Terminator Salvation director McG has revealed that he has already planned a further two sequels in the sci-fi franchise.
Speaking to MTV Movies, the helmer suggested that the fate of the follow-ups will depend on how well the upcoming fourth instalment performs at the box office.
"I would never presume there would be another picture - that is up to the audience. But if the audience jumps up and likes it and wants another one, Christian [Bale] and I have been talking about it and we’ll see what happens," he explained.
"You have to see how the film is received and that’s in the hands of the fans."
However, he admitted that the ending of Terminator Salvation had been left open so as to complement a possible sequel.
"There’s an arc of story [in the new sequels]. This arc will be left open with the ending of Salvation, which will point to a Terminator 5 film. The ending is indeed elliptical and it challenges the audience," he said.
"It’s not a happy little bow of an ending at all. The ending is tough and requires reflection, and in some degrees it bifurcates the audience. You walk back to the car and one person thinks it means this, and the other person thinks it means that."
Terminator Salvation opens in the US on May 21 and the UK on June 3.
I loved t2, T3 was only OK. T1 wasn't bad but i nevr got that in to it.
I never thought they woudl make the futrue wars for real. That was the only thing that impressed me about t3 , judgment day actually happening.
Chief of Staff, 007's gone round the bend. Says someone's been trying to feed him a poisoned banana. Fellow's lost his nerve. Been in the hospital too long. Better call him home.
The makers of Terminator: Salvation have said that star Christian Bale forced a major rewrite on the upcoming movie.
The actor was initially approached by director McG to play the part of main character Marcus Wright, according to Reuters.
However, he insisted that he wanted to play John Connor, a role that was initially just a small part of the fourth film in the franchise.
The director said that he worked tirelessly with the Dark Knight star to incorporate the character as a more prominent presence and that the script became a challenge as a result.
"A lot of the work was integrating [Connor] into scenes... and having that feel integral and sensible, as opposed to grafted on just because there was a star in the part," screenwriter John Brancato said.
The latest instalment will now feature equal screen time for the characters of John Connor and Marcus Wright (Sam Worthington), a fellow freedom fighter waging war against the machines.
Terminator Salvation opens in the US on May 21 and the UK on June 3.
Terminator Salvation has been met with generally unfavourable reviews by US film critics.
The hotly-anticipated sci-fi sequel, directed by McG and starring Christian Bale and Sam Worthington, has failed to impress the movie industry's top reviewers.
Roger Ebert of the Chicago Sun Times said that the blockbuster "raises many questions about the lines between man and machine. Raises them, and then leaves them levitating", adding that the relentless action sequences "give all the pleasure of a video game without the bother of having to play it".
Time's review criticised Christian Bale's performance as freedom fighter John Connor, calling it "surprisingly soulless, hitting the same dour notes he uses for Batman", while The Hollywood Reporter said that "there's little sign of life where the flatly executed human component is concerned".
Screen International's John Hazelton said that the film possesses "very little of the human drama - or humour - that gave the original films their broader appeal".
The New York Times, however, was happier with the franchise's latest entry, noting that it has "a brute integrity lacking in some of the other seasonal franchise movies" and "feels both comfortable with its limitations and justly proud of its accomplishments".
Terminator Salvation opens today in the US and in the UK on June 3.
After I saw this it gave me more doubts about the new terminator movie.
Christian Bale forces "Terminator" rewrite
By Alex Dobuzinskis
ADVERTISEMENT
LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - British actor Christian Bale forced a rewrite of upcoming action movie "Terminator Salvation," because his star had grown too big for the small role of John Connor he chose, the filmmakers said on Friday.
Director McG, whose real name is Joseph McGinty Nichol, said he had the disconcerting experience of going to England to convince Bale to play central character Marcus Wright in the man vs. machines film, only to have Bale tell the director he wanted to play Connor instead.
McG told reporters that the script was a "moving target" that became a filmmaking challenge, and that he worked day and night with Bale, who starred last year in box office smash "The Dark Knight," talking about how to work Connor into the movie.
Connor is an iconic character in the film franchise that began in 1984 with "The Terminator," but his role was originally small in the series' fourth movie, "Terminator Salvation," which debuts in theaters on May 21.
