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Terminator Salvation Producers Clear Up Rumors

by Alex Billington
December 5, 2007
Source: Entertainment Weekly

The big talk all around the internet this past week was about Christian Bale being cast in Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins aka Terminator 4. At first it was just a rumor, but a few confirmations are starting to solidify his involvement. Entertainment Weekly caught up with Derek Anderson, Victor Kubicek, and Moritz Borman, the three producers on the film, and got them to clear up a number of rumors. They confirm that Christian Bale is in as John Connor, not the Terminator, and that Connor is the main character, not just a supporting one. They also bring up some interesting details surrounding the other lead character, saying that, "it's questionable if he's an enemy or not."

The guys at EW.com kick it off by asking to clarify the rumor straight up.

"There's a hugely engaged fan base for this mythology. There are over a million fan sites out there. And they've been really waiting for this next installment, so as soon as word got out [that Bale was being considered], everybody started speculating: Is he the Terminator? Is he John Connor? Is it a new role that we haven't seen in the franchise in the past? Where that came from, we're not really sure. But he was always being considered for Connor."

The three go on to also clarify just exactly what Connor's involvement is in the film, considering the rumor that he was just a supporting role.

ANDERSON: John Connor is an ongoing, very central character throughout the next trilogy.
KUBICEK: Exactly. The mythology, really at the root of it, is the birth of the hero. John Connor is this modern-day, messianic figure that is going to lead our franchise forward.
ANDERSON: He's leading the fight for the salvation of humanity against the machines. So he's very important.

So yes, John Connor is the star, and yes, Christian Bale is Connor. As for the rest of the plot, which is what everyone wants to know, this where they begin to tease. "There's gonna be another major co-star with kind of equal presence in this installment." But who is this character? It's not Arnold back as the Terminator, so who is it? "It is a new character introduced in the mythology that's not replacing Arnold [Schwarzenegger]. It's not like he's stepping into Arnold's shoes. It's a completely new character." Is it a Terminator at least? "No, not really. That's one of the big twists..."

Obviously we won't know the full answer to those questions until Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins arrives in theaters in 2009. But Kubicek teases, and confuses, with a bit more: "And it's questionable if he's an enemy or not. That's not necessarily resolved." However, to round things out and finalize the update, Derek Anderson delivers one final statement that definitely gets me excited.

"It's a really interesting time in the franchise because it's where all the fans have always wanted the franchise to go, and it hasn't to date, which is the post-apocalyptic world. It's after judgment day. So because we're in a different time in the mythology, it introduces a whole new set of circumstances and characters."

I've got a good feeling about these three and about the direction Terminator Salvation: The Future Begins is heading. You've got Charlie's Angels' McG in the director's chair, Christian Bale in the lead role, and three producers who are very familiar with the mythology and franchise. I don't think you can go too wrong there!

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Related categories: Casting, Movie News

http://www.williammize.com William Mize

I'm thinking that this must be a remarkable script and the pitch for a trilogy must have been brilliant to get Christian Bale involved. Wonder if he's signed for one or all three? The only thing that gives me the willies is the participation of McG. He's shown me nothing that proves he can handle this sort of film. Charlie's Angels? We Are Marshall? My jury is still out.
http://terminator-4-trailer.blogspot.com Terminator 4

What about Vin Diesel in Terminator 4? Was it an hoax? Do you have any info? Coz, I would love to see him in T4! He would fill the role left by Shwarzy!
Nathan

Just throwing this out there... ...Kyle Reese?
Zach

This is definitely not a move that I wanted to see Christian Bale make. I seriously hope he hasn't signed on for all three.
t4fan

They should keep Arnold, man boobs and all.
David

Bale Would be good as john connor. But they really need to keep Arnold as the terminator, 2 reason's. 1. Because thats his film (enough said) and 2. In terminator 3 The terminator (Arnold) says that in the future he kills john connor. 1 more thing, they should just call it TERMINATOR 4 - SALVATION
puto gordo

this website is fake i spoke to my uncle who knows one of the directors of t4, and he says they're using rolph ludgren (universal soldier, rocky 4) as the new terminator.
http://firstshowing.net 904Diva

I'm TOTALLY EXCITED!!! I'm a HUGE Terminator fan and absolutely LOVED T3. I'm even excited about the television series The Sarah Connor Chronicles. So yes, I'm very excited. Ludgren is a great choice for a bad terminator. And I like the name David gave it... Terminator 4 - Salvation!
David

