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Terminator Returning in a New Animated Movie? - Updated!

by Ethan Anderton
August 13, 2010
Source: Deadline

The last rumblings we heard about Terminator back in February had two very different takes on the future of the sci-fi franchise. While it was uncovered that Bill Wisher, an original franchise writer, had treatments for two more installments in the series, James Cameron himself stated that even he thought the franchise had "run its course." Well, it seems like neither of those revelations have impacted the decision from a small film company called Hanover House to develop Terminator 3000, a $70 million 3D animated feature looking to stay at a PG-13 level. However, no writer, director or actors are mentioned as part of new venture.

Usually if you announce a new film from a popular franchise, you'll want to make a big bang by mentioning recognizable talent to get people excited, but this seems like a quiet announcement to the Hollywood clique. It's like saying, "We're playing tag over here," as opposed to yelling, "Peyton Manning is throwing footballs out in the field!" My bet is that this project has some trouble getting off the ground and could very well get swept under the rug as a straight-to-DVD title. Apparently details of the production timing, financing and principal production personnel [will be announced] later this year with a plan to start production in January 2011. Honestly I don't really care about seeing an animated Terminator movie (right now anyway), I'd much rather see a competent filmmaker tackle Bill Wisher's promising treatments. What do you guys think?

Update: It looks like Hannover House's announcement was just a bit premature. Apparently Terminator rights holder Pacificor LLC sent a cease and desist letter to Hannover House to stop development on the film featuring characters for which they don't own any intellectual rights (reported via Deadline). However, Hannover isn't entirely out of line since executive Eric Parkinson, who once ran the home video division of Hemdale Communications (maker of the original Terminator), said he has certain rights allowing him to make the film. "The animation rights were excluded when Hemdale sold Terminator to Carolco and when I left Hemdale, part of my settlement was that I got those rights."

If anything, this just seems like a sneaky way of getting Pacificor's attention and a meeting with their execs to try and get them on-board for this project. Parkinson says, "The best way to put it is, they can't make an animated film without me, and we might not be able to make it without them. We are in discussions with WME, and hope we can deal with this expeditiously." We'll have to see if that happens. On the other hand, I really hope the project is down for the count and won't be getting back up, just because I don't know many people who want a PG-13 animated Terminator movie. We'll keep you updated on this developing story.

Filed under Movie News, Opinions

From around the web:

Left hook and he's down!

PLEASE DON'T DESTORY THIS ASWELL !!!! sometimes the gimmick heavy handed hollywood fucks need to know and understand when NOT to wreck a film series. It's bad enough that they are going to make it (if they make it) a PG-13, but to tag the gimmick of 3D with it....(sigh)
o Toxin o

man why can't they just make 2 more real movies, term salvation was alright but a cg movie wtf i guess it'll be forever if any we see a sequel to salvation. what a waste .
http://digaphobia.com Mark

I agree, Salvation wasn't THAT bad. I liked it far more than the third one. This is just an effort to make some money off a series that can't seem to make any "real" money anymore.
o Toxin o

i liked how in salvation they actually paid homage to the 3rd one by using those small tank-like terminaters and how the H-K's look more evolved than the small ones in the 3rd.
Ar

Oh dear oh dear. Repeat after me......there are only 3 Terminator movies!.......there are only THREE Terminator movies!!!....just like there is only ONE Highlander movie!!!!!. It works!....try it!. Ignore all this new pretend CRAP!
John

Yay PG-13!!! F#@K!!!
Ron

I recently watched Terminator: Salvation again and it still left me wanting something more and hopefully better. I think they can still do a decent job even though it is PG-13. Look at all the DC and Marvel straight to DVD comic movies...Most of them (not all of them) are pretty good. Yes, I know it may not do justice to the hard R franchise but I willing to give it a shot if the story and the animation is good.
harrison

this is bound to suck, it needs to be live action, but not necessarily R
casting couch

This franchise, just like the cyborg itself, will not be stopped... no matter how bad things get. Let the Terminator end already.
J

Nooooo ok some body has to tell James Cameron to go old school and make a new Terminator movie instead of the nxt Avatar movie and it has 2 be R
http://arisenbe.blogspot.com zeph

The first i though when i was read this just solidifies my opinion that Hollywood is running low on ideas and creativity. Are they seriously going to ruin a series of movies with a substandard CG animated movie.
Wookie

@Zeph Hollywood should hire the people behind the World of Warcraft/StarCrat 2/Diablo 3/ the new star wars MMORPG cinamatic trailers to develop any and all CG movies that they adapt. Their creativity, usually 2-6 minute in length products, far outpace most CG movie to come out of Hollywood. Hell, the most recent Trailer for Star Wars Force Unleashed II, which was a good 3 minutes in length, was 1000X better than the SW Episode 1-3 and the clone wars animated movie.
Lee

I wouldn't knock it just because it's animated. You never know...this could be a really good project. Just like what #7 said, look at what DC and Marvel does with their animated movies. I recently watched the animated movie Batman: Under the Red Hood on Blue-Ray and it was phenomenal! I'm looking forward to a sequal to that Batman. In my opinion, they could have easily put that on the big screen. And I'm looking foward to the Superman/Batman: Apokalipse movie coming out next month. All in all, animation isn't a bad idea...but just like all movies with a large fan base, you have to do it right. If done right, it will be successful.
Lando

I think the only good terminators are 1 and 2!! the recent McG was ok but not very memorable.. I dont understand why they just dont use some of the Terminator comics story lines..same as ALILEN and PREDATOR, they had some very inventive NON HOLLYWOOD story lines in the comics that would make GREAT stand alone movies. Hollywood needs to use comics smarter! I hope Scott Pilgrim causes some changes in hollywood thinking..
Eric

I just recently re-watched T@ and was amazed at how well it has aged and is still so cool to watch. Personally I don't think you can really screw this franchise up anymore becuase everyone knows there are the Cameron movies and the non Cameron movies. The Cameron movies rocked and stand alone, everything else you can just look at and go, "Huh, how about that." I liked Salvation for what it was and would go see another one like it. It was not as good as the originals but it was pretty damn cool. Why do we have to stay focuse on John Connor etc? There are other characters in that univers, he does not need to be the focus. If this comes out and looks good I'll see it.