Right on the heels of Pacificor winning the rights to Terminator, its future seemed dim. Does Pacificor have the resources to make any Terminator films? No – They are a financial fund who are just sitting on the rights hoping to make their money back on any money the property would bring in.
But I didn’t think we would see action this quick on their intentions. Seems that Pacificor has turned around and openned up negotiations with Lionsgate or Sony to create more Terminator films. The two studios they outbid to secure the property in the first place.
Pacificor just wanted control and their peice of the pie. Smart move.
But then comes news that William Wisher – James Cameron’s writing partner on the first two Terminator films has a two film treatment that will allow for more Terminator films, and people are getting pretty pumped about the premise.
Wisher’s 2-picture construct takes place in a post-apocalyptic battleground, and factors in an element of time travel that allows for Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese to interact beyond their single fateful meeting when he traveled back in time to protect her in the original film. Wisher has created a role for Arnold Schwarzenegger that is as surprising as his shift from villain in the first film, to John Connor’s bodyguard in the second. Schwarzenegger wouldn’t be needed until the final film, which wouldn’t shoot until after he ends his term as California Governor. And who wouldn’t want to see Linda Hamilton back in aerobic top fitness form as Sarah Connor?
Wait, what?
So the plan is to keep moving forward into the story that doesn’t need to be told and reveal that an older Sarah Connor had contact through time with Kyle Reese? Sorry.. that doesn’t work for me at all.
What made Terminator an amazing story (aside from all the action) is that this time travelling bodyguard from a war torn future is sent to protect the mother of the resistance leader. The big twist is that he becomes the father of that resistance leader when he has one night of passion with Sarah Connor. HE HAD NO KNOWLEDGE that he would do that. Fate decided that he would create that momentary connection with Sarah and in a moment of passion he would seed his own future’s salvation.
If they change the story to allow for Reese to KNOW he will love her, then it takes away that connection and replaces it with a duty. I don’t want to see that at all.
And writing in a story JUST to bring Arnie back? Weaksauce.
As I said before, Terminator Salvation proved to me that there was nothing left to tell in this epic story, and I can safely ignore parts 3 and 4 and enjoy the franchise in its original two glorious films.
It will probably happen – purely for the money, and the Terminator story will continue to be diluted with more weak empty sensationalism (even talks of Transforming terminators that combine into killing machines – sigh) and it will lose any of the deep emotional core of the franchise.
It might get resurrected. But like in the Monkey Paw, it wont be the same, and you might not like what you get.