Same here 904Diva. i thought T3 was really good, alot of people do not agree. i think its because before most people seen the film they already made up there mind and said it was shit. When does the terminator series start anyway?
Stev

"Just throwing this out there… …Kyle Reese?" God yes, he's a major character for the new trilogy! He's got to be in there somewhere. Lets drop with the whole Arnie thing as well, please, if anything he should make a cameo when it comes to the final film, just before the Time Displacement Machine is scrapped by the humans. Wghile we are at it, lets drop the whole, its another cyborg/android set back in time arc and lets just have the machine developing instead, with the first Terminators with rubber skin making an appereance in the 2nd film.
Steve

Also looking forward to seeing the make-up on Bale for when John Connor has those scars on his face (those shown in T2 & T3), will we perhaps see him gain those marks...
Adam

"The only thing that gives me the willies is the participation of McG. He's shown me nothing that proves he can handle this sort of film. Charlie's Angels? We Are Marshall? My jury is still out" As far as movies go, Mcg hasn't really hit on much. He is a producer/director on the tv show Supernatural..if he brings some elements of that into this movie, then it should work and be a perfect fit. "This is definitely not a move that I wanted to see Christian Bale make. I seriously hope he hasn't signed on for all three." I just wanted to say I agree...but the saving grace is that they're trying to start a new kind of trilogy and in so far, with Bale playing him, it looks like a new bad ass kind of John Conner. I don't think Bale is the type to blow his load and sign up for three movies at once...he didn't do that with the batman movies...
David

Why in the hell do people keep complaining about T3 and how it sucked and didn't follow the rest of the trilogy, “WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM" T3 was awesome compared to the other 2 films? T3 did make a lot of sense weather you agree or disagree, I know it wasn't absolutely perfect and long enough but anyways it was still really good regarding the characters and the action and the technology used, and also the special effects used in the movie through out the story. "WHAT", YOU THINK T4 WILL BE BETTER AND MAKE MORE SENCE, THINK AGAIN", if Christian bale plays as John Conner and a new character for Katherine Bruster and above all if Arnold isn't going to be the next T4 or in other words be in the movie at all, this movie is going to be the worst terminator movie up to date just another pile of B.S. like the stupid non-making sense series the chronicles of Sarah Conner (WHAT THE HELL IS THAT SUPOSE TO MEAN??), which really embarrassed and ruined the whole trilogy and the whole business franchise by making it, it's just sad really sad what they did...... I have a feeling this new trilogy is going to be a big waste of time unless that is if Arnold plays the terminator just like in T3, because remember in the movie T3 when the terminator jumped under the giant blast door and held it while John went through and said "thank you" and then Arnold said " will meet again" so that should mean he's going to be in T4 which I really hope he will be " it just won't be the same without him" I assume everyone agrees on that, and same goes for Nick Stahl and Claire Danes there just the right actors and the right people for the set. Why in the world do they keep complaining about how the story doesn’t follow??? "YOU KNOW WHY? I'LL TELL YOU WHY BECAUSE, THEY ALLWAYS KEEP CHANGING THE DAMN CHARACTERS, THAT’S WHY IT DOESN’T QUITE FOLLOW THE STORY, THE WAY IT SHOULD BE". And by the way why Christian bale out of all the actors who could play as John Conner way better then him "WHY HIM ...why?? "You know what" I really hope the people involved in making this film and planing it will take a second look and actually see what there missing ( I just hope you guy's will make the right choice, this is a big franchise we're talking about here).
http://rarebloodtype@yahoo.com John Sabala

Get the fuck out of here with that comment you little shit, Nick Stahl and Clair Danes sucked as an actor, expecially Nick. HE DOESN'T LOOK like a Hero type, He looks like a punk cry baby that anyone can beat his ass. Thats why James Cameron chose a specific 40 year old John Conner to play in Terminator 2, He needed to look like a leader and he did. so Fuck what you are talking about that Christian Bale is a bad choice. And Terminator 3 Did SUCK.
Alex

