Weekly Ketchup: Arnold Will Be Back as the Terminator

This Week's Ketchup either represents one of the worst seven days in recent movie news memory, or columnist Greg Dean Schmitz was just grumpy that he didn't get invited to the Royal Wedding (he loves wacky hats!). Aging action stars trying to revive their golden oldies (Terminator 5), a Justin Bieber basketball movie, and a movie that reimagines Zorro as a sort of Mad Max figure are just three of the seven Rotten Ideas. On the brighter side are stories about The Lone Ranger, The Hunger Games (fingers still crossed on that one, at least) and a cool sounding new role for Jeff Bridges.

This Week's Top Story

ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER SAYS "I'LL BE BACK" TO TERMINATOR... AGAIN

The rights to a fifth movie in the Terminator franchise were shopped around to studios this week, with Arnold Schwarzenegger attached to star. This is the highest profile post-politics role for the former Governor of California, with his other planned projects including the TV show and movie spinoff based on the superhero concept of The Governator. Justin Lin, the director of the last three movies in the Fast and the Furious franchise, is also attached to direct this hypothetical fifth Terminator film. The studios that are reportedly most interested in currently acquiring the rights are Universal, Lionsgate and Sony (which distributed Terminator 2: Judgement Day and handled international distribution of the 3rd and 4th films). It's worth noting that Warner Bros, the main studio behind Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines and Terminator: Salvation is not in that list of most interested studios. This is the first real news for the Terminator franchise since February, 2010 when the property was sold at a bankruptcy auction for $29.5 million. That is, unless you count a report last year about an animated Terminator project that was quickly debunked by the holders of the Terminator rights. There is no screenwriter for a Terminator 5 yet, and no indication of whether there is even a known premise other than that it would somehow involve Arnold Schwarzenegger returning to one of his most famous roles. This is the Weekly Ketchup's Top Story, but if it wasn't, it would most likely also be the Most Rotten Idea as well. The reason for this mostly has to do with the dwindling results from the Terminator films (post Judgement Day). There is also the simple fact that Arnold Schwarzenegger is some 27 years (and counting) older than he was when he starred in the first film in 1984. The screenwriter might come up with an explanation for why the T-850 model looks like a 63-year-old man, but the writer might be challenged to come up with a really good explanation. That, however, wasn't the only Schwarzenegger news this week. Before he ever returns to that franchise, Arnold Schwarzegger is also now signed to star in Cry Macho, which will be directed by Brad Furman (The Lincoln Lawyer). Cry Macho is the story of a horse trainer (Schwarzenegger) who agrees to rescue (AKA kidnap) his boss' son from his rich ex-wife, who it turns out also wants to be rid of the 11-year-old kid. Filming of Cry Macho is expected to start this summer if adequate financing can be acquired next month at the Cannes Film Festival.

http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/terminator/news/1922591/weekly_ketchup_arnold_will_be_back_as_the_terminator/