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Ellison Siblings Finally Close Deal for Terminator Rights to New Films
by Ethan Anderton
December 3, 2012
It's been a year and a half since a complicated rights deal began negotiations between Megan Ellison, founder of Annapurna Pictures and daughter of Oracle Corp. founder Larry Ellison, and Pacifcorp for the rights to the Terminator franchise. Now Deadline reports the deal has closed as Megan asked her brother David and his Skydance Productions banner to help out as a financial and creative partner. Now all Terminator films from here on out will both be under the Annapurna and Skydance names. However, the Terminator franchise has yet to find a new studio home, has no script and no longer has Fast Five director Justin Lin on board to direct, so there's no telling how soon we might actually see a sequel. More below!
Though Arnold Schwarzenegger agreed to come back as the Terminator, the real problem lied within the pricey deal for the franchise. But why? Well, the rights for Terminator revert back to James Cameron in 2019 and a studio wasn't sure they could have gotten a proposed three-film deal off the ground before the Avatar director gets his robots back. Of course, the law that allows his the rights to revert back to Cameron hasn't been tested yet so this might have all been for naught. But now the plan is to have two films made, and the Ellisons are starting from scratch.
These two siblings are quite the Hollywood powerhouse with Annapurna being behind some of the most acclaimed films of the year like The Master and Zero Dark Thirty, while Skydance has been pumping out blockbusters like Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol and the forthcoming films Jack Reacher, Star Trek Into Darkness and World War Z. Does this mean we might get to see someone like Tom Cruise join the resistance against machines, or maybe get J.J. Abrams on board for a Terminator movie? It's unlikely, but the prospect is interesting. Either way, Skydance has a home at Paramount so maybe the studio will end up getting on board. However, a new script is needed first, so we might be waiting a little while for updates.
30 Comments
1
I was looking forward to Lin directing a new Terminator flick, but as long as someone has it and it doesn't look like garbage, I'm sure I'll enjoy it. I liked Salvation. Cameron won't do anything when he gets the rights back, will he?
OfficialJab on Dec 3, 2012
2
Proly not he will be milking Avatar till he dies...he slated to make what 5 total avatar movies, including the first
Brian Sleider on Dec 3, 2012
3
I didn't like it much, but I can definitely see Avatar improving each time. There seems to be a lot to that universe that we didn't get to see - instead we got a pretty simple story to go with the outstanding visual work. Too lopsided. I'd like to see the world that they've created get expanded much more, I read a few months ago that the next one will have a lot of underwater sequences. Now that piques my interest, James.
OfficialJab on Dec 3, 2012
4
anything would have to be better than the first - it was just a tech demo.
beevis on Dec 3, 2012
5
A live action Ferngully tech demo.
Xerxexx on Dec 3, 2012
6
you got it - for a guy of camerons talent - i thought avatar (except for the visuals) was a huge disappointment.
beevis on Dec 4, 2012
7
flagged for stupidity.
beevis on Dec 4, 2012
9
What I want to know is when are they going to make AVT - Alien versus Terminator? Or AVTP? Do people really care?
Carpola on Dec 3, 2012
10
By law, you would have to see a AvTP movie.
mooreworthy on Dec 3, 2012
11
I know, I couldn't stop myself watching that, even if it was terrible I'd probably love it. I'm weak.
Carpola on Dec 3, 2012
12
If it takes place on Pandora.
R on Dec 4, 2012
13
Robocop vs terminater was a good game back in the day for sega, too bad that'll never happen though.
Christopher Philip Cinquegrano on Dec 4, 2012
14
Well, if Cruise did join this franchise, he'd make a good T-1000, what with all the running he does.
grimjob on Dec 3, 2012
15
"You cant catch me gay thoughts!!"
Cody W on Dec 3, 2012
16
Ha! That's exactly what ran through my head.
grimjob on Dec 3, 2012
17
I will catch you!!!!!!
Cody W's gay thoughts on Dec 3, 2012
18
First order of business: don't let Schwarzenegger near it. Terminator doesn't need him. The sooner people realize that about the franchise, the better. It's time to let go of him altogether.
Ali Miller on Dec 3, 2012
20
He's just too old to be playing a terminator.That's about it.Unless they will go for some shit like an aged machine with geriatric issues of human tissue part of the terminator.
R on Dec 4, 2012
21
So, I'm assuming this means Whedon didn't win the bid for The Terminator... Sigh.
Greg dinskisk on Dec 3, 2012
23
James Cameron should have continued to work on Terminator... He's wasting the rest of his career on Avaturd :/
Fidel Reyes on Dec 3, 2012
24
amen!
avi on Dec 4, 2012
26
must be fun being children of a billionaire and making movies as a hobby.
xtheory on Dec 4, 2012
27
Hope they give us more post Judgement day stuff. Salvation was pretty good, but I want more
Richie G on Dec 4, 2012
28
Sign up Tom Cruise as John Conner! He would make that character badass as leader of the resistance. If that somehow happens and Tom Cruise shows some interest in the story you know dam well the script is good since Tom is known to excuse himself from mediocre scripts.
BinaryChaos on Dec 4, 2012
29
Yeah great, If you're gonna bring Tom Cruise in, might as well bring Ahnold back too. They can have an old man fight.
Rain Spider on Dec 4, 2012
30
hmmmm Avatar sequels = matrix sequels!?!?!?!?!?
silentjay on Dec 4, 2012
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