I could see another ONE more movie, but a trilogy (again)? All in the future? There will be a lot of filler. I could see a cameo with Arnold in a scene where he kills John Connor, which would have to be in the last movie of the new trilogy, but they would have to film that scene now as Arnold is just getting older and more out of shape. I think Christian Bale will be an excellent John Connor, best yet. but McG? That scares me. he is terrible. TERRIBLE. 2 words. Charlie's Angels.
GB

Arnold isn't gonna be in this latest installment of the Terminator series I read. What a bummer, I'd rather they didn't even do another Terminator if there gonna leave the big man out.....It's like doing another Rambo, without Sly, whats the point? Those guys make the movies.
Lonnie Logan

I think Christian Bale will make an brilliant John Connor, simply because he is an extremely talented actor who will inject pathos and depth into the role that most actors of his generation would struggle to do.Furthermore the rumors that McG might direct remains debatable,simply because he might turn out to be the wild card that makes the next film in the series a classic. However only time will tell as long as the story and characters are developed and refined properly to help make Terminator Salvation box office hit for 2009. lonnlg@aol.com
steven

I hope the director and the producers fall on their knees and beg Arnold to come back and do the role of the terminator cause if there's no him in the movie..., then this is just another ordinary summer flick designed and produced just to fill up the theaters during the holiday season in hoping to make a couple of bucks at the box-office. Nobody will have the urge to watch it if there is no Arnold in the movie. There's no meaning in watching the movie. The 1st question they will ask is "NO ARNIE ??" and this itself will put them off from watching it..at least half of the urge.. There is no one on earth that can fit on the role of the terminator than Arnold Schwarzenegger, unless they look for somebody on the planet Mars... maybe they can . Nevertheless, terminator movies became famous because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Without him in the movies, i highly doubt that anybody would have recognized these movies today including myself.. I would have recognized it as another cheapskate cyborg movie that's all!!! And fans will force them-self to watch it just because they think it's their responsibility that they need to do since they are fans of terminator trilogy... Pray to god Arnie comes back or not this movie will end up as just another rubbish/crap on the silver screen. If they can put Harrison ford back as Professor Indiana Jones and Bruce Willis as John Mclane in Die Hard 4, obviously they can do it for Terminator.. if they think Arnold is too old for that role, it's just another lame excuse for being laaaazzzzyyyyy!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :-0 And one more thing, Christin Bale looks like the best choice for John conner.. He has that though rough look suitable to take on the machines and also a leader.....
Schmevick

All the terminators did not look like Arnold, or they would have been to easy to spot. The whole idea of making them look human was so they could blend in and be executioners. It makes more sense to the story if Arnold does NOT appear in the movies. There is another issue with timing, immediately following Judgment Day the Arnold model did not exist yet, the terminators were still very machine like. It is very possible there will not even be a terminator in the first movie that even resembles a human. It is one thing to be a fan of Arnie and want to see hi, but it is another to try and force him into the story for the sake of a cameo. He would make no sense at all in this movie!
Steve

"Nevertheless, terminator movies became famous because of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Without him in the movies, i highly doubt that anybody would have recognized these movies today including myself.. I would have recognized it as another cheapskate cyborg movie that's all!!!" No way, it was the film that lauched Arnie's career. It would of been a classic movie without him and with James Cam behind the first film and the fact he had other successful films means that he could of pushed for another film. T1 is a classic, Arnie just made the role his own that's all.
HollyhoodMan

wellllllll since they efed up the third one by not having the original john conner in it....which i knew was gunna happen im just gunna go ahead and throw out an ending or guess who that new person is there introducing hmm...its probly his freaken dad from before he went back into past in the first one and they fight side by side...and technically his dad wouldnt even kno that jon was his son because he died in the past before jon was born. im just guessin thoooo
anis

terminator salvation is gonna super flop...................
braytown

I think in one of the future films they should have Arnie in it as a scientist who invents the original terminator in his own likeness, that way they can humanise him and the age won't be an issue!! could be a flash back sequence of some sort, just so that he is involved one way or another. As you can probably tell, he is one of my hero's and I'm not relishing the thought of him not being involved at all.
Anthony

There has been no new "terminator" films for 18 years now. No james cameron, No arnold, No edward furlong = No terminator. I certianly wont be spending money to see this joke especially after the last "film".
Cree

Every one in this forum who was saying this would be terrible was just hit by an epic fail it was very good and the russian guy fom rocky 4 wasnt in there at all.