As if there was any doubt, Halcyon Pictures honcho Victor Kucibek confirmed today that Christian Bale is signed on for not one, but three Terminator films. I’m pretty sure most people already knew that. McG’s Terminator 4 will begin a three picture story arc about the future war between man and machines. Bale plays John Conner, the leader of the human rebel faction. Sam Worthington is the star of the new trilogy, as Marcus, one of the survivors fighting the machines under Connor’s leadership. Anton Yelchin is also on board as Kyle Reese.
You can make all the snide comments about McG that you want, but it’s obvious to me that Halcyon has really thought this one over. This is not just another sloppy sequel. They have hired a team of talented actors and have a gameplan to do what few franchises have done before this time. You can say that George Lucas planned for six (or if you read old interviews, nine) Star Wars films when he went into production on A New Hope, and you can tell me how The Wachowski Brothers supposedly had a plan for a trilogy of Matrix films, but I just don’t buy it. I’m sure they had a tentative treatment of things that would happen, but the resulting films prove that it wasn’t a well written plan (for example: The Leia kiss). With this new Terminator series, we’re talking about a story told over the course of three films. Think Lord of the Rings. Imagine all the possibilities. Put your pessimism away for a second and think about how cool it could possibly be.
source: BBC
May 20th, 2008 at 2:36 pm
Totally agree, I’m looking forward to this one. Hopefully it could sort of be like my generation’s Mad Max trilogy. A giant action packed post apocalyptic movie series would be sweet. Christian Bale is always a reliable actor and say what you will about McG but I very much enjoyed the first Charlie’s Angels, and thought We Are Marshall was good.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
this is a cool idea, if they have it set in the future when the machines have taken over. I can see it being pretty interesting, but for me, it all falls apart if the CG doesnt look real. not to sound like a fan boy, but iron man showed me how good CG can look. i literally forgot that it was CG when i saw that movie. if they pull that off, the rest will fall into place. it already has good actors and a solid story
May 20th, 2008 at 2:39 pm
It may be cool but I wonder how that will lay out when its time to sit down and watch one and then wait two years for the next one.
I mean LoTR killed me with the length of the movies and the second movie just left me with a big meh … by the third film I just wanted it to end.
I am not a fan of LoTR but it is a good story and the movies had good acting, directing, look & feel .. all that jazz but it just drug out way too long
May 20th, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I’m pretty open-minded about this. I love Christian Bale as an actor and think that, recently, he’s been involved in some pretty cool roles. I can’t see him agreeing to do this if he thought it would suck. I’m eager to hear more info about it [the movie] in the coming months.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
“Imagine all the possibilities. Put your pessimism away for a second and think about how cool it could possibly be.”
Or how bout Bladerunner 2 & 3?
Or better yet….a prequel to Bladerunner!!? See Dekard when he was the best young bladerunner around. It could be a mini series.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:48 pm
Christian Bale is the only thing holding my interest in this movie. They made a great move by signing him; without Bale, everyone on the internet would be up-in-arms about the faggot who directed “Charlie’s Angels II: Full Throttle” trying to live up to James Cameron.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:53 pm
Well thought out plan doesn’t neccessarily mean good. So you doubt the original Stars Wars trilogy was well planned out. Well, the prequel trilogy was well planned out by Lucas so much so he made Palpaltine’s identity a secret for most of the series for future generations who view the series starting from Phantom Menance all the way through Return of the Jedi. Now I ask, which trilogy was better? The well planned out prequels or tacked on original trilogy?
Jar Jar Binks was well thought out by Lucas and actually had a larger role in the last two prequels until the negative backlash. He came up with the Ewoks at the last minute when he decided to scrap the Wookie idea. So that tells me that you can come up with a bad idea if you spend a lot of time planning or just making things up on the fly.
May 20th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
While I will try to keep an optimistic view for the movie, I am finding the “3 picture deal” more and more obsolete. What is the point of having one if the only time you can enforce it is if the movie is only moderately successful? If the movie is a huge success like Iron Man you can just say fuck our deal I want more like RDJ did. Why do they keep doing these if they’re so apparently useless when it comes to being an actual enforceable contract?
May 20th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
jonny: your comparison is somewhat flawed because we’re talking about a new trilogy featuring characters who are largely not part of the original three films. Sure John Connor is involved, but I’m pretty sure the John Conner in this series is night and day compared to the whiney kid in the last two films.
