Laeta Kalogridis (
Shutter Island) and Patrick Lussier (
My Bloody Valentine 3D) are currently putting together a
Terminator 5 script for Ellison, nearly two years after the budding Hollywood power player purchased the
Terminator franchise rights. Some of our readers have speculated that the plan is for
T5 to return the series to its roots, by resurrecting the format of James Cameron’s original movie – which combines slasher tropes with sci-fi pop action – and moving away from the mythos building that culminated in
Terminator Salvation (similar to how
Riddick is taking the Vin Diesel franchise back to its
Pitch Black origin, after
Chronicles of Riddick). That would explain the hiring of a writing duo like Kalogridis and Lussier, who have complimentary backgrounds in the sci-fi and horror genre. Schwarzenegger – attending a London junket for
The Last Stand - confirmed that he’s set to appear in
Terminator 5 (via
Bleeding Cool). Obviously, the screen icon is no longer convincing as the ageless T-800; though, if the story introduces Arnold as, say, a crusty fighter in the war against Skynet – one who the machines view as a fitting model for their new line of robots – his presence might avoid becoming a burden (or feeling shoehorned in). Not to mention, it could allow overriding (or just ignoring) of events in
Salvation, which is something Justin Lin hinted at doing
back when he was directing.
