Back in February news that Justin Lin (Fast Five) had been attached to direct a potential new Terminator feature at Universal popped up as Arnold Schwarzenegger left office as California’s governor and word was that he may be interested in returning to the franchise that made him a mega-star.
One week later our very own Bill Cody offered five suggestions for Arnie’s post-gubernatorial career. One of those five was “Don’t do another Terminator film.”
A little over two months later and Bill’s suggestion has apparently fallen on deaf ears as Deadline‘s Mike Fleming reports a package is being shopped at studios as I type for a new Terminator film with Justin Lin directing, Robert Cort (Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure) producing and Arnold starring. And apparently Universal, Sony and Lionsgate are looking hard at the package.
If you ask me, I don’t see how this could possibly work. The soon-to-be 64-year-old Schwarzenegger is no longer in action star shape and it would take a miracle for him to return to even a shell of the man he was when he last starred in the lead role eight years ago in Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines. And this is no knock on the guy, we all grow older and can’t do the things we once did. While Arnold may be able to walk around with a leather jacket on and look the part, I can’t help but feel that ship has sailed and his time as the Terminator has passed.
It doesn’t help matters that the last Terminator film, Terminator Salvation, stunk. Of course, the prospect is always there to explore that world further, but with Arnold coming back I just don’t see where it would go from here.
I would just assume they leave the Terminator franchise alone, put it out to pasture. It had four films and the farther away we seem to get from the original film and T2 the worse things seem to get. Am I alone in this or do you agree?