Rob: Do you really believe that George Lucas had the prequels planned out more than a small outline? Because I still don’t.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:00 pm
Either way, the proof is in the pudding and I am willing to wait and see what happens. Like I could stop them anyway. This could totally suck or it could be the beginning of something good. We have had a distinct lack of post-apoc films lately and I for one am all about bringing humanity to its knees.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:11 pm
I like him as an actor. I think he’ll do a good job at it. Although, not the same as Arnold….
May 20th, 2008 at 3:17 pm
YOURE a pessimism!!!! J/k hehe sounds cool.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
our pessimism may be pre-emptive, but it is not unwaranted by any means - McG doesn’t have the best reume in town, and cool cinematography does not a good director make. i’m hoping these films will have less style and more drama. the fall and rise of humanity deserves: anger, heartache, revenge, death, sacrifice, triumph, wit, dark humor, love etc..way more than it calls for dizzying effects, cool Avid tricks, and sexy female killing machines.
however, every artist in this industry who has turned in a shit film/performance, is absolutely allowed the chance to turn a corner and do something great. you guys will laugh at me, but i truly believe with the right script/director lindsey lohan could get a kick ass indie role and become an amazing actress. that is what McG needs to do here, and while i was all geared up to continue bashing this, i don’t mind putting my pessimism on hold for a bit and seeing if all this planning and casting can be backed by strong execution. i hope he’s the right guy to do it.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:43 pm
I like Bale a lot. But these films are going to suck fat, fly-covered, donkey dick.
May 20th, 2008 at 3:51 pm
@ captain awesome
well, you know thats the best kind
May 20th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
@ Peter.
I was being serious. I was putting down my pessimisms and that was what I really would like to see is more bladerunner films. Or a bladerunner tv show.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
When I heard Bale was Conner I thought “Holy insecure emo-bitch, Batman!”, but then I remembered just how good an actor he is. This new trilogy has potential, much more with Bale committed, but I’m still not convinced. The next few years should be interesting to watch how they play out.
I do very much hope these films are great, though,… and don’t have a dozen years between their respective releases.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:19 pm
Peter Sciretta, I actually do think Lucas planned out the prequels. I just think he has fallen too in love with the special effects and forgot what made the original trilogy special (good characters, a strong mythology, heart, etc.). If anything I think he overthought the prequels. That is why the whole Trade Federation crap was so complex and uninteresting.
Personally, I think it is positive to not go in with a plan at times. It allows the film makers to take the story where it naturally progresses or resonnates with the fans with out trying to force a character or storyline throught the series that doesn’t fit. Jar Jar Binks is a perfect example. Lucas expected for people to embrace Jar Jar and planned him to be an intrical part of the trilogy who ended up being dispised by anyone over the age of six. He made cameos as a high level politician in subsequent movies because he was pivotal to Lucas’ plan to make Palpaltine the Emporer.
May 20th, 2008 at 4:42 pm
This is not just another sloppy sequel. They have hired a team of talented actors and have a gameplan to do what few franchises have done before this time.
I agree with you there. I really want this to be good!!!
May 20th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
I just hope Michael Biehn gets at least a cameo role. For me, he’s what made Terminator so good.
May 20th, 2008 at 7:44 pm
I just wish that the money and effort to put up a trilogy of films could be spent on something entirely original. Instead, we have to keep on sucking whatever life is left from legendary characters created in the 1980’s.
Once again, I’m glad I got to experience all of this stuff when it was originally created. I hope these younger generations get to enjoy their own film icons someday.
McfreakinG.
although….I would love it if we could pretend that Alien3,4 and more could be tossed to a dream sequence and the Alien universe could get it’s proper stories. Yes, I’m hypocritically confused.
May 20th, 2008 at 8:13 pm
Barf, barf, barf.
More, more, more sequels. Can Hollywood get any more stupid these days?
May 21st, 2008 at 9:58 am
All 3 Matrix movies were filmed back to back so the brothers definitely planned the trilogy from the start. It was actually more like one movie that they cut into 3.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:12 pm
PG-13. ‘Nuff said.
May 21st, 2008 at 5:13 pm
PG-13. Nuff said.