The Future Of The ‘Terminator’ Franchise Is Uncertain
Paramount Pictures and Skydance were really hoping thatTerminator: Genisyswould be a hit to reinvigorate the popular but struggling sci-fi franchise originally launched byJames Cameronin 1984. But despiteendorsement by theAvatarfilmmaker, the flick hasn’t really impressed fans or critics, and withjust $278 million at the worldwide box officeso far (only just over $81 million of that from the US), it’s not nearly as successful as the studio hoped.
Way before the film even hit theaters, Paramounthad set dates for two Terminator sequelsto arrive onMay 19th, 2017, andJune 29th, 2018, with the assumption that they would be shot back-to-back. But now the future of theTerminatorfranchise is uncertain.
Find out more about the potentialTerminatorsequels after the jump! (Spoilers aheadforGenisys.)
THRhas the report on the future of theTerminatorfranchise, with one Paramount source saying, “We will definitely need to see the holds globally to confirm that people like the film.” For a franchise that always hasArnold Schwarzeneggertout, “I’ll be back,” it sounds like it’s no longer a foregone conclusion.
The dating of future sequels is never a sure thing. Release dates not only get switched all the time, but more often than not, news of sequels are announced and dated to give the audience more confidence and reason to see the forthcoming film. If they know that this is the beginning of a longer story with more chapters, then they might be more inclined to check it out.
In the case ofTerminator: Genisys, the sequels seem wholly necessary in determining just what the hell was going on in the convoluted, unnecessarily complex time travel of the story. If you haven’t seenTerminator: Genisysand you don’t want to hear anyspoilers, then stop reading right now.
InGenisys, we learn thatMatt Smith’s character is Skynet, now taking on a tangible form. But this is not the same Skynet we know. Writer Laeta Kalogridis explained:
“He’s not from this timeline. He’s from an alternate universe, in the multiverse, another of the many universes that exist. That Skynet is not from that timeline. This Skynet has been to this universe, and this universe, and this universe. That’s why he says, “I came a very long way to stop you.” He’s not from here. So he’s watched it. He’s watched it happen a bunch of different times, and each time he’s seen it there is a different result but the same result.”
This change in the mythology of Terminator seems to be meant to set up a future that would likely involve much more time travel and messing with other timelines. There’s even a credits scene that shows Matt Smith’s Skynet is still alive, and would likely be back to cause trouble in sequels that would help explain how he came to be like this, and maybe even what he’s done in other Terminator timelines. But honestly,Terminator: Genisysdid nothing to get me excited for anymore sequels, so I don’t have an investment in seeing what happens.
But now that future remains uncertain even with actors likeJ.K. Simmons(easily the best part ofTerminator: Genisys)signed on for sequels already. We’ll just have to wait and see what happens. For more on the future of theTerminatorfranchise and the rest of Skydance Productions lucrative properties, check outour interview with executives David Ellison and Dana Goldbergright here.
Do you want to see more Terminator movies? Did you likeTerminator: Genisys?