"A lot of the work was integrating (Connor) into scenes ... and having that feel integral and sensible, as opposed to grafted on just because there was a star in the part," John Brancato, a screenwriter on the film, told reporters.
He said originally the main character was Marcus Wright, an executed death row inmate who donates his body to science, and re-emerges alive after machines have taken over the world by unleashing a nuclear holocaust on mankind. In the movie, Connor and Wright become equally important characters.
Wright is played by Australian actor Sam Worthington.
Bale said that he asked to be consulted about who would play Worthington opposite him.
"There's a benefit of currently a lot of people in the States not being familiar with him, and so you can really enjoy that performance that much more," Bale said. "He's got so many movies that are going to be coming out, because many other people have realized that he's bloody good."
(Reporting by Alex Dobuzinskis: Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)
Chief of Staff, 007's gone round the bend. Says someone's been trying to feed him a poisoned banana. Fellow's lost his nerve. Been in the hospital too long. Better call him home.
Seems like Bale is throwing his weight around and it may not be to the betterment of the movie.
I read a spoiler about the ending which I hope is wrong.
Chief of Staff, 007's gone round the bend. Says someone's been trying to feed him a poisoned banana. Fellow's lost his nerve. Been in the hospital too long. Better call him home.
Favorite Bond Movie: Moonraker Goldfinger The Spy Who Loved Me
Favorite Movies: Raiders of the Lost Ark, Crazy For Christmas, The Empire Strikes Back, League of Gentlemen (1960's British film), Big Trouble in Little China, Police Academy 2, Carry On At Your Convenience, Commando, Halloween III: Season of the Witch,
Sam Worthington was Campbell's choice for Bond 21.
Bale is considered fair game by critics. He may have gotten too big for his britches. I don't know. But looking through the reviews I hardly see any bending over backwards to say what a "talented actor" he is then blast his latest performance. His last strangely robotic performance if we are to believe the critics. Sounds vaguely familiar. But... Nah! That guy had talent and this guy Bale didn't bring the goods to the screen
Mazer Rackham wrote:Sam Worthington was Campbell's choice for Bond 21.
Bale is considered fair game by critics. He may have gotten too big for his britches. I don't know. But looking through the reviews I hardly see any bending over backwards to say what a "talented actor" he is then blast his latest performance. His last strangely robotic performance if we are to believe the critics. Sounds vaguely familiar. But... Nah! That guy had talent and this guy Bale didn't bring the goods to the screen
I've always been a fan of Christian Bale, but this new Terminator film does seem an odd choice for him.
Favorite Bond Movie: The Dark Knight Trilogy, Mission: Impossible, Kingsman: The Secret Service and The November Man or any upcoming actioners starring Pierce Brosnan (no, it's not James Bond which is good since it will help him expand his reputation as an actor especially in the action realm)
Favorite Movies: Star Wars Indiana Jones Star Trek The Dark Knight Trilogy Harry Potter Middle-Earth The Matrix Mission: Impossible The Mummy Jurassic Park Godzilla
Mazer Rackham wrote:Sam Worthington was Campbell's choice for Bond 21.
Bale is considered fair game by critics. He may have gotten too big for his britches. I don't know. But looking through the reviews I hardly see any bending over backwards to say what a "talented actor" he is then blast his latest performance. His last strangely robotic performance if we are to believe the critics. Sounds vaguely familiar. But... Nah! That guy had talent and this guy Bale didn't bring the goods to the screen
I've always been a fan of Christian Bale, but this new Terminator film does seem an odd choice for him.
Terminator Salvation is not looking too good, bad reviews and less than inspiring BO. Both Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian (probably finish about $66m) and Terminator Salvation (maybe $55m) are not preforming as strongly as their predecessors. This might be a case for the economy being a deciding factor. Sadly in Salvation's case Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines sold more tickets in the same time.
Terminator Salvation has a worldwide take of $118million. It cost over $200m.
Bad news is it is experiencing a bigger drop off than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Mazer Rackham wrote:Terminator Salvation has a worldwide take of $118million. It cost over $200m.
Bad news is it is experiencing a bigger drop off than Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines
Yep, its box office seems to be fan-driven, unlike Star Trek, which seems to have appeal beyond the fans, judging by its box office legs.
"He's the one that doesn't smile" - Queen Elizabeth II on Daniel Craig
