Most movie franchises are locked into a studio or several studios. But that’s not the case with the “Terminator” franchise. The bankruptcy of Orion Pictures, who produced the original entry in the series, opened up the potential for other studios to buy into the popular franchise and distribute the movie.
The upcoming “Terminator: Salvation” landed with domestic distribution rights claimed by Warner Brothers and the world-wide distribution rights claimed by Sony. However, for the planned fifth installment in the series, Variety reports that MGM would like to purchase the distribution rights.
MGM has a 30-day right of first refusal to finance and distribute the fifth “Terminator” film, a right earned through the settlement of a lawsuit between the studio and Halcyon partners Victor Kubicek and Derek Anderson. According to sources, MGM has every intention of making a serious play for the franchise, potentially trumping Warner Brothers and Sony.
The distribution drama promises to be a real cliffhanger that will begin once Halcyon delivers its demands to MGM along with a first draft of the screenplay for the fifth “Terminator.”
MGM passed on producing and distributing the latest installment because it was seen as a risky move for the studio. Now with “Salvation” hitting theaters, the studio sees a more lucrative payday if it decides to give the green light for the fifth installment.
Some Hollywood insiders wonder if MGM will be able to afford the next “Terminator” installment. The studio already has some big-name, high-budget franchises on its plate including the upcoming “Hobbit” movies, the next James Bond entry and the revamped “RoboCop.”
You can’t keep a terminator from saying “I’ll be B*A*C*K”!!!