Terminator Rights to be Auctioned in Late November

[nx1701g]

ComingSoon:
The Financial Times is reporting that the rights to the "Terminator" franchise will be auctioned this month. The sale has reportedly sparked considerable interest because "Terminator" is a rare example of a blockbuster franchise not controlled by a big studio. [MORE]

Some of the contenders are:

Media Rights Capital (Producers of Borat/Bruno)
Platinum Equity (Mostly known for auto parts)
Sony Pictures (Producers of well many, many things)
Summit Entertainment (Producers of Twilight)

The rights DO NOT include The Terminator - Terminator: Salvation, The Sarah Connor Chronicles, or any of the other media forms.

[Captain Craig]

So the rights don't include any of the prior filmed footage in any format? Is that normal? I didn't follow this the last time it changed hands. If it is normal than WB opted to follow RoM with Salvation to keep interest alive in a known story it seems.

So all that is really up for sale in these rights are the concepts to the Terminator mythos?

[nx1701g]

^ That's how it sounds. All of the previous films belong to different organizations - which is why we'll never have a box set of the films. They get the characters, the machines, the background story, but that's pretty much it. This was partially seen with TSCC and some of their changes.


There's another interested party from what I've read: Arnold himself has expressed an interest in purchasing them.

[biotech]

Thats not that big a deal really, it would be cool to see a terminator in the same style as the first film, but going after someone else, maybe in a different country or time.

I'd love to see a terminator in the old west, or maybe in england.

Respecting what has gone before is one thing, but when you get bogged down in all the continuality, it might be easier to just start over.

[OdoWanKenobi]

nx1701g wrote:

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There's another interested party from what I've read: Arnold himself has expressed an interest in purchasing them.

Part of me kinda hopes that happens, just because it would be cool.

[Michael Chris]

A major Director has expressed interest as well:

An Open Letter to the Terminator Owners. From a Very Important Hollywood Mogul

Dear Sirs/Ma'ams,

I am Joss Whedon, the mastermind behind Titan A.E., Parenthood (not the movie) (or the new series) (or the one where 'hood' was capitalized 'cause it was a pun), and myriad other legendary tales. I have heard through the 'grapevine' that the Terminator franchise is for sale, and I am prepared to make a pre-emptive bid RIGHT NOW to wrap this dealio up. This is not a joke, this is not a scam, this is not available on TV. I will write a check TODAY for $10,000, and viola! Terminator off your hands.

No, you didn't miscount. That's four -- FOUR! -- zeroes after that one. That's to show you I mean business. And I mean show business. Nikki Finke says the Terminator concept is played. Well, here's what I have to say to Nikki Finke: you are a fine journalist and please don't ever notice me. The Terminator story is as formative and important in our culture -- and my pretend play -- as any I can think of. It's far from over. And before you Terminator-Owners (I have trouble remembering names) rush to cash that sweet cheque, let me give you a taste of what I could do with that franchise:

1) Terminator... of the Rings! Yeah, what if he time-travelled TOO far... back to when there was dragons and wizards? (I think it was the Dark Ages.) Hasta La Vista, Boramir! Cool, huh? "Now you gonna be Gandalf the Red!" RRRRIP! But then he totally helps, because he's a cyborg and he doesn't give a s#&% about the ring -- it has no power over him! And he can carry it AND Frodo AND Sam AND f@%& up some orcs while he's doing it. This stuff just comes to me. I mean it. (I will also offer $10,000 for the Lord of the Rings franchise).

2) More Glau. Hey. There's a reason they're called "Summer" movies.

3) Can you say... musical? Well don't. Even I know that's an awful idea.

4) Christian Bale's John Connor will get a throat lozenge. This will also help his Batwork (ten grand for that franchise too, btw.)

5) More porn. John Connor never told Kyle Reese this, but his main objective in going to the past was to get some. What if there's a lot of future-babies that have to be made? Cue wah-wah pedal guitar -- and dollar signs!

6) The movies will stop getting less cool.

Okay. There's more -- this brain don't quit! (though it has occasionally been fired) -- but I think you get my drift. I really believe the Terminator franchise has only begun to plumb the depths of questioning the human condition during awesome stunts, and I'd like to shepherd it through the next phase. The money is there, but more importantly, the heart is there. But more importantly, money. Think about it. End this bloody bidding war before it begins, and put the Terminator in the hands of someone who watched the first one more than any other movie in college, including "Song of Norway" (no current franchise offer). Sincerely, Joss Whedon.

[Pilot Ace]

Hah, way to go Whedon.

[Dream]

It's time to reboot and get Christian Bale to play the main character! Oh wait...

But seriously. It's time for a reboot. Do another small movie like T1 with a Terminator going after a single target. That'll be much cheaper to make than T4 and be more popular with the regular audiences.

[The Badger]

Well if things were different and the Sarah Connor Chronicles were included, I reckon nx1701g should have a go!

Otherwise, Merchant Ivory productions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IKCAGb6Pzcg

[Captain Craig]

biotech wrote:

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Respecting what has gone before is one thing, but when you get bogged down in all the continuality, it might be easier to just start over.

Right, cause nothing would be more original than rehashing 'Terminator chases Connors through current day' plot. Cause the continuity is that complex at this point. It'll be sooooo much fun to have Kyle learning to text and Sarah being an admin assistant this time. The update possibilites reaaaaally excite me.
It'd be like that great Halloween reboot...oh, wait.
Remember how much better Texas Chainsaw Massacre was being rebooted, that great cast made it so much better...oh, wait.

I know its going to get rebooted cause Hollywood only knows 2 options and after Salvation likely think reboot is the only avenue but its not. Just like those other reboots I will not be showing up for a needless reboot. My cinema dollar is better spent elsewhere.

[Dream]

Captain Craig wrote:

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It'd be like that great Halloween reboot...oh, wait.
Remember how much better Texas Chainsaw Massacre was being rebooted, that great cast made it so much better...oh, wait.

You can't really use those as examples to prove that reboots are all bad. Horror movies tend to suck.

Batman Begins, Casino Royale, and Star Trek XI. Those have been very successful reboots that have been released lately.

[Captain Craig]

Dream wrote:

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You can't really use those as examples to prove that reboots are all bad. Horror movies tend to suck.

Batman Begins, Casino Royale, and Star Trek XI. Those have been very successful reboots that have been released lately.

I can agree with 1 of the 3.
Batman Begins is the one.
Casino Royale was not a good movie, boring. Threads revisiting show BBS'ers don't view it as fondly as they did.
Star Trek is as much a continuation than anything. The GR1(Gene Roddenberry) timeline is still there to be explored. The universe we are in now is just a "parallel" one(GR2). In GR1 Romulus is now destroyed, Spock was still alive there, a new technology 'red matter' existed etc. It was excellent but no way is it a strict "toss the old away" reboot that happens when a reboot is done.

I used those other cause a franchise with Apocolyptic themes seemed more horrific than the ones you listed.
Potato/potatoe I suppose.

[Michael Chris]

Casino Royale was excellent. QoS not so much.

[RandyS]

Good God......"Terminator of the Rings"??? Let's hope that's just a joke.

As for the movies, there's really only one story left that wouldn't be a rehash. I'd post it here, but then, the Hollywood guys would claim they saw this and couldn't use it.

But you fans know what I mean right?

[DarKush]

Michael Chris wrote:

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Casino Royale was excellent. QoS not so much.

I agree. I'm not a big Bond fan, and I thought Daniel Craig was a poor choice for Bond until I saw CS and it made me a believer.

As for the Terminator franchise, I hope Arnold gets it. Though I would love to get my hands on it, and do the future war right.