the next film and a four-page concept outline for a sixth Terminator film. His version continued the post-apocalyptic battleground scenario from Terminator Salvation, but added in the element of time travel. It will be most interesting to see what shape this franchise takes.
